How to download a youtube video to file

We're committed to your privacy. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, check out our privacy policy. Written by Caroline Forsey cforsey1.

You expect technology to be accessible everywhere -- even offline, in some cases. That includes YouTube videos. Whether you're outside on a run, traveling somewhere by train, or in a cafe with limited wi-fi service, you don't want to stop what you're doing if you run into connection problems, especially if you're in the middle of watching a video on YouTube.

This is why it doesn't surprise me that you want to know how to download and save YouTube videos. So did I, and luckily, there is a way.

Let's face it, there's nothing worse than losing wifi or data coverage when you're halfway through the new Taylor Swift music video and your train goes under a tunnel you know, as a random example …. By saving your favorite YouTube videos for later, you're ensuring you can watch YouTube videos start-to-finish anywhere without any pesky obstacles like wifi or restricted data plans.

Here, we'll cover how you can download and save YouTube videos, on both mobile and desktop devices, to ensure you're never without that quick entertainment fix when you need it. Feel free to check them out to decide the best option for you. To make your selection process easier, here's a quick list of five free download solutions :. VLC runs on both Windows and Mac computers. You can also prompt the tool to shut down your computer after your files have finished downloading. It's a helpful piece of software for people who need to download lots of video content at once.

Freemake was built with YouTube videos in mind. You can save videos, playlists, and entire YouTube channels to which you subscribe right to your desktop. ClipConverter is choice for YouTubers who'd rather not download a tool to their computer.

Just enter the URL of your video, hit "Continue," select the file type you want, and click "Download. Copy the YouTube link from your browser into this tool, and 4K Video Downloader will create an offline playlist of videos for you. Download VLC, or another open-source media player. For the sake of time in this example, I downloaded VLC. Remember, the higher the resolution, the larger the video file.

The download options will be different from video to video—longer videos may only be available to download in lower-quality formats.

Once you save the video to your computer, phone, or tablet, you'll be able to launch it in your favorite video player, like QuickTime or iMovie. Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.

By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Start by navigating to YouTube in your browser. This method should work for most videos, but sometimes may display a "Your input can't be opened" error during the download.

The only way to get around this is to use a download website not subject to this, such as mpgun. Go to the video you want to download. You can search for the video using the "Search" bar at the top of the screen. Once you select the video, it should begin playing right away.

Copy the video's URL. Open VLC Player. It's the icon of an orange traffic cone. VLC is an open-source video player with a lot of beneficial features for playing all kinds of files. Open a new network stream. Network streams allow you to play content from your web browser in VLC. If you are still unable to play any YouTube videos, copy the text on this web page and paste it into a new Notepad or TextEdit file.

Save the file as " youtube. On Mac, right-click on VLC. Delete the "youtube. View the video's codec information. Mac: Click Window , then click Media Information. Copy the "Location" field. At the bottom of the window, you'll see a long address that you'll need to copy.

Highlight the entire address and then follow these steps to copy it: Windows: Right-click the highlighted link and click Copy. You can skip this step if you're using a Mac as the video should already appear in a browser.

If you're using Windows, open a new browser tab, right-click the address bar, and then click Paste. Right-click the video and select Save video as.

This should open your computer's "Save" dialog. Download the video. Right-click the video in your browser, then click Save video as in the resulting drop-down menu. The video will begin downloading onto your computer as an MP4 file with the name "videoplayback". Select a location and click Save. This downloads the video to your computer.

Once the file is downloaded, you can view it by double-clicking the file. Method 2. Download the 4K Video Downloader setup file. The 4K Video Downloader setup file will download onto your computer. Install 4K Video Downloader. Once the 4K Video Downloader setup file finishes downloading, you can install it by doing the following: Windows: Double-click the setup file, click Yes when prompted, and follow the on-screen setup instructions. Mac: Double-click the setup file, verify the installation if necessary, click and drag the 4K Video Downloader app icon onto the "Applications" folder, and follow any on-screen instructions.

The video should begin playing. Copy the video's address. Open 4K Video Downloader. If 4K Video Downloader didn't automatically open upon finishing its installation, click its link in the Windows Start menu or your Mac's Applications folder.

Click Paste Link. It's in the top-left corner of the 4K Video Downloader window. Doing so will cause the 4K Video Downloader to extract the address you copied. Select a video format from the "Format" menu. If you don't see "4K" listed in the quality options for a video which you know supports 4K, changing the video format from MP4 to MKV will usually prompt the 4K option to appear.

Select a quality. By default, the highest possible quality will be selected, but you can check the box next to a different quality e. For example, many laptop screens don't support 4K video, meaning that downloading a video in 4K is pointless. Click Download. It's at the bottom of the window. Your video will begin downloading onto your computer. Open your video's location. It may range between low, medium, or high. It is better to choose video resolution like p, p, p, etc.

Subtitles: Many people like to watch clips in different languages. In this case, YouTube premium can be used to download clips with subtitles. Batch Downloading : In case if you want to download the entire YouTube channel, it is better that you check the batch downloading feature to save your time. It will give you more flexibility.

Built-In Video Editor : Many times, you like to watch songs in the middle of the video. At this point, you require video editing functionality. You may want to view a particular song in the middle of a video or edit out a specific portion of a film.

You can try out a converter that comes with a built-in editor. Speed : The software should be able to quickly download and convert any video. The download times must not be highly affected by fluctuations in the wi-fi and internet connectivity.

Report a Bug. Previous Prev. Next Continue. Home Testing Expand child menu Expand. SAP Expand child menu Expand. Web Expand child menu Expand. Must Learn Expand child menu Expand. Big Data Expand child menu Expand. Live Project Expand child menu Expand. AI Expand child menu Expand. Toggle Menu Close.