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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- ClipGrab and WinX/MacX are one of the best free instruments for YouTube downloads.
- YouTube Premium provides authorized, ad-free downloads tied to your account.
- Be aware of copyright legal guidelines and solely obtain movies which can be allowed.
For those who’ve ever wished to obtain a YouTube video to observe later — say, for a flight or someplace with horrible Wi-Fi — you have most likely observed that Google does not make it straightforward. YouTube’s personal app limits offline viewing to pick movies and paying Premium subscribers. Nonetheless, there are methods to obtain movies free of charge. The problem is determining which choice is definitely value utilizing.
After years of working in multimedia, I’ve needed to regionally save numerous YouTube movies. I now have one go-to software, and my colleague David Gewirtz has steered one other, however there are many choices on the market that come extremely really useful. Both approach, listed below are two strategies which can be free and trusted, so you will not need to wade by means of sketchy pop-ups and questionable hyperlinks, or pay a cent.
I will additionally cowl YouTube Premium, the official paid methodology for downloading movies, so you need to discover not less than one choice that works.
The best way to simply obtain YouTube movies free of charge
What you will want: Editors at ZDNET, together with me, have been utilizing ClipGrab for years. It is a free program accessible for Mac, Home windows, and Linux customers. The developer describes it as open supply, although the supply code is just accessible for Linux.
Level your browser to the official ClipGrab.org website.
- Click on the “Present all obtain choices” hyperlink.
- Obtain the installer to your platform (Home windows, MacOS, Linux). It is free, however there may be an choice to donate.
- Run the installer to put in ClipGrab.
Throughout set up, ClipGrab might request permission to put in a Rosetta helper (on newer MacOS) or to obtain supplementary elements (resembling yt-dlp). It is best to enable them — they’re a part of ClipGrab and allow options or help with processing.
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If you wish to change the place your downloaded YouTube movies are saved, click on the Settings tab in ClipGrab. Right here, you possibly can specify a goal folder, alter metadata and notification settings, arrange a proxy, and extra. You do not have to tweak any of those choices, although — by default, ClipGrab prompts you every time you obtain, and it saves movies to your system’s default Movies or Downloads folder.
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In your internet browser, go to the YouTube video you wish to obtain.
- Copy the video’s URL from the tackle bar. (It’s also possible to click on the Share button beneath the video.)
- Open ClipGrab and go to the Downloads tab.
- Click on into the enter subject and paste the copied YouTube hyperlink (Ctrl+V on Home windows/Linux or Cmd+V on Mac).
- ClipGrab will mechanically fetch details about the video.
As soon as the video is acknowledged (you will often see the title seem in ClipGrab), you are able to proceed.
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Earlier than downloading, use the Format drop-down to decide on the file kind to your saved video. You will discover it proper beneath the sphere the place you pasted the YouTube hyperlink. I often go away the format set to Authentic, which retains the video’s native file kind, however you possibly can choose MP4, WMV, OGG, MP3 (audio solely), or no matter you favor.
Subsequent, use the High quality drop-down to pick a decision. It is proper subsequent to Format and often permits you to select the total authentic decision (resembling 1080p and even 4K, if accessible) or a decrease one like 720p if you wish to save area.
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When prepared, in ClipGrab’s Downloads tab, click on the “Seize this clip!” button.
- ClipGrab will immediate you to decide on a file identify and save location for the video.
- When you affirm, the obtain will start.
- You will see progress within the Present Downloads part.
A typical YouTube video ought to obtain quick — or not less than in an inexpensive time, relying in your web velocity and the video size. It took me lower than 2 minutes to obtain an hour-long ZDNET livestream.
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One other free choice
ClipGrab is my best choice for simple, simple YouTube video downloading. I repeatedly use it to seize movies, together with my very own uploads after I want a neighborhood copy. After greater than a decade of use, I have not run into any points with it.
