This is How You Download Videos from YouTube

More than 100 hours of video is posted on YouTube every minute. The platform is by far the most popular place for uploading and viewing videos. They want to keep it that way at Google, so there is no official possibility to download videos. But what if you still want to save a video? With these tips, you can still download videos from YouTube.

Tip 01: Via a website

h You discover that there is a great need for able to download YouTube videos when you type it in Google. Dozens if not hundreds of pages that offer the possibility to download a video. But which one can you use best? Well, they are all really good, so it is just as easy to take an English-language website. It works very simply: you copy the URL of the video you want to download, then surf to and paste the URL into the text field that you see there. Then click on Download. In the window that appears, specify the resolution and file type you want to download the video for. Then click Continue and the video will be prepared. If you then click on Start download, the video will actually be saved on your hard drive.

It’s not allowed

That YouTube would rather not want you to download videos from the site is even too soft, because according to YouTube’s terms of use it is not allowed at all. The terms and conditions explicitly state: “Such Content may – without the prior written consent of YouTube … not be downloaded, copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, shown, sold, licensed or otherwise exploited.” Now you don’t have to be so afraid of downloading (for your own use), as long as you don’t upload the videos to YouTube (or another site) or distribute them further.

Tip 02: Audio only

Tip 03: Browser extension

Downloading via a website is fine, but it means that you first have to go to YouTube, copy the URL and then paste it into the site. Can’t that be faster and easier? That is certainly possible, but you will first have to install a browser extension. We deliberately did not include a video downloader because we are already dealing with it here. A good extension for Firefox is Easy Youtube Video Downloader Express. The name explains exactly what the extension does: it adds a button below the video, with which you can download the video with one click. Unfortunately, this extension does not exist for Chrome, because Google (because of its own rules) does not allow such an extension. It also happens regularly that such Firefox browser extensions are deleted. “With this extension, you can download the video of your choice with one click.”

Tip 04: flv2mp3

Wonderfully quiet without ads, and even safer, because you can’t accidentally click on a link that actually contains junk. We used to download media from YouTube, we have good experiences with this service. Now go (in another tab of your browser) on YouTube to the video clip of which you want the music. Copy the link from the address bar (looks like something from code). Now paste the link in the box on the converted site and click on Convert to mp3. Wait a moment until the file is ready and then click Download. If you not only want the music but also the image, you can also easily download the video via flv2mp3. Choose in which format (mp4, mp4 HD, avi, or avi HD) you want the video, and then paste the YouTube link into the box. Furthermore, this works the same as downloading music. Flv2mp3 also offers a download tool for Windows, useful if you often download videos or songs. With this, you can also download it from Dailymotion, Vimeo, and SoundCloud. There is a chance that your browser warns that the site is unsafe. Perhaps because the site violates YouTube’s terms and conditions. If you are a bit worried about it, turn on an adblocker and use an incognito window.

Download your own videos

YouTube does not want you to download videos from others, but of course, that does not apply to your own videos, you are entitled to that. To download a video that you have uploaded yourself, go to Video Manager on YouTube, and click the down arrow next to Edit for the video you want to download. There you will see the Mp4 Download option. You then automatically download the video at the highest quality.

Tip 05: Windows program

It is also perfectly possible to download a program that you can use to download YouTube videos. The most important advantage (compared to downloading from a website) of many such programs is that you are not limited to downloading only one video at a time. That does not matter if you want to download three videos, but if you try to download a whole series of videos from your favorite YouTube channel, then it becomes rather annoying (and time-consuming) if you have to wait each time for your video to be downloaded to the new URL to stick in it. A good example of such a (free) program is Free YouTube Download. With this program, you can download more videos simultaneously. You can do this by entering multiple URLs, but you can also download complete channels with the push of a button. The latter really saves a lot of time and work. Fine is that you can also select other file types, such as .wmv and .avi, where you naturally have quality control. To download a video, copy the YouTube URL (from the video or channel) and click Paste in the program. The download will start immediately.

Tip 06: Clip Converter

On the Clip Converter site, you can download services such as Direct Download videos from YouTube, YouTube (HQ and HD), Google Video, Sevenload, MySpace, Dailymotion (HQ), Vimeo (HQ), Metacafe, MyVideo, and Veoh. Simply paste the internet address into the media box and click the desired format. The film material can be directly converted to the mp4, 3gp, avi, or MOV format. You can also have the music pulled from online clips in mp3, m4a, and aac. The site itself detects the best settings and if you want to do it right right away, enter the correct tags so that your media player will automatically recognize the song, album, and artist.

