Learning how to download YouTube videos effectively is essential if you want to save videos to watch later. At the same time, it buffers due to poor internet connection or network congestion. You may want to know how to download YouTube videos fast and easy if you’re going to watch it again without an Internet connection or if you worry about watching it online.
YouTube is the largest and most popular video-sharing and on-demand video platform globally, with over 30 million visitors watching 5 billion videos every day on YouTube.
Thanks to many video downloading tools, online sites, and other available methods, you can download YouTube videos and convert them into various video and audio formats like MP4, AVI, MPEG, MP3, and more. For instance, if you only need the audio format, you can convert YouTube videos into MP3 files.
Suppose you want to download YouTube videos and watch them again without having to connect to the Internet or without signing in to the YouTube platform. In that case, this post will show you various ways to download a YouTube video.
Various ways to download YouTube videos
Below I have detailed various steps for downloading a YouTube video:
How can I download YouTube videos using a video downloading tool?
One of the few ways to download YouTube videos is to use a video downloading tool/converter. It is the fastest way to download YouTube videos.
Here are the steps you need to follow if you want to download YouTube videos using a video downloading tool:
1. Choose a downloading tool/converter of your choice
First, select one of the best YouTube video downloading tools available on the market now. My favorite YouTube video downloading tool on the market is 4k Download.
4K Download offers excellent features like batch downloading, saving playlists, and downloads in 720p, 1080p, and 4k. It also lets you extract YouTube subtitles and keep them in over 50 languages. It works with Windows, Mac, and Linux and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. It is worth giving 4K Download a try!
Click here to try 4K Download now!
There are some other tools out there, and while there are some decent free tools, the paid versions provide way higher quality.
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2. Features to look for in a YouTube downloading tool/converter
Here are the main features to look for when choosing the best YouTube downloading tool.
Quality of the video
The best YouTube downloading tools/converters must provide an option for choosing the best possible quality and resolution of the converted video file for excellent viewing. Pick a tool that will enable you to download the video of your choice based on specific video resolutions like 360p, 720p, 1080p, and more, and the same or better quality than the original.
Subtitles
If you want to download videos in different languages and you need subtitles for them, then pick a video downloading tool/converter that can download those particular videos in the language(s) of your choice and the subtitles.
Batch downloading
If you want to download multiple videos or whole playlists or channels at once with a single click, then pick a YouTube downloading tool that has this feature to save you time and energy.
This will ensure that you will not have to manually select and download them one by one.
Multiple file format compatibility
If you want to download and save videos in multiple file formats like MP3, MP4, FLAC, or AAC, choose a tool that offers various file format compatibility to have multiple options to choose from.
Built-in video editor
Suppose you want to edit YouTube videos or save just specific portions of videos. In that case, you will need to choose a YouTube video downloading tool with a built-in video editor to make video editing much more effortless.
The downloading and conversion speed
You should choose a video downloading tool to download and convert YouTube videos fast regardless of your internet and wi-fi connection speed.
3. Copy the URL of the video from YouTube
Once you have chosen the best YouTube downloading tool (if you are using this, we highly recommend 4K Download), you will need to copy the URL of the video from YouTube you want to download. Then you have to paste it into the text box of your chosen downloading tool.
Click here to try 4K Download now!
Next, you need to click on the “Start,” “Go,” “Download,” or “Convert” button, depending on the video downloading tool or website you are using. After you are done, the video will start downloading.
If you want to use a downloadable tool, you need to download and install it on your computer system first. Once you install it on your computer and run it, it will provide you with the same options above to download the video.
Beware of not downloading unnecessary software if you choose to use a downloadable tool.
4. Choose the file format & video quality
Depending on the tool you choose, you will get a host of choices when selecting the format of the video file, the size of the file, and the quality of the video you want to download.
So, before downloading the video, select the format of the video you like or want to download (e.g., WMV, MPG, AVI, MP3, 3GP, 3G2, MP4, MKV, FLV, WEBM, HTML5, OGG, and more), and the size and resolution/quality of the video file.
