How to Download YouTube Videos for Desktop & Mobile Fast (2023)

YouTube is one of the world’s largest on-demand video platforms.

Over 30 million visitors watch 5 billion videos on YouTube every day.

If you want to save videos to watch later, you need to learn how to download YouTube videos effectively. You can download YouTube videos in MP4, AVI, MPEG and other formats. If you only need the audio format, you can convert YouTube videos to MP3 files.

Since there are many ways to download and access videos when you need them, we created this resource to show you the latest ways to download YouTube videos in 2022.

Let’s get started.

What Are the Steps for How to Download Youtube Videos?

Downloading videos from YouTube is a very simple and quite straightforward process.

 The first way you can download YouTube videos is to use a video converter.

Downloading YouTube Videos Using a Video Downloading Tool.

Using YouTube downloader tools is the fastest way to download YouTube videos. Let’s look at it step by step:

Step 1: Choose a Downloading Tool/Converter.

First, you select the best possible YouTube downloading tool.

 In our opinion, the best tool on the market is 4K Video Downloader.

4K Video Downloader works with Windows, Mac, Linux and offers great functionalities like batch downloading, saving playlists, and downloads in 720p, 1080p, and 4k. Additionally, You can also extract YouTube subtitles and save them in over 60 languages.

Give 4K Video Downloader a try and get a 14-day money-back guarantee.

There are a few other tools as well, some decent free ones, but the paid versions are of much higher quality.

Features to Look for in A YouTube Downloading Tool.

Video Quality

Converted files should be of standard video quality for good viewing. Ideally, we should be able to manipulate the quality of the video. It can be low, medium or high. It would be even better if you could choose a specific video resolution like 360p, 720p, 1080p.

Subtitles

We all like videos in different languages. In such cases, it is essential to use subtitles when playing on YouTube or YouTube Premium. Logically, we recommend downloading these particular videos with subtitles.

Batch Download

You can download files one by one or in batches based on your YouTube channel playlist. If you like a particular band, we recommend downloading their entire discography. If you like the movie director, you might want to download his entire filmography.

Multiple File Format Compatibility

File Manager allows you to download and save videos in multiple formats. Choose different options like MP3, MP4, FLAC, AAC for more flexibility.

Built-in video editor

Maybe you want to watch a certain song in the middle of the video. Or maybe you want to cut out certain parts of the movie. Video editing needs can arise at any time, making it an essential feature of any YouTube video download tool. You can try any video converter (AVC) that comes with a built-in editor.

Speed ​​

The tool should be able to download and convert videos quickly. Ideally, download times should not be significantly affected by fluctuations in Internet or Wi-Fi connections.

How To Download Youtube Videos Using an Online Tool

Suppose you want to download a video using an online tool. In this case, you have to go to YouTube and open the video you want to download.

Step 1: Copy The Video Address Bar URL From YouTube.

Suppose you want to download a video using an online tool. In this case, you have to go to YouTube and open the video you want to download.

Just copy and paste the YouTube video link shown in the box.

You can open tools in new tabs in the same window. Once opened, you will see a text box for entering the URL. Here is a screenshot of y2mate where you can download the video. Just paste the URL in the text box above and click the Start option. Some websites may also have a “Go” or “Download” button.

If you are using a downloadable tool, you must first download and install it on your computer. Once executed, you will see the same options for copying and pasting the URL for conversion.

Also watch out for unnecessary software that requires download. Avoid these if possible. Some good alternatives are Keepvid. It allows you to download video files using Apple MacOS, iPad, iPhone, and Android devices. You may also need to look into the Google Play Store or another YouTube app that works on other smartphones. You also have many other options when downloading from Vimeo for offline viewing.

Step 2: Choose the File Format & Video Quality.

Paste a YouTube video URL into the search box and you’ll be presented with a variety of options. For example, y2mate lets you choose the video format, video quality, and file size to download.

Finally, select the options you want and click Download.

Some tools also allow you to download YouTube videos in formats such as WMV, MPG, AVI, ASF, M2TS, 3GP, 3G2, FLV, MKV, SWF, WEBM, HTML5 WEBM, HTML5 OGG, HTML5.

