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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- ClipGrab and WinX/MacX are the champion escaped tools for YouTube downloads.
- YouTube Premium offers legal, ad-free downloads tied to your account.
- Be mindful of copyright laws and lone download videos that are allowed.
If you've ever wanted to download a YouTube video to ticker aboriginal -- say, for a formation oregon determination with unspeakable Wi-Fi -- you've astir apt noticed that Google doesn't marque it easy. YouTube's ain app limits offline viewing to prime videos and paying Premium subscribers. Still, determination are ways to download videos for free. The situation is figuring retired which enactment is really worthy using.
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After years of moving successful multimedia, I've had to locally prevention countless YouTube videos. I present person 1 go-to tool, and my workfellow David Gewirtz has suggested another, but determination are plentifulness of options retired determination that travel highly recommended. Either way, present are 2 methods that are escaped and trusted, truthful you won't person to wade done sketchy pop-ups and questionable links, oregon wage a cent.
I'll besides screen YouTube Premium, the authoritative paid method for downloading videos, truthful you should find astatine slightest 1 enactment that works.
How to easy download YouTube videos for escaped
What you'll need: Editors astatine ZDNET, including me, person been utilizing ClipGrab for years. It's a escaped programme disposable for Mac, Windows, and Linux users. The developer describes it arsenic unfastened source, though the root codification is lone disposable for Linux.
Another escaped option
ClipGrab is my apical prime for easy, straightforward YouTube video downloading. I regularly usage it to drawback videos, including my ain uploads erstwhile I request a section copy. After much than a decennary of use, I haven't tally into immoderate issues with it.
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But if you privation an alternative, ZDNET's David Gewirtz uses the WinX/MacX apps. Made by Digiarty Software (known for its DVD-ripping tools), WinX Video Converter (for Windows) and MacX Video Converter (for MacOS) are freemium video conversion programs.
How to usage WinX oregon MacX to download YouTube videos for escaped
What makes them absorbing present is that the escaped proceedings includes an unlimited YouTube downloader you tin usage indefinitely -- if you don't caput dismissing the occasional punctual to upgrade.
- Install the software: Download the proceedings of WinX Video Converter Deluxe (Windows) oregon MacX Video Converter Pro (Mac) from the authoritative site. Once installed, motorboat the app.
- Paste a YouTube link: In the app's toolbar, click the "YouTube URL" button. The app volition power to a download screen, wherever you tin click a nexus icon astatine the top, past paste your video's URL, and click Analyze. After a fewer seconds, you'll spot a database of disposable resolutions and formats (for example, 1080p MP4, 720p WebM), on with record sizes.
- Download the video: Choose your preferred solution and format from the list, past click OK oregon Download. The video volition download quickly. Aside from YouTube, WinX/MacX supports hundreds of different sites -- Facebook, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and more.
If you determine to upgrade to the paid version, you'll unlock a afloat suite of video tools to convert, compress, trim, crop, and adjacent adhd subtitles. The paid options commencement astatine $19.95. But you don't request to wage thing if your main extremity is simply downloading videos.
The authoritative paid enactment
Let's speech astir Google's authoritative mode to download YouTube videos: YouTube Premium. I've been a subscriber for years and emotion the blissful lack of ads, picture-in-picture mode connected mobile, the quality to support a video playing successful the inheritance portion utilizing different apps, entree to YouTube Music Premium, and each the different perks -- including downloading videos for offline viewing.
In the US, an idiosyncratic YouTube Premium program is $13.99 per month. There's besides a Family Plan for up to six users astatine $22.99 per month, and a Student Plan astatine $7.99 per month. It's not cheap, but for dense YouTube users, it tin beryllium worthy it.
How to usage YouTube Premium to download videos
Since this is an authoritative feature, it's wholly ineligible and sanctioned by YouTube.
- Log successful with your Premium account: Once you've subscribed to YouTube Premium, motion successful to YouTube connected your instrumentality (mobile app oregon web browser) with your account. Once logged in, look for a video you privation to save.
- Tap Download: When you've recovered a video, click oregon pat the Download button. On desktop, you volition present spot a down arrow beneath videos, usually to the close of the Share arrow icon. In the mobile app, the Download enactment appears successful the video options paper (three-dot menu).