If you want to download multiple YouTube videos (batch downloads from YouTube), you can specify a folder on your computer to save all the downloaded videos. If you are using a VPN, check the location settings of your downloaded files to locate them quickly because when you use a VPN, the downloading tool you are using may mistakenly download the files to another location on your computer.
Once the video has been downloaded, you can watch it or play it on any device you want, whenever you want.
How to download YouTube videos directly?
There is a way to download YouTube videos directly without using a YouTube video downloading tool/converter, app, or add-on.
Update for 2024 – However, this way no longer works because the site is down. I am still showing how it is done in case the site comes back.
You will need to follow the below steps for downloading videos directly from YouTube:
1. Head to the YouTube video of your choice
Open YouTube on your browser of choice, and then open the video you want to download.
2. Add “ss” in the URL of the video of your choice
Next, add the two letters “ss” to the URL of the video in the address bar of the browser right after “www.” and before “youtube.com”.
After entering it, press “Enter” on the keyboard to get redirected to a free site for free downloading.
3. Go to the free downloading website
Once you have hit “Enter” on the keyboard, your browser will redirect you to a free downloading site. There is no need to copy and paste the video URL, as the free site already has the video URL in the text box.
Then all you need to do is choose the quality and format of the YouTube video you want to download. Next, click on the “Download” button, and the video will be downloaded within a couple of seconds.
How do you download YouTube videos with browser add-ons?
Suppose you do not want to download YouTube videos using any online downloading tool, standalone video downloading app, or program. In that case, you can use an add-on directly on your browser to download YouTube videos.
Here is how to download videos from YouTube using an add-on on your browser:
1. Choose an add-on of your choice
There are many browser add-ons available for downloading videos from YouTube. You can install them for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and other internet browsers.
Choose an add-on that is best suited for your browser and needs.
Video Downloader Professional is a great extension for Chrome!
2. Download and install the add-on of your choice
Download the add-on of your choice. Once the add-on is downloaded, install it. If the add-on does not work after installation, restart your browser or your computer after installing the add-on.
The process is simple and is more or less the same for all browsers.
3. Head to the video of your choice
Once you have downloaded and installed the add-on on your preferred browser, head to the YouTube video you want to download. You will get some options to download the video automatically to your computer or another device, such as Quick Download, Download Panel, Conversion Tool, and Settings.
If you click on “Quick Download, ” you will automatically have the video downloaded and installed on your computer or another device.
4. Choose the file format & video quality you prefer
Most browser add-ons offer you various options to choose the video file format that will be saved in your system and the resolution and quality of the YouTube video or audio file you want to download. You have to choose the suitable file format and quality of the video of your choice before downloading it.
How do you download YouTube videos with a Virtual Desktop?
Using a Virtual Desktop (VD) is another easy way to download YouTube videos.
The steps involved for downloading YouTube videos with a Virtual Desktop (VD) are:
1. Head to the YouTube video of your choice
Go to the YouTube platform and open the video you want to view and download. Once you press the “Enter” button, your chosen video starts playing.
2. Add “vd” to the URL of the video
Now add the two letters “vd” to the URL of the video in the address bar of your web browser. Add “vd” before ‘youtube’ and after “www.” in the address bar.
Next, press the “Enter” button, and your browser will redirect you to the Django website for the video you wish to download.
3. Choose the quality and format of the video
Once you get redirected to the VDYouTube website, all you need to do is choose the quality and format of the YouTube video you wish to download.
4. Download the YouTube video
Once you have chosen the quality and format of the YouTube video, click on the “download” option, and the video will be downloaded to your computer system in seconds.
How do you download YouTube videos with a VLC Player?
VLC media player is a popular option for downloading YouTube videos to your PC. If you do not have the VLC media player in your computer system, you can download it for free to download YouTube videos.
VLC media player is secure, so it is safe to use it to download videos from YouTube to your computer system and watch them on your PC later.
