Download YouTube Videos

Found a favorite video on YouTube that you want to save? There are many different tools at your disposal for downloading and converting YouTube videos. If you have VLC Player installed, you can use it to download videos directly from YouTube. If you'd rather use a website, there are several that make downloading videos easy, even from Android devices. You can also use command line tools to download videos without worrying about ad-ridden websites. If you use Firefox or Chrome, there's a handy browser extension that can handle the video downloading for you.

Steps

Using a YouTube Downloader Website

  1. Choose a downloader. You can use YouTube downloader websites from your computer or using your Android's browser. As of writing, these sites don't work on iOS devices because there's no way to save the video directly to your device. Popular sites include Keepvid, Savido, Clipconverter, Videograbby.
    • Consider installing an ad blocker. Many YouTube downloader sites have lots of ads, and some can be create misleading pop-ups or install other adware on your machine.
    • The process for installing an ad blocker varies depending on the browser you are using. See Block Internet Ads for detailed instructions on installing an ad blocking extension for your browser.
  2. Open the video you want to download. Visit YouTube and open the page for the video that you want to download. Keep the tab with the video open for now.
    • If you're on an Android device, you can open the video in your YouTube app.
  3. Open the downloader website in another tab. Open a new tab and navigate to the YouTube downloader of your choice. There are several popular options, and most will provide multiple quality options:
  4. Copy the URL of the YouTube video. Switch back to the tab with your YouTube video and copy the entire address from the address bar. If you're using the YouTube app on your device, tap the "Share" button and then tap "Copy link."
  5. Paste the video's URL into the field on the downloader website. All of the sites listed above will have a single text field in the center of the page. Paste the video's URL into this field.
  6. Click or tap the "Download" button. This will process the video and load a new page with the download links.
    • Note: If you're using www.videograbby.com, the video will begin downloading automatically in MP4 format at the highest quality available.
  7. Find the format and quality download option that best fits your needs. Most downloader sites will provide multiple download options for your video. The majority of these will be in MP4 format, which is the best format for playing the video on other devices. Choose the MP4 format if you intend to sync the video with your iPad or iPhone.
    • There will be multiple quality options as well as files that are Video Only or Audio Only. The highest quality file that will contain both video and audio is the 720p (1280x720) option. Even if the video is available in 1080p, you'll have to download the video and audio separately due to the way YouTube processes these videos.
    • If you just want the audio from the YouTube video, find the MP3 option.
  8. Click the link to download the video. If the video starts playing in your browser, go back, right-click the link, and select "Save link as." The video file will begin downloading to your computer or Android device.
  9. Play your video. Once the video is finished downloading, you can open it in your media player. If you're having difficulty getting the video to play, try a free open-source media player alternative like VLC Player or MPC-HC. These programs accept multiple file formats and should be able to play your video if the file downloaded correctly.

Using a DownloadHelper Extension

  1. Find an appropriate extension for your browser. Video Download Helper is an extension available on Chrome and Firefox (called an "add-on" in the latter) that makes it easy to download un-encrypted streaming videos from site you're visiting, including YouTube. This extension is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
  2. Install the Video DownloadHelper extension. This extension allows you to quickly download most videos online, including any video from YouTube.
    • In Firefox, click the menu button (☰) in the upper right hand corner of your browser window and select "Add-ons" then click "Get Add-ons".
    • In Chrome, click the menu button (☰) in the upper right hand corner of your browser window and select "More Tools" then click "Extensions" and scroll down to "Get More Extensions"
    • Search for "video downloadhelper" and then click the "Install" button next to the Video DownloadHelper entry. The extension will automatically install.
    • Restart your browser after installing Video DownloadHelper.
    • A search engine query will also yield the extension's download page.
  3. Open the video you want to save. Navigate to the video that you want to download. You will need to open the video's page in order to start the download.
  4. Click the Video DownloadHelper button in the toolbar. At the top-right corner of the browser window, you will see an animated DownloadHelper icon. Click this to display a list of quality and format options.
  5. Select your format. The top option on the list is typically the MP4 format in the highest available quality. Select this option for playback on your computer and any device that supports HD video. If you want to use the video on an older mobile device, select a compatible format and resolution from the list.
  6. Choose a location to save your file. Once you select a format, the Save As window will appear, allowing you to choose a location and name the file.
  7. Wait for the file to download. After saving the file, the download will begin. You can monitor the download in the browser's download manager.
  8. Open your video file. Find the downloaded file in the location you set and double-click it to start playing it. If you downloaded the file in MP4 format, it should work in most video players. If you are having trouble getting it to work, try using VLC Player or MPC-HC. Both of these media players are free, open-source, and can play multiple video file formats.