However if you would like another, ZDNET’s David Gewirtz makes use of the WinX/MacX apps. Made by Digiarty Software program (recognized for its DVD-ripping instruments), WinX Video Converter (for Home windows) and MacX Video Converter (for MacOS) are freemium video conversion applications.
The best way to use WinX or MacX to obtain YouTube movies free of charge
What makes them attention-grabbing right here is that the free trial consists of an infinite YouTube downloader you should use indefinitely — should you do not thoughts dismissing the occasional immediate to improve.
- Set up the software program: Obtain the trial of WinX Video Converter Deluxe (Home windows) or MacX Video Converter Professional (Mac) from the official website. As soon as put in, launch the app.
- Paste a YouTube hyperlink: Within the app’s toolbar, click on the “YouTube URL” button. The app will swap to a obtain display screen, the place you possibly can click on a hyperlink icon on the high, then paste your video’s URL, and click on Analyze. After a number of seconds, you will see an inventory of accessible resolutions and codecs (for instance, 1080p MP4, 720p WebM), together with file sizes.
- Obtain the video: Select your most popular decision and format from the checklist, then click on OK or Obtain. The video will obtain shortly. Except for YouTube, WinX/MacX helps lots of of different websites — Fb, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and extra.
For those who resolve to improve to the paid model, you will unlock a full suite of video instruments to transform, compress, trim, crop, and even add subtitles. The paid choices begin at $19.95. However you need not pay something in case your most important aim is solely downloading movies.
The official paid choice
Let’s speak about Google’s official approach to obtain YouTube movies: YouTube Premium. I have been a subscriber for years and love the blissful absence of adverts, picture-in-picture mode on cellular, the flexibility to maintain a video taking part in within the background whereas utilizing different apps, entry to YouTube Music Premium, and all the opposite perks — together with downloading movies for offline viewing.
Within the US, a person YouTube Premium plan is $13.99 monthly. There’s additionally a Household Plan for as much as six customers at $22.99 monthly, and a Pupil Plan at $7.99 monthly. It isn’t low-cost, however for heavy YouTube customers, it may be value it.
The best way to use YouTube Premium to obtain movies
Since that is an official characteristic, it is fully authorized and sanctioned by YouTube.
- Log in together with your Premium account: As soon as you have subscribed to YouTube Premium, check in to YouTube in your machine (cellular app or internet browser) together with your account. As soon as logged in, search for a video you wish to save.
- Faucet Obtain: While you’ve discovered a video, click on or faucet the Obtain button. On desktop, you’ll now see a down arrow beneath movies, often to the fitting of the Share arrow icon. Within the cellular app, the Obtain choice seems within the video choices menu (three-dot menu).
- Select your high quality: The primary time you obtain, YouTube will ask what high quality you wish to save by default (resembling 720p or 360p). Increased resolutions take extra storage and won’t be accessible for all movies. When you affirm, the video will start downloading. A progress indicator may seem (on cellular, it is a loading circle).
- Discover your downloaded movies: After the obtain completes, you will discover the video within the Downloads part of YouTube. Within the cellular app, faucet Library > Downloads. On desktop, click on your profile image menu and go to Downloads (or go to youtube.com/feed/downloads whereas logged in). All movies you have downloaded for offline viewing can be listed there.
You may watch your downloaded movies with out an web connection, however you will want to go surfing not less than as soon as each 30 days for YouTube to confirm your Premium standing. In any other case, your downloads will expire. Your downloads are additionally tied to YouTube. So, should you have been hoping to get an MP4 file to edit or share outdoors of YouTube, you are out of luck with this methodology.
Principally, you are not given a straightforward approach to flip your YouTube downloads into usable video recordsdata on a desktop or from iOS units. Nevertheless, should you’re an Android person with an SD card slot, you possibly can change the YouTube app’s settings to avoid wasting movies on to your SD card. Within the YouTube app, faucet your profile pic > Settings > Downloads, and you may see the choice to make use of an SD card.
