diff --git a/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/channel.ex b/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/channel.ex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97e56a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/channel.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.Channel do
+  @moduledoc """
+  Contains utilities for working with a channel's videos
+  """
+
+  # TODO: convert to `use`
+  import Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.VideoCollection
+  alias __MODULE__
+
+  defstruct [:id, :name]
+
+  def new(id, name) do
+    %__MODULE__{id: id, name: name}
+  end
+
+  def get_channel_info(channel_url) do
+    opts = [print: "%(.{channel,channel_id})j", playlist_end: 1]
+
+    case backend_runner().run(channel_url, opts) do
+      {:ok, output} ->
+        result = Phoenix.json_library().decode!(output)
+
+        {:ok, Channel.new(result["channel_id"], result["channel"])}
+
+      res ->
+        res
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp backend_runner do
+    Application.get_env(:pinchflat, :yt_dlp_runner)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video.ex b/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video.ex
index 5d95e21..a8ac95d 100644
--- a/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video.ex
+++ b/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video.ex
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.Video do
   final destination. Returns the parsed JSON output from yt-dlp.
   """
   def download(url, command_opts \\ []) do
-    opts = [:no_simulate, :dump_json] ++ command_opts
+    opts = [:no_simulate, print: "%()j"] ++ command_opts
 
     case backend_runner().run(url, opts) do
-      {:ok, output} -> Phoenix.json_library().decode(output)
+      # TODO: test that I changed this to a ! method
+      {:ok, output} -> {:ok, Phoenix.json_library().decode!(output)}
       err -> err
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection.ex b/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection.ex
index ed24bdb..33f908a 100644
--- a/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection.ex
+++ b/lib/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection.ex
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.VideoCollection do
   @moduledoc """
-  Contains utilities for working with collections of videos (ie: channels, playlists)
+  Contains utilities for working with collections of videos (ie: channels, playlists).
+
+  Meant to be included in other modules but can be used on its own.
   """
 
   @doc """
   Returns a list of strings representing the video ids in the collection
   """
   def get_video_ids(url, command_opts \\ []) do
-    opts = command_opts ++ [:simulate, :skip_download, :get_id]
+    opts = command_opts ++ [:simulate, :skip_download, print: :id]
 
     case backend_runner().run(url, opts) do
       {:ok, output} -> {:ok, String.split(output, "\n", trim: true)}
diff --git a/lib/pinchflat/profiles/options/yt_dlp/option_builder.ex b/lib/pinchflat/profiles/options/yt_dlp/option_builder.ex
index ead342f..783be1e 100644
--- a/lib/pinchflat/profiles/options/yt_dlp/option_builder.ex
+++ b/lib/pinchflat/profiles/options/yt_dlp/option_builder.ex
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Profiles.Options.YtDlp.OptionBuilder do
     # NOTE: I'll be hardcoding most things for now (esp. options to help me test) -
     # add more configuration later as I build out the models. Walk before you can run!
 
+    # NOTE: Looks like you can put different media types in different directories.
+    # see: https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp#output-template
     {:ok,
      [
        :write_thumbnail,
diff --git a/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/command_runner_test.exs b/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/command_runner_test.exs
index 2700090..3d084e1 100644
--- a/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/command_runner_test.exs
+++ b/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/command_runner_test.exs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.CommandRunnerTest do
   alias Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.CommandRunner, as: Runner
 
   @original_executable Application.compile_env(:pinchflat, :yt_dlp_executable)
-  @video_url "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0"
+  @video_url "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LHXuyzpex0"
 
   setup do
     on_exit(&reset_executable/0)
diff --git a/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection_test.exs b/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection_test.exs
index 06c55e8..b02ee97 100644
--- a/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection_test.exs
+++ b/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_collection_test.exs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.VideoCollectionTest do
 
     test "it passes the expected default args" do
       expect(CommandRunnerMock, :run, fn _url, opts ->
-        assert opts == [:simulate, :skip_download, :get_id]
+        assert opts == [:simulate, :skip_download, {:print, :id}]
 
         {:ok, ""}
       end)
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.VideoCollectionTest do
 
     test "it passes the expected custom args" do
       expect(CommandRunnerMock, :run, fn _url, opts ->
-        assert opts == [:custom_arg, :simulate, :skip_download, :get_id]
+        assert opts == [:custom_arg, :simulate, :skip_download, {:print, :id}]
 
         {:ok, ""}
       end)
diff --git a/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_test.exs b/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_test.exs
index 00a6430..42798fa 100644
--- a/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_test.exs
+++ b/test/pinchflat/downloader/backends/yt_dlp/video_test.exs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.VideoTest do
   describe "download/2" do
     test "it calls the backend runner with the expected arguments" do
       expect(CommandRunnerMock, :run, fn @video_url, opts ->
-        assert opts == [:no_simulate, :dump_json]
+        assert opts == [:no_simulate, {:print, "%()j"}]
 
         {:ok, "{}"}
       end)
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.Backends.YtDlp.VideoTest do
 
     test "it passes along additional options" do
       expect(CommandRunnerMock, :run, fn _url, opts ->
-        assert opts == [:no_simulate, :dump_json, :custom_arg]
+        assert opts == [:no_simulate, {:print, "%()j"}, :custom_arg]
 
         {:ok, "{}"}
       end)
diff --git a/test/pinchflat/downloader/video_downloader_test.exs b/test/pinchflat/downloader/video_downloader_test.exs
index 36ad4a8..2472e95 100644
--- a/test/pinchflat/downloader/video_downloader_test.exs
+++ b/test/pinchflat/downloader/video_downloader_test.exs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ defmodule Pinchflat.Downloader.VideoDownloaderTest do
     test "it calls the backend runner with the arguments built from the media profile" do
       expect(CommandRunnerMock, :run, fn @video_url, opts ->
         assert :no_simulate in opts
-        assert :dump_json in opts
+        assert {:print, "%()j"} in opts
         assert {:output, "/tmp/yt-dlp/videos/%(title)S.%(ext)s"} in opts
 
         {:ok, "{}"}