How Can I Copy A Video From Youtube

There are billions of hours of video on YouTube. Literally. And that'due south inappreciably the almost phenomenal statistic most the site, which has been the go-to destination for uploading and watching video since 2005. That said, sometimes, yous really want or demand to have i of those videos on your own computer or telephone. But when the topic of downloading YouTube videos comes up, there'south a side field of study that must be broached: Is information technology legal?

On the copyright front, every bit long as yous're downloading a video for your own personal offline use, you're probably okay. It'south more black and white when you consider Google'southward terms of service for YouTube(Opens in a new window), which read: "You lot are not immune to...access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, change or otherwise use any role of the Service or any Content except: (a) equally 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. At that place'south a reason YouTube runs ads: People make a living this way.

Obviously, stealing videos from YouTube is a big no-no. If you want to share a video, YouTube and well-nigh other video sites arrive easy, from embedding to emailing to sharing via social networks. You simply do non need to download a video nearly of the time.

However, you accept your reasons. If you must download a YouTube video—absolutely need to, merely for yourself, and not for dissemination, and not to be a total douche-nozzle—here'south how.

Notation: This story is updated frequently every bit the tools involved alter regularly. Some of those changes are not always pleasant, such as software and then full of "extras," it gets flagged as malware by antivirus tools. The same goes for the helper websites—a change in a site's advertisement network can also create bug with malware.

To prevent this from becoming a laundry list of programs and sites that can download YouTube videos, we came upwards with a few rules for inclusion. Services must:

Support 4K downloads even in the free version.
Work with top 3 video sites:YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo.
Download entire playlists or channels in a batch (on YouTube), at to the lowest degree with a paid version.
Output to MP3 for audio (or offering companion software that does so).
Have an interface thatdoesn't suck.
Not collect your personal data beyond your electronic mail address.
Not incorporate malware. If at that place's 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 free of spam/virus/problems as of this writing, but caveat emptor. Big time. Especially if you're non really emptor-ing.

YouTube Premium Downloads

Now available for subscribers of YouTube Premium—the paid version of YouTube that allows you to picket without ads—are video downloads. Kind of. At that place'due south 1 caveat with quality: All the video y'all download is limited to 1080p quality max, or lower. No 4K.

The biggest issue is, this feature doesn't actually download a video to save on your figurer forever. It is more akin to the download feature found on mobile apps for Netflix and Hulu, which makes a streaming video available to spotter later using your local storage and views it using the app'southward interface just. This is not a method that allows y'all to, say, lookout man a video using different software such every bit the VLC Media Role player.

You access the download by going to the YouTube hamburger card and selecting Downloads (Opens in a new window)to view the listing of what you've grabbed. The page says "Downloads remain available as long as your device has an active internet connectedness at least once every xxx days." This probably isn't exactly what you are looking for in a download. But the tools below deliver exactly that.

Desktop Software

Third-party software is where you will go the best control over downloading online videos. Typically, yous paste the URL for the YouTube video y'all want into the program, and it downloads the highest quality version it tin find. For videos in 1080p High Definition (HD) format, that's usually an MP4 file. For anything college in quality—4K or 8K—the file format is typically MKV.

In the by, YouTube videos were Flash-based, and so your download was an FLV file, but those tend to be harder to play back. MP4 (short for MPEG-4 Role fourteen multimedia format(Opens in a new window)) plays everywhere

Notation that the MKV file, as well chosen a Matroska, is a container—the file could contain video utilizing any number of codecs inside. The fool-proof way to play them all is to use the VLC Media Histrion for Windows, which plays everything. (Read more most information technology below.) As for the downloaders, hither are the best options.

VLC Media Player

Complimentary; Windows, macOS, Linux

We mention VLC Media Player(Opens in a new window) above considering it's a fantastic tool for Windows, Mac, and Linux users that plays back just about any media ever created. It too has the ability to download YouTube videos, albeit in a convoluted way. (If yous run across any issues, try a full re-install of VLC and articulate your cache to arrive piece of work.)

Copy a URL from a YouTube video, then open up VLC. From the Media menu, select Open up Network Stream (Ctrl+N) and paste in the URL. Click Play. When the video is playing, go to Tools > Codec Information. In that location is a box at the bottom called "Source"—copy the URL you find in that box.

Go dorsum to your browser and paste the URL—information technology's a temporary spider web accost and will elapse eventually—in the accost bar and showtime playing the video. When you're viewing the video in the browser, click the three-dot menu at the lower right for the download choice to keep information technology locally.

However, it appears that VLC is only going to save your file as 1080p and not any college, even if the original YouTube stream was available in 1440p or 2160p (aka 4K). It as well won't convert video to other formats. To go those options, you lot need the desktop software below.