Here is how to use a VLC player to download YouTube videos:
1. Head to the YouTube video in your browser and copy the URL from the address bar
Open the YouTube video you want to download in your internet browser and copy the video URL from the address bar.
2. Open the VLC media player
You can keep the VLC media player open on the taskbar for faster downloading of videos at any time.
3. Open Network Stream
In the VLC media player, choose the “Media” option, and click on it. Then select the “Open Network Stream” option if you use a Windows OS. If you are using macOS, choose the “File” option from the VLC media player, and select “Open Network.”
4. Open the Media
As you open the “Media” in the text editor, paste the copied URL of the YouTube video you want to download in the text editor.
5. Select the “Play”
The video will start playing immediately when you click on the “Play” option on the VLC media player.
6. Select “Codec Information”
In this stage, you need to click on the “Tools” option in the top right-hand corner of the menu. Then when you click on the “Codec Information,” a new window opens up. You can also use the “CTRL + J” keyboard shortcut to open it.
7. Choose the location
Now, in the new window, copy the information of the video available in the location text box at the bottom of the window if you are a Windows user. However, Mac users need to right-click on the text box and click on the “Open URL” option in the menu.
8. Copy and paste the URL of the YouTube video
If you copied the video URL, paste it onto your internet browser’s address bar and click “Enter.” However, if you are using a macOS, you do not need to do this.
9. Save the YouTube video
In this stage, the above-selected video should be playing on your web browser online. To save the video, you will need to right-click on the video and then select the “Save video as” option.
10. Download the YouTube video
If you select the “Save video as” option mentioned above, the video will start downloading. But once it gets downloaded, you can rename it and save it with your other videos. The default format of the video is an MP4 file, and the default title of the video would be “video playback.”.
Although the process involving downloading videos from YouTube using a VLC media player may sound complicated right now, it is pretty simple once you have learned the steps.
How can I download YouTube videos on mobile devices?
You can download YouTube videos on mobile devices, such as a phone or a tablet. There are two simple ways to download YouTube videos to your mobile devices.
Firstly, if you have an Android phone, you can use apps like InsTube, which allow you to download videos directly on your Android phone. The InsTube app is free and effortless to download on an Android phone.
Secondly, if you have an iPhone that only runs on iOS, you will not be able to use InTube to download your YouTube videos. But the simplest way to download YouTube videos on your iPhone is by getting the YouTube Premium service which costs $11.99 per month. This allows you to download and watch videos from YouTube to your iPhone within the YouTube app.
You will also have access to YouTube music by simply transferring the video files from your Apple computer to your phone. And watch them like a regular video. You have to use a free YouTube downloader like Y2mate YouTube Downloader that allows you to easily download any YouTube video for free to your PC or your mobile device. It focuses on free HV video services.
More on How to Download YouTube Videos?
As you have seen above, there are various ways when it comes to how to download a YouTube video. Once you download a video from YouTube, you can watch it again even without an Internet connection and without signing in to YouTube.
You can use one of the above methods and tools for downloading YouTube videos easily and fast. Once you download a video, you can watch it on any device anytime you feel like it.
If you have more ideas on how to download YouTube videos, then let us know in the comments!
Click here to try 4K Download now!
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Angela Hobbs says
Hi Becky,
Just wanted you to know, I just tried that SS trick for downloading.
It brought me to a site called SaveFrom.net which is apparantly now defunct, and has been since 2020.
You may want to update this blog post.
Subject: Discontinuation of Service in the United States
April 16, 2020
Dear Savefrom User:
As you may have heard, our industry has been under strenuous attacks by certain US copyright holders. Because of these attacks, it has become financially impractical for Savefrom to continue to provide services in the United States.
Accordingly, Savefrom will be terminating its services in the United States as of April 28, 2020.
We thank you for your past loyalty and patronage and wish you health and safety during the present health crisis and beyond.
Very truly yours,
Savefrom
Becky says
Yeah, that site isn’t working. I left it in the contents in case it comes back one day.