As a creator, you may want to include all or part of a YouTube video in your own video, podcast, or social media. But before you can add it to your own content (with permission, of course!), download it first. In this guide, we teach you how to download YouTube videos.
Individuals following the instructions in this video do so at their own risk. We provide this information in good faith and make no representations as to its completeness or accuracy. To the extent permitted by law, neither Castos, its affiliated companies, nor our employees, agents or subcontractors shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information.
A note about YouTube’s Terms of Use and Copyright Law
Before you start downloading YouTube videos, you need to understand Google’s operating system for YouTube. Here are the relevant parts:
“You may access the Content for your information and personal use only as intended by the Service provided and permitted under these Terms of Service. You may not download any Content if you see a ‘download’ or link similar to that shown by YouTube in its Terms of Service for that Content.”
Basically, this means that downloading from YouTube is technically illegal. If you violate YouTube’s terms of service, YouTube may terminate your account and ban you from their platform.
However, the issue is not so black and white. You’ve probably seen a lot of videos or heard a lot of podcasts featuring clips from YouTube videos. They have to get that content somewhere. Often they download it, but it’s hard to know for sure. Realize that uploading to YouTube can increase your ability to use the platform in the future.
Also, it is important to consider copyright laws. The creator of the content owns the rights to the video, which means they get to decide if and how others use it. If you use the video for commercial purposes, you leave yourself open to lawsuits. The creator can sue you for lost money or damage to their brand.
However, in copyright law, there is an exception called fair use that protects creators. It’s a complicated subject, but it allows you to copy and use copyrighted material for “limited and adaptive purposes” without permission from the copyright owner. If you are unsure whether your use qualifies as fair use, consult a copyright professional or attorney.
If you want to incorporate someone else’s video content into your own video, the best strategy is to contact the creator and get express written permission to use their content. Most creators are happy to oblige as long as you agree with them.
If you want to embed a video on your website, it’s best to use the embed code placed on each video page to embed the video. YouTube and the creator choose this because they continue to earn money from advertising revenue. YouTube and the creator use this method because they can remove the video at any time, and it will stop working on your site.
Option 1: How to download YouTube videos with YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is the easiest way to download YouTube videos. YouTube Premium costs $11.99/month, but it allows you to watch videos without ads, gives you access to YouTube music and YouTube kids, and offers the option to download videos directly.
When you download from YouTube Premium, you will be able to watch the content offline, but only on the same device, and only using the YouTube app.
Let’s walk through how to download and watch YouTube videos with YouTube Premium:
Step 1: Launch the YouTube app or open YouTube in a browser
Make sure you are signed in with an account registered with YouTube Premium.
Step 2: Find the video you want to download
Go to the video page.
Step 3: Click the “Download” button below the video
If you don’t have YouTube Premium, you’ll be prompted to sign up. If you haven’t signed up before, YouTube offers a few months for free.
When you click “Download,” it will automatically download to your device.
Step 4: Play the downloaded videos
You can play videos downloaded from the YouTube site (via a browser) or the YouTube app. To play from a browser, go to the “Downloads” page using the link in the menu on the left.
On a mobile device, go to the “Downloads” page by clicking the “Library” tab and clicking the “Downloads” link. In both cases, tap/tap the video to start playing it.
Option 2: How to download YouTube videos with VLC Media Player
VLC is a popular, powerful and free media player for Windows and Mac devices. It plays a wide variety of media files including DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs and other media formats – basically anything produced. You can also use it to download any YouTube video.
Step 1: Download and install VLC
Download VLC media player and follow the installation instructions. After it installs, open the app.
Step 2: Bring the YouTube video URL
Go to the YouTube video you want to download and copy the URL of the video.
Step 3: Extract video from VLC
Click the “Media” menu at the top of the app. Then select “Open Network Stream” from the drop-down list.
A dialog box will appear. Paste the video URL in the “Please enter a network URL” box, and hit the “Play” button.
Step 4: Select “Codec Information” from the Tools menu
Once the video starts playing, click “Code Information” in the “Tools” menu. A window will show the current video broadcast information.
