While YouTube is primarily a platform dedicated to streaming, it isn’t simply a video-sharing site. It also contains a huge library of music, sound effects, and tracks, with channels dedicated to each. So, whether you’re a creative looking for royalty-free music and sound effects, or you just want to download some fascinating guided meditation recordings to listen to offline at your leisure, there are a few ways to store content from YouTube to your hard drive.
The major challenge with YouTube content is that it doesn’t allow downloads. Of course, there are a few exceptions where subscribers are allowed to download some types of content (including music) to their devices for personal use offline. This was primarily made possible by the coming of YouTube Music in 2018, a service that allows paid customers to download songs on their mobile devices. But are there other ways to download just about any video or audio from YouTube? Let’s find out below!
Popular ways to download YouTube videos and music for free
Yes, it is absolutely possible to download the audio tracks from YouTube videos in MP3 and video formats like MP4 to listen to offline. The simplest way to do so is by using online video conversion tools. This way, you can skip advertisements or even avoid graphics, save time, and make savings on internet data subscriptions. With this having been said, below are a few tools you can use to get music from YouTube and save it on your computer or mobile device.
1. VDownloader
This is one of the most popular YouTube converter you can use when it comes to downloading content from YouTube for offline consumption. The Windows program not only allows downloads from YouTube but also other popular video-sharing tools. One of the best things about VDownloader is that it allows you to convert and save your videos in the format of your choice, including MP4 and MP3, among others. Apart from being completely free of charge to use, there are also no limits or limitations to the amount of content you can download.
What’s more, you don’t have to worry about nagging pop-ups for ads or updates. It is also user-friendly, fast, and convenient, thanks to its multiple attractive features. You can also choose your preferred video quality, including HD, 4K, and 8K. It doubles up as a tool to help you create a backup of your favourite videos on the hard drive in case they’re taken down from YouTube.
2. Convert with YTMp3
YTMp3 offers a clean and straightforward interface, making it one of the easiest-to-use Mp3 converters online. This Mp3 converter allows you to convert 90-minute videos for free. It also has an option for MP4 conversions. Here’s how to use YTMp3 to get your YouTube audio:
- Step One: Go to YTMp3 first. Make sure the Mp3 option is selected in the blue bar below. In the white box, copy and paste the YouTube URL you want to convert to Mp3. Then press the ‘Convert’ button.
- Step Two: To download your converted Mp3 file, click the ‘Download’ button
3. Using Mp3Download.to
This is another online interface tool you could use to download Mp3 files from YouTube videos quickly and easily. The slight downside is that it only works for YouTube URLs and won’t function on any other platforms. Here’s how to use Mp3Download.to for YouTube video conversion to MP3.
- Step One: Go to Mp3Download.to in the first step. In the white box, paste the URL of the YouTube video you want to convert to Mp3 and press the ‘Search button.
- Step Two: You can convert your file to a variety of other audio formats using this website, such as WAV or FLAC. Simply go to the ‘Audio’ page, choose the file format you wish to save your audio in, and then click the ‘Download’ button next to it.
- Step Three: When your file is ready, a pop-up will appear on your screen asking if you want to download it. To save the file to your computer, simply click the ‘Download Now’ option.
4. Converting with Converto.io
Converto is one of the greatest options if you’re seeking a trustworthy web-based solution to convert your YouTube videos to Mp3, especially for long-term use. You may make Mp3 files from your music videos and YouTube podcasts. To download audio from YouTube with this tool, simply follow these steps:
- Step One: At the converto.io homepage, copy and paste the YouTube URL for the movie or song you want to convert to mp3 into the box, and then click the download button. Converto will begin fetching your video automatically.
- Step Two: Select Mp3 (or MP4) from the dropdown menu and click the ‘Convert’ button. Note: Depending on your file size and internet speed, converting the video to Mp3 may take some time.Step Three: You’ll get a notification on your screen when your Mp3 file is ready to download. To download the audio to your PC, click on the underlined ‘Click here’ portion.
5. 4K YouTube to MP3 Converter (Desktop)
While you may not want to download another tool, pulling audio from YouTube videos with an installed video converter app is often safer and more reliable. Because most YouTube ripping sites, even those that appear to be safe at first, may eventually fall victim to hackers and spyware, it may be advisable to utilize specialist audio-ripping software on your desktop. One such tool is the 4K converter, which works with other video platforms as well apart from YouTube.
Even if you download software, you should always exercise caution before installing it by scanning it with your trusted antivirus program.
Is downloading music from YouTube legal?
This is a common question around the world, and here’s the simple answer. Unless “particularly permitted by the Service” or you have prior written permission from YouTube or the respective rights holder, you are not allowed to download any audio content, according to YouTube’s Terms of Service.
Although YouTube has millions of recordings by every artist you can think of, the majority of which were uploaded by YouTube users rather than record labels, it also has a lot of royalty-free and copyright-free content, as well as music under Creative Commons licenses.
The YouTube Music app for Android and iOS allows you to download and play ad-free songs and playlists, but only if you pay $9.99 a month for YouTube Music Premium. This feature isn’t available on the YouTube Music website or in the free version of the service to prevent piracy and copyright violation.
To sum it up, offline access to YouTube videos can be a bummer. However, it doesn’t always have to make you pluck hair strands from your head. With the above hacks in mind, you can save just about any type of content from YouTube in audio or video format for access at your own time.