- Choose your quality: The archetypal clip you download, YouTube volition inquire what prime you privation to prevention by default (such arsenic 720p oregon 360p). Higher resolutions instrumentality much retention and mightiness not beryllium disposable for each videos. Once you confirm, the video volition statesman downloading. A advancement indicator mightiness look (on mobile, it's a loading circle).
- Find your downloaded videos: After the download completes, you tin find the video successful the Downloads conception of YouTube. In the mobile app, pat Library > Downloads. On desktop, click your illustration representation paper and spell to Downloads (or spell to youtube.com/feed/downloads portion logged in). All videos you've downloaded for offline viewing volition beryllium listed there.
You tin ticker your downloaded videos without an net connection, but you'll request to spell online astatine slightest erstwhile each 30 days for YouTube to verify your Premium status. Otherwise, your downloads volition expire. Your downloads are besides tied to YouTube. So, if you were hoping to get an MP4 record to edit oregon stock extracurricular of YouTube, you're retired of luck with this method.
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Basically, you're not fixed an casual mode to crook your YouTube downloads into usable video files connected a desktop oregon from iOS devices. However, if you're an Android idiosyncratic with an SD paper slot, you tin alteration the YouTube app's settings to prevention videos straight to your SD card. In the YouTube app, pat your illustration pic > Settings > Downloads, and you'll spot the enactment to usage an SD card.
Are determination Linux command-line options?
Yes. Linux users person a command-line option to download YouTube videos. As with each things Linux bid line, determination are immoderate grey areas here, specified arsenic whether a fixed instrumentality inactive works oregon if there's a amended 1 retired there.
The archetypal enactment is youtube-dl. You tin get it from its official site, GitHub, oregon done your favourite bundle manager. But immoderate folks accidental youtube-dl is aged chapeau and hasn't been updated successful a while. There's different open-source task connected GitHub called yt-dlp, a fork of youtube-dl with much features and much progressive maintenance. I haven't tested it myself, truthful usage it astatine your ain risk.
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Both youtube-dl and yt-dlp connection an incredibly wide scope of features if you request them. Personally, I'm sticking with ClipGrab -- I don't person clip to crook YouTube downloading into a 3rd full-time job. But it's up to you.
What is the safest mode to download YouTube videos?
The implicit safest mode is to usage YouTube Premium's offline download feature, since it's an official, afloat approved method provided by Google itself. When you download a video via YouTube Premium, you're abiding by YouTube's presumption of work arsenic good arsenic the video's usage restrictions (the videos are DRM-protected and tied to your account).
YouTube volition enforce immoderate determination oregon copyright restrictions connected those downloads, truthful you won't beryllium capable to download videos that the level doesn't let successful your country. And you won't tally into immoderate malware oregon sketchy bundle issues, due to the fact that it's a built-in feature.
How tin I download backstage videos?
You tin lone download backstage videos if you already person entree to them (or they're your ain -- YouTube Premium volition fto you download your ain backstage videos). If you tin log successful and ticker the video successful your browser, you tin usually download it.
But if you can't presumption it astatine all, you won't beryllium capable to download it either.
So, if you person login credentials for the video and you're a Windows user, effort utilizing the premium mentation of By Click Downloader. It lets you prevention backstage videos straight to your machine and typically costs betwixt $20 and $40, depending connected promotions.
Can you get successful occupation for downloading YouTube videos?
Just due to the fact that you tin download a YouTube video doesn't ever mean you should -- astatine slightest not without knowing the implications. Different jurisdictions person antithetic laws, and it whitethorn not beryllium ineligible to download a fixed video, adjacent if each you privation to bash is ticker it offline. Some countries besides restrict videos connected definite topics, truthful if you're successful a repressive region, beryllium other cautious.
You mightiness privation to work our VPN guide for tips connected downloading with a spot much privacy.
Also: Best VPNs for YouTube successful 2026: 5 providers for unblocking content
If you program to download a video to incorporated into thing you're producing, support successful caput that immoderate countries admit just use, allowing tiny portions of copyrighted worldly for commentary, criticism, oregon education. That said, YouTube uses automated systems to observe reused content, and your transmission could person a copyright onslaught for violations.
When successful doubt, it's ever champion to inquire for support first.
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