Using VLC Player

  1. Use this method if you have VLC Player installed on your computer. VLC Player is a popular media player, and there's a good chance that you already have it installed. You can use VLC Player to access the actual video file on YouTube's servers, allowing you to download it directly to your computer.[1]
    • You can install VLC Player for free from videolan.org. The program is open-source and free, and no one profits from you installing it.
    • This method is recommended if you don't want to have to deal with ads, extensions, or the command line. The video will also download in the highest possible quality.
  2. Copy the URL of the video you want to download. Go to the YouTube website and copy the address of the video you want to download. Make sure to copy the entire URL.
  3. Open VLC Player. Once you have the URL copied, launch VLC Player.
  4. Click the "Media" menu and select "Open Network Stream." This will open a new window.
  5. Paste the YouTube video's URL into the field. Make sure the entire URL got copied.
  6. Click "Play" to start streaming the video. The video will begin playing in VLC.
  7. Click "Tools" and select "Codec Information." You can also press Ctrl/⌘ Command+J.
  8. Right-click the text in the "Location" field at the bottom and click "Select All." This will select everything in the field.
  9. Copy the selected text. Either right-click the selection and choose "Copy," or press Ctrl/⌘ Command+C.
  10. Open a new browser tab and paste the copied text. This will load the video directly in your browser.
  11. Right-click the video in your browser and select "Save video as." This will open the Save As window.
  12. Give the video a name and select a location. By default, video will be named "videoplayback." You can change this to whatever you'd like and select where you want to save it.
  13. Save the video. The video will be downloaded to your computer at the highest quality and saved to the location you specified.

Using Yout

  1. Search for and open Yout. Yout is a website which quickly and easy takes a YouTube URL, creates a new "yout" URL in its place and allows users to download mp4s (videos) or mp3s (audio). The service is web-based and free up to certain MB count.
  2. Find your video URL and paste it to Yout. Yout's homepage is very simple and contains a text field for a video URL in the center.
  3. Wait for Yout to redirect you the new URL. Yout will create a new URL (replacing "youtube" with "yout"). Once you're there, you'll have the option to export the video as either an mp4 (video) or an mp3 (audio only).

Using youtube-dl

  1. Use this method if you're comfortable with the command line. This free, open source Python program can download any YouTube video with a few simple typed commands. When using this method, you won't have to worry about any ads or pop-ups. youtube-dl is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. If the command line intimidates you, try one of the other methods in this article.
  2. Visit the youtube-dl website. Open your browser and visit rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/. This is the GitHub (open source project) page for youtube-dl, where you'll be able to get all of the necessary files.
  3. Download and install the youtube-dl files. The process will vary depending on your operating system:
    • Windows - Download the Windows binary EXE file (youtube-dl.exe). You can find this on the Downloads page. Place this file in your personal folder in the Users directory (usually C:\Users\).
    • Mac - Open the Terminal and paste the following command: /usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)". This will install HomeBrew, which will allow you to install unofficial software. After HomeBrew has installed, type brew install youtube-dl to install youtube-dl.
  4. Open the video's page in your browser. Find the video that you want to download and open it in your browser. Leave it open for now so that you can copy the URL.
  5. Open the Command Prompt or Terminal. If you don't have this open yet, open it now. The Command Prompt should start you in your User folder by default. If it doesn't you'll need to navigate to it (this is the same folder that you copied youtube-dl.exe to). Mac users can run the command from any location in the Terminal.
  6. Enter the command to download the video. Enter the following command to download the video. If you're using OS X or Windows 10, you can copy and paste the URL directly into the Terminal or Command Prompt. If you're using an older version of Windows, you'll have to type the URL out manually:
    • youtube-dl
    • For example: youtube-dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFvQ8RrInJU.
  7. Wait for the video to download. When you run the command, the video will begin downloading to your computer at the highest possible quality.
    • If the command doesn't work in Windows, make sure you're in the same directory as the youtube-dl.exe file. If you followed the instructions above, this should be the location that Command Prompt starts in (usually C:\Users\).
  8. Find the downloaded video file. Once the video has finished downloading, you'll be able to find it in your User or Home directory. In Windows, this will be the same location that youtube-dl.exe is located in.
  9. Play the downloaded video. By default, the video should be in MP4 format, which should be playable in most video players. If you are having difficulty playing the file, try an open-source player like VLC or MPC-HC.[2]

Tips

  • None of the methods in this article will work reliably with iOS devices due to the way these devices are designed. If you want to download YouTube videos to watch on your iPad or iPhone, use a method above to download them to a computer first, then sync them to your device using iTunes. See Add Personal Movies to iTunes for instructions on adding downloaded YouTube videos to your iTunes library for syncing with your iOS device.
  • Be patient! Even a one minute video may take two to three minutes. A computer with a good connection and plenty of space should run at a good pace though.
  • Finding a music video and downloading it as a .mp3 will result in music file. The music may also not be the best quality because it's from a video, not a CD.
  • WARNING! Downloading certain music and videos may be a breach of Intellectual Property laws, as companies own the rights to the video and music you are downloading. When you download, your IP Address is logged by YouTube, and they retain the right to send IP Holders your IP Address and they may pursue you for lost revenue and damages. Be sure to only download from YouTube with the explicit permission of the content creator. Otherwise, you are literally stealing their property.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://lifehacker.com/the-best-hidden-features-of-vlc-1654434241
  2. ↑ https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/blob/master/README.md#readme
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