How can I retrieve YouTube video details from video URL using PHP?

Question

Using PHP, how can I get video information like title, description, thumbnail from a youtube video URL e.g.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CRkpBGQzU
         


        

Answer 1

I wrote this class to display a Youtube video on our website:

    Video not found, sorry" ;

    function __construct ($width=640, $height=360){

        $this->width=$width;
        $this->height=$height;      

        if($this->width<220){
            // minimum width
            $this->width=220;
        }
        if($this->height<220){
            // minimum height
            $this->height=220;
        }

    }    

    function playVideo(){

        // Default video settings:
        #
        # youtube_list = false
        # youtube_video = false

        $youtube_list = false;    
        $youtube_video = false;    

        // always check contains youtube.com or youtube.be as a reference....

        if(stristr($this->video, "youtube.com")==true ||(stristr($this->video, "youtube.be") || (stristr($this->video, "youtu.be")))){

            // Test if the video contains a query..

            $test = (parse_url($this->video));

            if(isset($test['query'])){

                $testing = $test['query'];
                parse_str($testing);
                if(isset($v)&&(isset($list))){                    

                    // we're dealing with a play list and  a selected video.                    
                    $test = $list;
                    $youtube_list = true;                      
                }
                if(isset($list) &&(empty($v))){
                    // we're only dealing wih a play list.
                    $test = $list;

                    $youtube_list = true;      
                    $test = $list;

                }
                if(isset($v) &&(empty($list))){
                    // we're only dealing with a single video.

                    $test = $v;
                    $youtube_video = true;    
                }
                if(empty($v) &&(empty($list))){
                    // we're not dealing with a valid request.
                    $youtube_video = false;                        
                }

            } else {

                // Apperently we're dealing with a shared link.

                $testing =parse_url($this->video, PHP_URL_PATH);

                $test = stristr($testing, "/");
                $test = substr($test,1);
                $youtube_video = true;    
            }

            if($youtube_video==true){
                    // Display a single video                                        

                    $play ='';
            }

            if($youtube_list==true){
                // Display a video play list.

                $youtube_video = true;

                $play = '';

            }

                if($youtube_video == false){

                // We are unable to determine the video.

                $play = $this->error;
            }
        } else {

            // This is not a valid youtube requeust

            $play = $this->error;
        }

        // Return the results        

        return $this->playVideo=$play;
          }

      }

And this is how you can use the class:

   video = "http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6F5E9FD99326F98C";

    $youtube = $video->playVideo();
    echo $youtube . "
";

    // 1 video
    $video->video="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTA5bLxfvwo";

    $youtube = $video->playVideo();

    echo $youtube;

    // shared link
    echo "
";
    $video = new YouTube(420,315);
    $video->video="http://youtu.be/VRl2XFJ_tg4";
    $youtube = $video->playVideo();
    echo $youtube;

    // invalid request
    $video->video = "http://wrongvideo.com?nothere";

    // Your own error message
    $video->error ="
Video not found :-(
" ;

    $youtube = $video->playVideo();

    echo $youtube;
    ?> 

demo page: http://www.heathernova.us/youtube.php

TTFN Cynthia Fridsma