4K Video Downloader

Costless or $15 for lifetime license on 3 computers; Windows, macOS, Ubuntu Linux, Android

Multi-lingual 4K Video Downloader(Opens in a new window) (4KVD) is ofttimes updated and features clear download links on the plan'due south website; no ad traps here. The software does what it advertises in a unproblematic interface. It grabs videos up to 8K in quality and downloads to plenty of formats. Simply copy a YouTube URL and click the Paste Link button to get started. 4KVD will even grab subtitles, entire playlists, and all the videos in a channel to which y'all subscribe. The sites supported are express to the big names like YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and a few others, but that covers most of what y'all demand. It does display a large banner advertisement to go on the lights on and y'all're limited to 30 downloads a day on the free version.

I had to make a switch from MP4 to MKV format to go my test video to download in 4K. 4KVD snagged the 3-infinitesimal, 229.7MB file for the moving picture trailer in about one minute and 20 seconds. 4KVD defaults back to 1080p Hard disk drive, so I made the aforementioned switch when downloading an Ultra High Definition (8K) playlist(Opens in a new window).

If y'all enable the Smart Style and its presets, 4KVD tin perform one-click downloads to your favorite format. If you desire 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 sound to MP3 format, so you don't even need the 4K YouTube to MP3(Opens in a new window) companion software.

VideoProc Converter

$59.90 for one twelvemonth, $78.ninety lifetime, $119.90 family (2-5 PCs); Windows, macOS

The powerful VideoProc from Digiarty comes in an editor edition and this converter(Opens in a new window), which also provides editing and furnishings. The downloading aspect is nifty, a version like to Digiarty'southward WinX YouTube Downloader, which you tin can still find but is not promoted past the visitor these days. This makes sense, as VideoProc Converter handles a lot of downloading, supposedly supporting 4K from over 1,000 websites. With hardware dispatch(Opens in a new window), it promises some speed. Thankfully, it oftentimes offers price discounts.

To apply it, you open the software, allow it detect your hardware to meet what you have to help with acceleration (if anything). Click the Downloader push button, click Add together video to identify every bit many URLs every bit you want to batch, and then Download At present. Or y'all tin go a whole YouTube playlist or live stream. It grabbed our 697MB test 4K video(Opens in a new window) to WEBM format in about 2 minutes and 15 seconds, which isn't bad. Best of all, the trial version of VideoProc Converter, which limits conversions to 5 minutes, doesn't announced to limit downloads.

FlixGrab

1-year license $44.99 plus tax (or $9.99 for Gratuitous YouTube Download); Windows

Like some others, FlixGrab(Opens in a new window) has several different programs available, many with overlapping features. For case, it has FlixGrabMS (a version you get from the Microsoft Store(Opens in a new window) to run on Windows x/11)—only it wouldn't let me catch video from YouTube. The direct download of the FlixGrab program from the flixgrabapp.com site did work with YouTube and several other sites,. Plus it offers a Free YouTube Download(Opens in a new window) that is specific to YouTube, nonetheless uses the same like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use interface. The downside, as with others, is the high subscription price, only it's the merely way to go high-quality downloads. The YouTube-but version is substantially cheaper at $9.99 per yr, however. Neither comes with a trial menstruum.

5KPlayer

Gratis; Windows and macOS

The free 5KPlayer(Opens in a new window) is a lot more than a downloader, but it's got a heck of an integrated downloader. Promising no viruses, ads, or plug-in requirements is a practiced start. Information technology is, sadly, one of the few tested that asks for a registration of your name and email—you accept to do that to get the full download function across 300+ sites(Opens in a new window). All the same, y'all can still nab 4K vids from YouTube without registering.

When downloading, the programme does try to hide some things. Paste in the URL for a YouTube video and the analysis engine runs and shows only a few download options. Click the gear icon, so the Testify All button, and gyre to run into more—like a 4K 3,840-past-two,160 file in WebM format. The 227MB WebM test download took an agonizing 6.5 minutes. Grabbing playlists was possible, but y'all must adjust download settings ane video at a time. The confusing interface makes it hard to get dorsum to the other videos in the playlist.

5K Player too features DLNA server playback so videos yous grab can be watched on any devices that support DLNA, plus it supports AirPlay for quick playback to Apple devices. Selection a video in the library for quick conversion to MP4, MP3, or even ACC (the sound format preferred by iOS). The player didn't like playing back the overly large 4K file, though, and experienced buffering bug (VLC didn't have any problem with the aforementioned file).

Ultimately, in that location's a lot to like about 5K Actor, from the cost to the features, especially if you look at them equally extras on a downloader. But the bad interface, ho-hum download speeds, and playback issues may take y'all looking elsewhere.

