diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index 3dccedcf..23e94910 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -53,12 +53,24 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           path: Themerr-plex.bundle
+          submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: LizardByte/setup-python-action@v2023.1211.161304
         with:
           python-version: '2.7'
 
+      - name: Patch third-party deps
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: Themerr-plex.bundle/third-party
+        run: |
+          patch_dir=${{ github.workspace }}/Themerr-plex.bundle/patches
+
+          # youtube-dl patches
+          pushd youtube-dl
+          git apply -v "${patch_dir}/youtube_dl-compat.patch"
+          popd
+
       - name: Set up Python Dependencies
         shell: bash
         working-directory: Themerr-plex.bundle
@@ -73,14 +85,6 @@ jobs:
           python -m pip install --upgrade --target=./Contents/Libraries/Shared -r \
             requirements.txt --no-warn-script-location
 
-      - name: Patch python deps
-        shell: bash
-        working-directory: Themerr-plex.bundle/Contents/Libraries/Shared
-        run: |
-          patch_dir=${{ github.workspace }}/Themerr-plex.bundle/patches
-          patch -p1 < "${patch_dir}/youtube_dl-compat.patch"
-          patch -p1 < "${patch_dir}/youtube_dl-extractor.patch"
-
       - name: Install npm packages
         working-directory: Themerr-plex.bundle
         run: |
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b338a870
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[submodule "third-party/youtube-dl"]
+	path = third-party/youtube-dl
+	url = https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl.git
+	branch = master
diff --git a/.readthedocs.yaml b/.readthedocs.yaml
index a05ea658..9f854f07 100644
--- a/.readthedocs.yaml
+++ b/.readthedocs.yaml
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ build:
       - rstcheck -r .  # lint rst files
       # - rstfmt --check --diff -w 120 .  # check rst formatting
 
+# submodules required to include youtube-dl
+submodules:
+  include: all
+  recursive: true
+
 # Build documentation in the docs/ directory with Sphinx
 sphinx:
   builder: html
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 5ae1aa9f..61f08128 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -50,15 +50,14 @@ python2 -m pip --no-python-version-warning --disable-pip-version-check install -
 python2 ./scripts/build_plist.py
 _BUILD
 
-# patch youtube-dl
+# patch youtube-dl, cannot use git apply because we don't pass in any git files
 WORKDIR /build/Contents/Libraries/Shared
-RUN <<_YOUTUBE_DL_PATCH
+RUN <<_PATCH
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 patch_dir=/build/patches
 patch -p1 < "${patch_dir}/youtube_dl-compat.patch"
-patch -p1 < "${patch_dir}/youtube_dl-extractor.patch"
-_YOUTUBE_DL_PATCH
+_PATCH
 
 WORKDIR /build
 
diff --git a/docs/source/contributing/build.rst b/docs/source/contributing/build.rst
index c12fccbe..6576d016 100644
--- a/docs/source/contributing/build.rst
+++ b/docs/source/contributing/build.rst
@@ -11,13 +11,22 @@ Ensure `git <https://git-scm.com/>`__ is installed and run the following:
 
    .. code-block:: bash
 
-      git clone https://github.com/lizardbyte/themerr-plex.git themerr-plex.bundle
+      git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/lizardbyte/themerr-plex.git themerr-plex.bundle
       cd ./themerr-plex.bundle
 
 Setup venv
 ----------
 It is recommended to setup and activate a `venv`_.
 
+Apply Patches
+-------------
+Patch YouTube-DL
+   .. code-block:: bash
+
+      pushd ./third-party/youtube-dl
+      git apply -v ../../patches/youtube_dl-compat.patch
+      popd
+
 Install Requirements
 --------------------
 Install Requirements
diff --git a/patches/youtube_dl-extractor.patch b/patches/youtube_dl-extractor.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 384e6fd9..00000000
--- a/patches/youtube_dl-extractor.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py
-index 9c419c002..3bf483c1c 100644
---- a/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py
-+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py
-@@ -260,16 +260,10 @@ class YoutubeBaseInfoExtractor(InfoExtractor):
-         cookies = self._get_cookies('https://www.youtube.com/')
-         if cookies.get('__Secure-3PSID'):
-             return
--        consent_id = None
--        consent = cookies.get('CONSENT')
--        if consent:
--            if 'YES' in consent.value:
--                return
--            consent_id = self._search_regex(
--                r'PENDING\+(\d+)', consent.value, 'consent', default=None)
--        if not consent_id:
--            consent_id = random.randint(100, 999)
--        self._set_cookie('.youtube.com', 'CONSENT', 'YES+cb.20210328-17-p0.en+FX+%s' % consent_id)
-+        socs = cookies.get('SOCS')
-+        if socs and not socs.value.startswith('CAA'):  # not consented
-+            return
-+        self._set_cookie('.youtube.com', 'SOCS', 'CAI', secure=True)  # accept all (required for mixes)
- 
-     def _real_initialize(self):
-         self._initialize_consent()
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index e33a65fd..6466ea08 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ werkzeug==1.0.1;python_version<"3"
 
 # youtube_dl is not capable or willing to create a new release so have to install from git
 # youtube_dl==2021.12.17
-# dependabot cannot update this
-# git+https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl.git@00ef748cc0e35ee60efd0f7a00e373ab8d1af86b#egg=youtube_dl
-https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/archive/00ef748cc0e35ee60efd0f7a00e373ab8d1af86b.zip#egg=youtube_dl
+./third-party/youtube-dl
 
 # required for websocket to pass tests
 pysocks==1.7.1;python_version<"3"
diff --git a/third-party/youtube-dl b/third-party/youtube-dl
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..be008e65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third-party/youtube-dl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit be008e657d79832642e2158557c899249c9e31cd