There are billions of hours of video on YouTube. Literally. And that's inappreciably the well-nigh phenomenal statistic about the site, which has been the go-to destination for uploading and watching video since 2005. That said, sometimes, y'all actually want or need to have ane of those videos on your own calculator or phone. But when the topic of downloading YouTube videos comes up, there's a side subject that must be broached: Is it legal?
On the copyright front end, equally long as y'all're downloading a video for your ain personal offline use, you're probably okay. It's more black and white when you consider Google's terms of service for YouTube, which read: "You are not allowed to...access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise use any role of the Service or any Content except: (a) every bit expressly authorized by the Service; or (b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicable, the respective rights holders."
Watching YouTube videos offline through unofficial channels takes money from Google and video creators. There's a reason YouTube runs ads: People brand a living this way.
Plain, stealing videos from YouTube is a big no-no. If you desire to share a video, YouTube and most other video sites get in like shooting fish in a barrel, from embedding to emailing to sharing via social networks. You simply do not need to download a video most of the time.
However, you lot have your reasons. If yous must download a YouTube video—admittedly demand to, simply for yourself, and not for dissemination, and not to be a total douche-nozzle—here's how.
Note: This story is updated frequently as the tools involved change regularly. Some of those changes are not e'er pleasant, such as software then total of "extras," it gets flagged as malware by antivirus tools. The same goes for the helper websites—a change in a site'due south advert network can too create problems with malware.
To prevent this from condign a laundry list of programs and sites that can download YouTube videos, we came up with a few rules for inclusion. Services must:
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Back up 4K downloads even in the free version.
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Work with top 3 video sites:YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo.
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Download entire playlists or channels in a batch (on YouTube), at least with a paid version.
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Output to MP3 for audio (or offer companion software that does so).
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Have an interface thatdoesn't suck.
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Non collect your personal data across your e-mail address.
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Not contain malware. If in that location'due south fifty-fifty a whiff of it in the air, even a PUP, it's out.
The programs, services, and sites in this story are all gratis of spam/virus/problems as of this writing, but caveat emptor. Big time. Peculiarly if you're non actually emptor-ing.
YouTube Premium Downloads
At present bachelor for subscribers of YouTube Premium—the paid version of YouTube that allows you to watch without ads—are video downloads. Kind of. There'southward one caveat with quality: All the video you download is limited to 1080p quality max, or lower. No 4K.
The biggest issue is, this characteristic doesn't actually download a video to salve on your computer forever. Information technology is more akin to the download feature institute on mobile apps for Netflix and Hulu, which makes a streaming video bachelor to watch later using your local storage and views information technology using the app's interface just. This is not a method that allows you to, say, spotter a video using different software such as the VLC Media Actor.
You lot access the download by going to the YouTube hamburger menu and selecting Downloads to view the list of what yous've grabbed. The page says "Downloads remain available as long as your device has an active net connexion at least once every xxx days." This probably isn't exactly what you are looking for in a download. But the tools beneath deliver exactly that.
Desktop Software
Third-party software is where you volition get the best command over downloading online videos. Typically, you paste the URL for the YouTube video y'all desire into the programme, and information technology downloads the highest quality version it can discover. For videos in 1080p High Definition (Hard disk) format, that's unremarkably an MP4 file. For anything college in quality—4K or 8K—the file format is typically MKV.
In the past, YouTube videos were Flash-based, and then your download was an FLV file, just those tend to be harder to play back. MP4 (short for MPEG-4 Part 14 multimedia format) plays everywhere
Annotation that the MKV file, also called a Matroska, is a container—the file could contain video utilizing whatever number of codecs inside. The fool-proof way to play them all is to utilize the VLC Media Player for Windows, which plays everything. (Read more than near it beneath.) Equally for the downloaders, here are the all-time options.
VLC Media Player
Gratis; Windows, macOS, Linux
We mention VLC Media Player above considering it's a fantastic tool for Windows, Mac, and Linux users that plays back just about any media e'er created. It likewise has the ability to download YouTube videos, albeit in a convoluted way. (If you lot run into whatever problems, endeavour a full re-install of VLC and clear your cache to get in work.)
Copy a URL from a YouTube video, and so open up VLC. From the Media carte, select Open Network Stream (Ctrl+Northward) and paste in the URL. Click Play. When the video is playing, become to Tools > Codec Information. There is a box at the bottom called "Source"—re-create the URL you notice in that box.
Go back to your browser and paste the URL—it'southward a temporary spider web address and will elapse eventually—in the address bar and start playing the video. When you're viewing the video in the browser, click the iii-dot carte du jour at the lower right for the download option to go along it locally.
Even so, information technology appears that VLC is only going to save your file every bit 1080p and not whatsoever higher, even if the original YouTube stream was available in 1440p or 2160p (aka 4K). Information technology likewise won't convert video to other formats. To become those options, you demand the desktop software below.