Helper Websites

Exercise you want to avert installing software? Video download helper sites are supposed to exercise the download piece of work for yous. All of them do i basic thing: You requite them a YouTube URL (or some other video site, if supported), they parse information technology, requite you a choice of what size download you want, and provide a link to said download. They work on any platform, sometimes even on mobile devices. You don't have to install anything on your PC. It can take a lot longer, depending on the size and quality of the video you want, but you lot tin't beat the convenience.

The problem is, you can't always trust them. At that place are hundreds of these types of sites out there—it seems anyone with a modicum of coding power has fix one up. Such sites easily become from useful to suspicious, especially if they go popular and the proprietor sells out to make greenbacks off your visits.

Recommended by Our Editors

Since this story was first 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 just, and one for going out of business to avoid getting sued.

For that reason, we're non recommending any helper sites at the moment. Endeavor i if you find it, only if your browser, antivirus, or instincts throw upwards warnings, avert and move on.

Extensions

A browser extension tin save you a step. However, yous're going to run across some issues with downloading video from YouTube, peculiarly if you lot're using Chrome equally your chief browser.

The Chrome Web Store(Opens in a new window)—where you become Chrome browser extensions—is controlled by YouTube's possessor Alphabet/Google. Even an extension ostensibly for this purpose isn't going to allow YouTube directly 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. You can utilise them on other sites with video, of course. Just not YouTube.

Desire to go effectually it? Get an extension that does not come up from the Google Web Store. Some of the programs and helper sites offering an extension component and will spell out how to practice the install(Opens in a new window) without the assist the Chrome Web Store normally provides. Here are a couple.

YouTube Video Downloader

Free; Chrome, Opera, Edge, Vivaldi, UCBrowser

YouTube Video Downloader from Addoncrop(Opens in a new window) is on multiple browsers but with first-class side-load capabilities(Opens in a new window). It puts a push below whatsoever video y'all're playing on YouTube, or even an embedded YouTube video, making it piece of cake to grab. Supported video quality goes up to 8K. Yous can likewise catechumen audio from the video to an MP3. It will even help y'all have video screenshots.

Video DownloadHelper

Free; Firefox, Chrome, Border

Video DownloadHelper(Opens in a new window) supports a huge number of sites—fifty-fifty those for adults. Yous'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 way, it could go placement in the Chrome Web Store. Get around that past using the Video DownloadHelper extension on Firefox or Edge instead.

Mobile

Downloading from YouTube using an Android app from the Google Play Shop 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, information technologyis possible to install apps without going through Google. For instance, InsTube – Free Video and Music Downloader(Opens in a new window) for Android tin only exist found at InsTube's site. Download the APK (Android awarding package) file to sideload on an Android device. Find information technology in your device's downloads and click to install(Opens in a new window). (You may have to go into your security settings and enable "Unknown sources.")

On iPhones and iPads, you lot'd remember there would be no such restriction since Apple tree and Google aren't exactly the best of pals (or maybe they are(Opens in a new window)). However, on the iOS apps I have tried, non only wouldn't they download from YouTube, but they're also typically not available 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'southward rules.

Chances are, the minute you observe an iOS app that can download YouTube videos, it will get "fixed" or banned. The simply real pick is to jailbreak your iPhone and use sideloaded apps that download what you want.

There are workarounds. One is to subscribe to YouTube Premium; it lets you download video on your iPhone or iPad to watch later on, much every bit Netflix and Hulu do.

Another is using a free iOS file manager app like Documents by Readdle(Opens in a new window). Use the Safari browser to visit a YouTube video, and apply the Share option to find Copy Link. And so go dorsum to Documents, and employ the born browser in the app to surf to a video download helper site. Paste the link into the form (hold your finger down on it until you get the "Paste" menu to pop upward). The site will give you lot the links to download, and you tin can save the file to Documents. Hold and drag the file up, until you're back on the chief screen, then drag it to the Photos folder. Y'all'll demand to give Documents permission to access Photos the first time. You lot tin can so access the video like you would whatever video taken on the phone or tablet—in the Photos app.

Another workaround: Go back to the desktop and try AnyTrans(Opens in a new window) ($39.99 for a unmarried calculator for one year, Windows or macOS; $59.99 lifetime plan), a desktop file managing director 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. Even if yous don't pay for AnyTrans, the download pick remains and is free forever.

YT Scribe

Desire a truly unique way to "download" a video? YT Scribe(Opens in a new window) lets you grab the transcription so you lot can read them instead. It auto-transcribes, punctuates, and paragraphs the text. The better the subtitles, the better the "commodity," of course. Best of all, information technology's totally gratis.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-download-youtube-videos

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