Retrieve Video IDs contained in a Playlist - YouTube API v3

youtube youtube-api playlist youtube-data-api
ioannescox picture ioannescox · Jun 4, 2015 · Viewed 8.7k times · Source

I've been using the following method to retrieve all video IDs, titles, and default thumbnail images contained within a specific YouTube playlist for use in a dynamic playlist carousel (The IDs are then passed to an array which is used to dynamically create a thumbnail carousel. Note the 'playlist' variable is defined via an externalized XML value):

// Get YouTube Playlist values
var playListURL = 'http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/playlists/' + playlist + '?v=2&alt=json&callback=?';
var videoURL = 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=';
$.getJSON(playListURL, function(data) {
var list_data = "";
$.each(data.feed.entry, function(i, item) {
    var feedTitle = item.title.$t;
    var feedURL = item.link[1].href;
    var fragments = feedURL.split("/");
    var videoID = fragments[fragments.length - 2];
    var thumb = ""+ videoID +"/sddefault.jpg";
    if (videoID !='videos') {
        yt_videos.push(videoID);
    }
    yt_thumb.push(thumb);
    yt_title.push(feedTitle);
});
$(list_data).appendTo(".cont");
populateCarousel();
});

YouTube has depricated the v1-2 APIs and the method is longer working. Does the YouTube API v3 provide an equivalent method? Specifically replacing the call:

var playListURL = 'http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/playlists/' + playlist + '?v=2&alt=json&callback=?';

Answer

JAL picture JAL · Jun 4, 2015

You will need to switch to the new PlaylistItems/list endpoint to get video information from a playlist.

Request:

HTTP GET: GET https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/playlistItems?part=snippet%2C+id&playlistId=PLCJLiJ8uSJrCpxwz4lmnz1NvvF2SzXbhk&key={YOUR_API_KEY}

Response (for id= PLCJLiJ8uSJrCpxwz4lmnz1NvvF2SzXbhk):

{
 "kind": "youtube#playlistItemListResponse",
 "etag": "\"dhbhlDw5j8dK10GxeV_UG6RSReM/pBQT3k1NWD9D6HOvzNhT4QS1-W0\"",
 "nextPageToken": "CAUQAA",
 "pageInfo": {
  "totalResults": 10,
  "resultsPerPage": 5
 },
 "items": [
  {

   "kind": "youtube#playlistItem",
   "etag": "\"dhbhlDw5j8dK10GxeV_UG6RSReM/wu_RMwA6QYinWSMrYXyOugKDbyI\"",
   "id": "PLl3eZeHB033DOxfNMOVENodvC_4QtQ-r2bxEjeNprDxQ",
   "snippet": {
    "publishedAt": "2014-12-10T21:16:39.000Z",
    "channelId": "UCVUx0VcNxnHx7ZjuZK5Sthw",
    "title": "Private video",
    "description": "This video is private.",
    "channelTitle": "Late Show with David Letterman",
    "playlistId": "PLCJLiJ8uSJrCpxwz4lmnz1NvvF2SzXbhk",
    "position": 0,
    "resourceId": {
     "kind": "youtube#video",
     "videoId": "4bVgilYncao"
    }
   }
  },
  {

   "kind": "youtube#playlistItem",
   "etag": "\"dhbhlDw5j8dK10GxeV_UG6RSReM/DPNyicQckvtlwgMTintYEwYsE6g\"",
   "id": "PLl3eZeHB033DOxfNMOVENoaZ-Ybk0W0zkTL1Sliq5xeA",
   "snippet": {
    "publishedAt": "2014-12-10T21:16:58.000Z",
    "channelId": "UCVUx0VcNxnHx7ZjuZK5Sthw",
    "title": "David Letterman Announces His Retirement from the Late Show",
    "description": "David Letterman announces that he will retire from the Late Show in 2015.\n\nLive on Letterman is up for a Webby award! Let your voice be heard and vote now! http://bit.ly/1l4oktE #WebbyAwards",
    "thumbnails": {
     "default": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H9eYkpgeeI8/default.jpg",
      "width": 120,
      "height": 90
     },
     "medium": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H9eYkpgeeI8/mqdefault.jpg",
      "width": 320,
      "height": 180
     },
     "high": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H9eYkpgeeI8/hqdefault.jpg",
      "width": 480,
      "height": 360
     },
     "standard": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H9eYkpgeeI8/sddefault.jpg",
      "width": 640,
      "height": 480
     },
     "maxres": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H9eYkpgeeI8/maxresdefault.jpg",
      "width": 1280,
      "height": 720
     }
    },
    "channelTitle": "Late Show with David Letterman",
    "playlistId": "PLCJLiJ8uSJrCpxwz4lmnz1NvvF2SzXbhk",
    "position": 1,
    "resourceId": {
     "kind": "youtube#video",
     "videoId": "H9eYkpgeeI8"
    }
   }
  },
  {