4K Video Downloader
Gratis or $15 for lifetime license on three computers; Windows, macOS, Ubuntu Linux, Android
Multi-lingual 4K Video Downloader (4KVD) is oftentimes updated and features clear download links on the program's website; no advertisement traps hither. The software does what information technology advertises in a uncomplicated interface. Information technology grabs videos upwardly to 8K in quality and downloads to enough of formats. Simply copy a YouTube URL and click the Paste Link push to go started. 4KVD will even grab subtitles, entire playlists, and all the videos in a aqueduct to which you subscribe. The sites supported are limited to the large names similar YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and a few others, simply that covers nigh of what you need. It does brandish a large banner advertisement to proceed the lights on and you're express to 30 downloads a day on the free version.
I had to brand a switch from MP4 to MKV format to get my test video to download in 4K. 4KVD snagged the 3-infinitesimal, 229.7MB file for the movie trailer in near ane infinitesimal and twenty seconds. 4KVD defaults back to 1080p Hd, so I made the aforementioned switch when downloading an Ultra High Definition (8K) playlist.
If yous enable the Smart Mode and its presets, 4KVD can perform one-click downloads to your favorite format. If you want to download more than 25 videos at a time or subscribe to YouTube channels to instantly download the latest, that requires the paid version. Playback of the resulting MKV files via VLC Media Player was flawless.
The program itself has an option to excerpt audio to MP3 format, and so you lot don't even need the 4K YouTube to MP3 companion software.
VideoProc Converter
$59.ninety for one year, $78.90 lifetime, $119.90 family unit (2-5 PCs); Windows, macOS
The powerful VideoProc from Digiarty comes in an editor edition and this converter, which also provides editing and effects. The downloading aspect is not bad, a version similar to Digiarty'due south WinX YouTube Downloader, which you tin can still find but is not promoted by the company these days. This makes sense, as VideoProc Converter handles a lot of downloading, supposedly supporting 4K from over ane,000 websites. With hardware acceleration, information technology promises some speed. Thankfully, it frequently offers price discounts.
To use it, yous open the software, let it notice your hardware to see what you have to help with acceleration (if anything). Click the Downloader push, click Add video to place as many URLs as you want to batch, and then Download At present. Or you tin can become a whole YouTube playlist or live stream. It grabbed our 697MB test 4K video to WEBM format in about 2 minutes and 15 seconds, which isn't bad. All-time of all, the trial version of VideoProc Converter, which limits conversions to 5 minutes, doesn't appear to limit downloads.
FlixGrab
i-year license $44.99 plus tax (or $ix.99 for Gratuitous YouTube Download); Windows
Like some others, FlixGrab has several different programs available, many with overlapping features. For instance, it has FlixGrabMS (a version y'all get from the Microsoft Store to run on Windows 10/11)—but it wouldn't allow me grab video from YouTube. The direct download of the FlixGrab programme from the flixgrabapp.com site did piece of work with YouTube and several other sites,. Plus it offers a Free YouTube Download that is specific to YouTube, yet uses the same piece of cake-to-use interface. The downside, as with others, is the high subscription price, but it's the only way to become high-quality downloads. The YouTube-just version is substantially cheaper at $9.99 per year, however. Neither comes with a trial catamenia.
5KPlayer
Free; Windows and macOS
The gratis 5KPlayer is a lot more than than a downloader, merely it'southward got a heck of an integrated downloader. Promising no viruses, ads, or plug-in requirements is a expert showtime. Information technology is, sadly, ane of the few tested that asks for a registration of your name and email—y'all accept to do that to become the full download function across 300+ sites. Still, you can still nab 4K vids from YouTube without registering.
When downloading, the plan does try to hide some things. Paste in the URL for a YouTube video and the assay engine runs and shows only a few download options. Click the gear icon, then the Show All button, and scroll to run into more—like a 4K 3,840-past-ii,160 file in WebM format. The 227MB WebM test download took an disturbing half dozen.5 minutes. Grabbing playlists was possible, but you must suit download settings ane video at a time. The confusing interface makes it difficult to get back to the other videos in the playlist.
5K Actor besides features DLNA server playback then videos y'all take hold of can be watched on any devices that support DLNA, plus it supports AirPlay for quick playback to Apple devices. Pick a video in the library for quick conversion to MP4, MP3, or even ACC (the sound format preferred by iOS). The role player didn't like playing back the overly large 4K file, though, and experienced buffering issues (VLC didn't have any trouble with the aforementioned file).
Ultimately, in that location's a lot to like about 5K Thespian, from the toll to the features, especially if you expect at them as extras on a downloader. Only the bad interface, slow download speeds, and playback issues may accept you looking elsewhere.
Helper Websites
Practice you want to avoid installing software? Video download helper sites are supposed to do the download piece of work for you. All of them do one basic affair: You requite them a YouTube URL (or another video site, if supported), they parse it, requite you a choice of what size download you want, and provide a link to said download. They work on whatever platform, sometimes even on mobile devices. Y'all don't have to install annihilation on your PC. Information technology tin take a lot longer, depending on the size and quality of the video you desire, merely you can't beat the convenience.
