diff --git a/tubesync/sync/youtube.py b/tubesync/sync/youtube.py
index 33cdb795..6911eabd 100644
--- a/tubesync/sync/youtube.py
+++ b/tubesync/sync/youtube.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 
 import os
+import json
 from pathlib import Path
 from django.conf import settings
 from copy import copy
@@ -74,6 +75,28 @@ def get_channel_image_info(url):
             raise YouTubeError(f'Failed to extract channel info for "{url}": {e}') from e
 
 
+def _subscriber_only(msg='', response=None):
+    if response is None:
+        # process msg only
+        msg = str(msg)
+        if 'access to members-only content' in msg:
+            return True
+        if ': Join this channel' in msg:
+            return True
+    else:
+        # ignore msg entirely
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(response)
+        except (TypeError, ValueError, AttributeError):
+            return False
+
+        if 'availability' not in data.keys():
+            return False
+
+        # check for the specific expected value
+        return 'subscriber_only' == data.get('availability')
+    return False
+
 
 def get_media_info(url):
     '''
@@ -83,7 +106,8 @@ def get_media_info(url):
     '''
     opts = get_yt_opts()
     opts.update({
-        'ignore_no_formats_error': False,
+        'ignoreerrors': False, # explicitly set this to catch exceptions
+        'ignore_no_formats_error': False, # we must fail first to try again with this enabled
         'skip_download': True,
         'forcejson': True,
         'simulate': True,
@@ -94,13 +118,20 @@ def get_media_info(url):
     with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(opts) as y:
         try:
             response = y.extract_info(url, download=False)
-        except yt_dlp.utils.ExtractorError as e:
-            if not e.expected:
-                raise e
-            log.warn(e.msg)
-            pass
         except yt_dlp.utils.DownloadError as e:
-            raise YouTubeError(f'Failed to extract_info for "{url}": {e}') from e
+            if not _subscriber_only(msg=e.msg):
+                raise YouTubeError(f'Failed to extract_info for "{url}": {e}') from e
+            # adjust options and try again
+            opts.update({'ignore_no_formats_error': True,})
+            with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(opts) as yy:
+                try:
+                    response = yy.extract_info(url, download=False)
+                except yt_dlp.utils.DownloadError as ee:
+                    raise YouTubeError(f'Failed (again) to extract_info for "{url}": {ee}') from ee
+                # validate the response is what we expected
+                if not _subscriber_only(response=response):
+                    response = {}
+
     if not response:
         raise YouTubeError(f'Failed to extract_info for "{url}": No metadata was '
                            f'returned by youtube-dl, check for error messages in the '