Step 5: Copy the video file somewhere
In the Now Broadcasting Information window, copy the location of the video on your device.
Step 6: Save the file to your computer
Open the browser on your device and paste the location of the video file in the address tab. The video will start playing in the browser.
Right-click the video and select “Save Video As” from the menu. Give the video a name you’ll remember and choose a location for the file. The file will be downloaded from there.
Option 3: How to download YouTube videos with other apps/apps
We strongly recommend using VLC media player to download YouTube videos because it is free, simple and easy to use. But if you don’t like VLC, here are some other options:
4K Video Downloader
4K Video Downloader has one purpose: downloading videos. It downloads videos up to 8K in many formats. Just paste in the link to get started. It will download all subtitles, playlists and videos on the selected channel. It also works with videos on Vimeo, Facebook, and other sites.
VideoProc Converter
VideoProc from Digiarty allows you to download from over 1,000 websites including TikTok. Paste a few video URLs you like and let it download them in batches.
5KPlayer
5KPlayer is a complete program that offers many features, including a great 4K video downloader that works with more than 300 sites. Just paste in the URL for the YouTube video and choose your download option, and away you go. It also features DLNA server compatibility, AirPlay, and video streaming.
Option 4: How to download YouTube videos with a browser extension
A browser extension is a great tool to download YouTube videos if you use a browser to browse YouTube.
If you’re a Chrome user, the Chrome Web Store isn’t much help. Since Google/Alphabet owns Chrome, they don’t allow extensions to download YouTube videos. You may find the extension works on other video sites, but not YouTube.
Your options, then, are to use a browser other than Chrome (like Firefox, Edge, or Safari), or download Chrome extensions from third-party websites.
YouTube video downloader is the best option. It adds a download button to every YouTube video, even videos embedded on other sites. It supports up to 8K. You can also convert videos to MP3s (if you just want audio) and even take screenshots. It’s free and works with Brave, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge, Safari and Vivaldi.
Video DownloadHelper is another good option. It supports many sites beyond YouTube. It adds logos to downloaded videos. It is free and works with Firefox, Chrome and Edge.
Option 5: How to download YouTube videos on mobile devices
Want to know how to download YouTube videos on iOS or Android? It’s not as easy as downloading on the desktop, so you’ll need some special tools.
How to download YouTube videos on iPhone or iPad (iOS)
The best way to download videos is through the Documents app. Open the app and tap the compass icon to go to Solo Video. Paste your YouTube link into the text box and click the “Download” button.
After a few seconds, the video will be decoded in a list of different output formats and quality options. Tap “Download” on your chosen option, give it a name, and choose a location.
Next, tap the “Downloads” section below the navigation bar to view your videos using the Documents app.
To save the downloaded video to your iPhone or iPad storage, go back to the Documents home screen and open the “Downloads” folder. Find the video you want to save, tap the three dots next to it, tap “Share” and then “Save Video.” You will see the video in your photo app.
How to download YouTube videos on android
Downloading YouTube videos on Android devices is a challenge because the Google Play store restricts such devices.
However, you can get the YouTube downloader on your phone or tablet by installing the APK file outside the Play Store. We recommend TubeMate. (You can change your security settings to install.)
Once installed, open TubeMate and search for YouTube videos and click the green “Download” button.
A menu will show where you can choose quality and selection process. Select one and click the green “Download” button again.
YouTube download help website
If you Google something like “Download YouTube videos” you will find helpful sites that offer to do the job for you. All you have to do is paste in the video URL and they will give you the download link after a few seconds.
These sites are great because they work on any platform and they don’t require you to download or install any software. It doesn’t take advanced coding skills to set up a website that downloads YouTube videos, so there are hundreds of them.
In our experience, however, you cannot trust these types of websites. Most of them put text over the videos, add pornographic ads, or add sound over the background sound of the video. Sometimes, video downloads download other malicious programs.
For these reasons, we do not recommend using any download help sites at this time. If you decide to use one, watch each downloaded video in full to see what content is included. Then run an antivirus scan to find hidden malware.
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