   "kind": "youtube#playlistItem",
   "etag": "\"dhbhlDw5j8dK10GxeV_UG6RSReM/aL6XWPV0PoM50wQcyclAxsvtWy4\"",
   "id": "PLl3eZeHB033DOxfNMOVENobu4IxNcwxZw1eEEoLqHjhY",
   "snippet": {
    "publishedAt": "2014-12-10T21:17:14.000Z",
    "channelId": "UCVUx0VcNxnHx7ZjuZK5Sthw",
    "title": "Private video",
    "description": "This video is private.",
    "channelTitle": "Late Show with David Letterman",
    "playlistId": "PLCJLiJ8uSJrCpxwz4lmnz1NvvF2SzXbhk",
    "position": 2,
    "resourceId": {
     "kind": "youtube#video",
     "videoId": "ONgN2Hgz3XE"
    }
   }
  },
  {

   "kind": "youtube#playlistItem",
   "etag": "\"dhbhlDw5j8dK10GxeV_UG6RSReM/YF1JYH8bTG20vjuPLeMR-2xkxjo\"",
   "id": "PLl3eZeHB033DOxfNMOVENoQncF7sXo86YALoy5U4yqlU",
   "snippet": {
    "publishedAt": "2014-12-10T21:17:30.000Z",
    "channelId": "UCVUx0VcNxnHx7ZjuZK5Sthw",
    "title": "David Letterman - Future Islands: \"Seasons (Waiting On You)\"",
    "description": "Making their network TV debut, Future Islands performed \"Seasons (Waiting On You)\" from their album, \"Singles.\"",
    "thumbnails": {
     "default": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1Ee4bfu_t3c/default.jpg",
      "width": 120,
      "height": 90
     },
     "medium": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1Ee4bfu_t3c/mqdefault.jpg",
      "width": 320,
      "height": 180
     },
     "high": {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1Ee4bfu_t3c/hqdefault.jpg",
      "width": 480,
      "height": 360
     }
    },
    "channelTitle": "Late Show with David Letterman",
    "playlistId": "PLCJLiJ8uSJrCpxwz4lmnz1NvvF2SzXbhk",
    "position": 3,
    "resourceId": {
     "kind": "youtube#video",
     "videoId": "1Ee4bfu_t3c"
    }
   }
  },
  {

   "kind": "youtube#playlistItem",
   "etag": "\"dhbhlDw5j8dK10GxeV_UG6RSReM/_Ft_7ujRwQbP7-altelmVnzwQx0\"",
   "id": "PLl3eZeHB033DOxfNMOVENoYQ9Z55P4r2KhvkV5yx-okc",
   "snippet": {
    "publishedAt": "2014-12-10T21:17:47.000Z",
    "channelId": "UCVUx0VcNxnHx7ZjuZK5Sthw",
    "title": "Private video",
    "description": "This video is private.",
    "channelTitle": "Late Show with David Letterman",
    "playlistId": "PLCJLiJ8uSJrCpxwz4lmnz1NvvF2SzXbhk",
    "position": 4,
    "resourceId": {
     "kind": "youtube#video",
     "videoId": "Bzr5VtFvSyw"
    }
   }
  }
 ]
}

The id value for each object in the items array should be the videoId value that you want.

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