Last updated on December 27th, 2017
There are different methods which you can use to download Youtube videos. We have list out the best methods.
It is generally legal to share and embed YouTube videos on the internet, but downloading them for your own offline use isn’t always permitted.
Downloading videos is a violation of the YouTube Terms of Service, unless YouTube has explicitly given permission to download the video in question.
Media Player – VLC (Windows, Mac OS, Linux)
VLC can also help download Youtube videos too. It’s not as straightforward as other methods, but it still allows you to bypass ad-riddled websites and other third-party software that you might otherwise seek out.
There are downsides to using VLC. You can’t convert the video to another format, or choose which resolution you prefer. But the software still gives you access to your videos faster than other tools, mostly because it downloads directly from Google’s servers.
Step 1: Navigate to the YouTube video you’d like to download in your browser, and copy the URL. Then, launch VLC as you would normally, and click “Media” in the menu bar, followed by “Open Network Stream”.
If you’re on a Mac, you’ll want to click “File”, then “Open Network”. Once done, paste your YouTube URL in the box housed within the Network tab, and click “Open”. Your video will automatically start playing in VLC.
Step 2: If you’re using Windows, select “Tools” in the toolbar at the top and select “Codec Information” from the resulting drop-down menu. If you’re on a Mac, select “Window” and click “Media Information” in the drop-down menu.
This will bring up a screen with various information about the video, but we’re only interested in the “Location” bar at the bottom. This will showcase the exact URL for your video, directly from Google’s servers. Go ahead and copy the link and paste it in the address bar of your browser.
Step 3: The video will then play within your browser. Right-click the video, click “Save As” — or “Save Video As…“, if using a Mac — and wait for the download to complete. That’s it! The video is now on your hard drive.
Third-party Software – 4K Video Downloader (Windows, Mac OS, Linux)
Third-party software is where many will find the best control for downloading online videos. Typically, you paste the URL for the YouTube video you want into the app, and it downloads the highest quality version it can find, typically in MP4 format.
The free version of this software has the ability to download individual videos at customizable qualities all the way up to 4K, has support for 3D and 360-degree videos, can download subtitles and is even able to do so via embedded links. You can even use it to download an entire subscribed YouTube channel.
You can use other softwares too like Freemake Video Downloader, DLNow Video Downloader and Gihosoft TubeGet.
Web Based – SaveForum.net & ClipConverter.cc
SaveForum.net
Open SaveFrom.net and enter the URL address of the webpage you want to download from into the field on the top of the page.
Click the “Download” button on the right and you will get the list containing all available links. Choose a format and download.
ClipConverter.cc
ClipConverter.cc does the usual: it takes a URL and lets you download the video hosted there in multiple formats, both video and audio. Change the start and end time of the video if you like. YouTube, Vimeo, and others are supported; it also offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. It has also implemented a filter to prevent people from downloading copyrighted material.