The problem is, you tin't always trust them. There are hundreds of these types of sites out there—information technology seems anyone with a modicum of coding ability has ready ane up. Such sites easily become from useful to suspicious, specially if they get popular and the proprietor sells out to make cash off your visits.
Recommended past Our Editors
Since this story was starting time published, all the helper sites we recommended have been removed for reasons like adding sexually explicit ads, no longer working, switching to pushing its download utility merely, and one for going out of business to avoid getting sued.
For that reason, we're non recommending any helper sites at the moment. Try one if you find information technology, but if your browser, antivirus, or instincts throw upward warnings, avoid and move on.
Extensions
A browser extension can salvage you a step. However, you're going to encounter some issues with downloading video from YouTube, especially if you're using Chrome every bit your primary browser.
The Chrome Web Store—where yous get Chrome browser extensions—is controlled by YouTube'south owner Alphabet/Google. Fifty-fifty an extension ostensibly for this purpose isn't going to allow YouTube direct downloads, because of Chrome Store restrictions. In full general, with Chrome extensions, the download of whatsoever RTMP protocol video (protected videos) or streaming video isn't possible. Y'all tin can employ them on other sites with video, of course. But not YouTube.
Want to get around information technology? Become an extension that does not come from the Google Spider web Store. Some of the programs and helper sites offer an extension component and will spell out how to do the install without the assistance the Chrome Spider web Store commonly provides. Here are a couple.
YouTube Video Downloader
Free; Chrome, Opera, Edge, Vivaldi, UCBrowser
YouTube Video Downloader from Addoncrop is on multiple browsers simply with excellent side-load capabilities. Information technology puts a button below whatever video you're playing on YouTube, or even an embedded YouTube video, making it easy to grab. Supported video quality goes up to 8K. You tin can also catechumen audio from the video to an MP3. Information technology volition fifty-fifty help you lot take video screenshots.
Video DownloadHelper
Free; Firefox, Chrome, Border
Video DownloadHelper supports a huge number of sites—even those for adults. You'll know a video is downloadable when the icon for the extension animates when you're on the web page. Video DownloadHelper for Chrome has stopped working with YouTube; that style, it could get placement in the Chrome Web Shop. Go around that by using the Video DownloadHelper extension on Firefox or Edge instead.
Mobile
Downloading from YouTube using an Android app from the Google Play Store is a challenge, given that Google has a tight grip on the site it owns, and offers the paid YouTube Premium service that supports offline viewing.
That said, with Android, itis possible to install apps without going through Google. For example, InsTube – Free Video and Music Downloader for Android can only be found at InsTube'south site. Download the APK (Android application packet) file to sideload on an Android device. Detect it in your device's downloads and click to install. (You may have to go into your security settings and enable "Unknown sources.")
(Instube)
On iPhones and iPads, you'd think in that location would exist no such brake since Apple and Google aren't exactly the best of pals (or maybe they are). However, on the iOS apps I have tried, not only wouldn't they download from YouTube, only they're besides typically non bachelor for long. One of those apps said in its description, "Downloading from YouTube is prohibited due to its Terms of Service." Apple is ensuring that app makers play by the rules—even Google's rules.
Chances are, the infinitesimal you find an iOS app that can download YouTube videos, it will become "fixed" or banned. The only real option is to jailbreak your iPhone and use sideloaded apps that download what y'all want.
There are workarounds. One is to subscribe to YouTube Premium; information technology lets you lot download video on your iPhone or iPad to watch later, much as Netflix and Hulu exercise.
Another is using a free iOS file manager app like Documents by Readdle. Apply the Safari browser to visit a YouTube video, and use the Share pick to observe Copy Link. Then go back to Documents, and use the built-in browser in the app to surf to a video download helper site. Paste the link into the class (hold your finger down on information technology until you get the "Paste" carte du jour to pop upwardly). The site will give you the links to download, and yous can salvage the file to Documents. Agree and drag the file upwardly, until you're back on the main screen, then drag it to the Photos folder. You'll need to give Documents permission to access Photos the first time. You can then access the video similar you would any video taken on the phone or tablet—in the Photos app.
Another workaround: Go dorsum to the desktop and effort AnyTrans ($39.99 for a unmarried computer for 1 year, Windows or macOS), a desktop file manager for iOS devices that has an integrated downloader supporting 900 sites, including YouTube and Facebook. It'll transfer the videos to the iPhone for you over the USB cable. Fifty-fifty if you don't pay for AnyTrans, the download pick remains and is gratuitous forever.
YT Scribe
Desire a truly unique fashion to "download" a video? YT Scribe lets yous grab the transcription then you can read them instead. It auto-transcribes, punctuates, and paragraphs the text. The ameliorate the subtitles, the better the "article," of course. Best of all, information technology's totally free.
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