Download via VLC VLC owes its popularity to the fact that this media player can handle almost all file formats. If VLC cannot play it, it may not work. This versatile media player can also be used to watch videos online and you can even download videos via a shortcut. To stream a video on the PC, click on Media and choose Open Network Stream. In the next window, paste the internet address of the YouTube video and click Open. To download the video, go to Codec Information in the menu Extra. At Location, you can read the internet address where VLC gets the video. Copy this link and paste it into your internet browser. Open the video in the browser, then you can right-click on the video and save the video without having to go through YouTube. On the Mac, use the File menu and then click Open Network to get to the box where you can paste the video link. The Codec information option can be found under the Window button.

Tip 07: KeepVid

One of the oldest online services for downloading videos is KeepVid, which is an achievement in itself. After all, Google does not make it easy for online rippers. KeepVid supports 30 media sites and those are not just video streamers, SoundCloud is among them. Do not click on the banner to download, because then you will be distracted by the advertising, but make a selection from the various options below.

Tip 08: YTD Downloader

The YTD program does not only work with YouTube but supports more than 60 other video hosting sites. At YTD downloader there are versions for Windows, OS X, Android, and iOS. When installing this tool, be careful not to install the annoying Ask toolbar and Ask extension. You can get started with the free edition, but if you are willing to pay $ 22.90 a year, you can process several downloads at once, the advertisements will disappear and you will use the download accelerator. This tool works with conversion profiles, so YTD chooses the right options based on the device on which you want to watch the video. YTD also has its own player, so you do not even have to leave the program for full-screen playback of the downloaded material.

Tip 09: 4K Video Downloader

4K Video Downloader distinguishes itself from the rest because it focuses specifically on videos in 4K format. The ultra-HD quality of 3840 x 2140 pixels is too high for many users and the internet is still scattered with 4K material. When you paste the internet address in the URL box, you can already make a selection from the available qualities and you will always see how large the download file will be. With the 4K Video Downloader, you also bring in the playlists that YouTube users have created. If the video has subtitles you can download and convert them into an art file, or indicate in the preferences that the subtitles must be integrated into the video. This program comes in both a Windows version and an OS X counterpart.

Tip 10: OS X program

Good programs are also available for the Mac. The OS X version of ClipGrab is very useful because where you have to type in the URL for many programs, you can search with ClipGrab for videos just like you would on the YouTube site itself. Search for the video you want to download, click Download, and voilà, the download process has started. This is much faster than pasting a URL. An additional advantage is that the program can also download videos from sites such as Vimeo, Collegehumor, etc., but for that, you, unfortunately, have to paste the URL.

Tip 11: Softorino Converter

Softorino YouTube Converter is a special OS X application because it takes movies from YouTube, immediately strips them of advertisements, and then places them directly on the iPhone or iPad connected to the Mac. This solution also works with Facebook and Instagram videos. You use tabs to indicate whether you want to save the video or just the sound. The application normally costs $ 19.95 but has been available for free for quite some time.

Tip 12: On a smartphone or tablet

Downloading a YouTube video on your computer is easy, but what about your smartphone or tablet? It works a bit more cumbersome, but contrary to what is often thought, it is possible. Read our other article about downloading YouTube videos on your smartphone or tablet Apps to download from YouTube are taken out of the Play Store and App Store by Apple and Google. Download apps often pop up, which are then deleted again in the near future. Most apps work the same way: you are presented with an interface that is similar to that of a browser. Here you enter the URL of the video, and the file is downloaded to your iPhone. Even now there are such apps in the App Store, but how well they work and how long they remain available remains to be seen. Just a matter of keeping an eye on it and being lucky. It is considerably easier to download videos via Android, but you cannot download the app for this from the official Google Play Store (for the same reason that you cannot download an extension for Chrome: Google does not want it). You can, however, download the TubeMate YouTube Downloader app as a separate app installation file. Note: For an app outside can install the Google Play Store to whom you are in the Settings tab Security the option Unknown sources not permitted to turn, otherwise the download. Keep in mind that this option is not disabled by default for anything, keep careful with which apps you download. To download a video now, open the YouTube app, search for the video you want to download, and open it. Then press the Share icon and in the menu that pops up, select Buy YouTube Video Views. You can then choose the quality of the video you want to download and the download can begin.