If you are looking for batch download, you can also specify a folder on your computer to save all downloaded videos. Using a VPN can be a bit confusing, as the tools usually emphasize the IP address rather than the video URL you enter. So if you are a VPN user, we recommend changing the location for proper downloads.

After downloading the video, you can play it anytime and anywhere.

How Do You Download YouTube Videos Directly?

You don’t always have to use YouTube tools to download videos. Downloading YouTube videos directly from YouTube is very easy.

Here are the steps:

1. Head to The Video.

Open YouTube in your browser and head over to the video you want to download.

2. Add ‘ss’ In The URL.

Next, you have to edit the URL in the text editor which is provided by YouTube. Simply, enter ‘ss’ after ‘www.’ but before ‘youtube.com.’

After you’ve entered it, press the ‘Enter’ button on your keyboard.

Next, you get redirected to a free download website.

3. Go to the Download Site

After redirection, there are many free services that do not require any download or installation. The moment you press the “Enter” button, you will be redirected to the website.

Your text editor already has the URL for the video, so you don’t have to copy and paste the link. You can also download videos. Just click the “Download” button.

You can also choose the video format and quality. Finally, click the “Download” option and the video will be ready in seconds.

Your text editor already has the URL for the video, so you don’t have to copy and paste the link. You can also download videos. Just click the “Download” button.

You can also choose the video format and quality. Finally, click the “Download” option and the video will be ready in seconds.

How Do You Download YouTube Videos with Browser Add-Ons?

You probably don’t want to mess around with YouTube video URLs. Also, you may not want to use third party tools to download videos.

In this case, using an add-on in your browser is exactly the solution you need.

1. Choose An Add-on.

There’s an add-on for practically everything you could ever need.

The good news is that there are a numerous options available to download YouTube videos.

Some are best suited for Firefox, Chrome and Safari, while some are standalone tools.

Here’s an example of a similar add-on called ‘YouTube Video and Audio Downloader’ for Opera.

2. Download The Add-on.

This process is easy in Opera. This is pretty much the same for other browsers as well.

In Opera, just click the green Add to Opera option.

Also, download the add-on appropriate for the browser you are using. otherwise it won’t work. Once the add-on is downloaded, install it. If the add-in does not work after installation, please restart your computer.

3. Head to YouTube.

Next, go to the YouTube video you want to download. Once there, you will notice an icon on the top right-hand side (for Opera users).

When you install this add-on, you get some options:

• Quick download
• Download panel
• Conversion tool
• Settings

Next, click on the “quick download” option, and you will have the video installed on your system.

You will not get the direct download option from YouTube no matter what browser you use unless you use an add-on.

4. Choose Your File Format.

Most addons have different options for saving videos. You can choose from several formats and different video qualities. During download selection, a pop-up window usually appears asking for settings.

How Do You Download YouTube Videos with a Virtual Desktop?

Using a Virtual Desktop (VD) is also another easy way to download YouTube videos.

Here are the steps:

1. Head to The YouTube Video.

First, go to the YouTube platform and type in the name of the video you want to view and also download.

Once you do this and press the ‘Enter’ button, the video will start playing.

2. Add “vd” To The URL.

Now the process is pretty similar to when you download videos directly by adding ‘ss’ to the URL. But in this case, you need to edit the video address and add the words ‘vd’ before ‘youtube’ and after ‘www.’.

Check this out:

After the edit, press the ‘Enter’ button. Next, you get redirected to the Django site for the video you want to download.

3. Choose the Video Format and Quality.

Navigate to the VDYouTube website and scroll down until you find options to select the desired quality and format for the YouTube video. Once you have determined your preferences, feel free to proceed with your selection.

4. Download the YouTube Video.

After selecting the “download” option, the installation process on your computer system will commence, taking only a few seconds. It is a straightforward and simple procedure.

How Do You Download YouTube Videos with a VLC Player?

If you don’t have the VLC media player in your computer system, then you can first download it. VLC Media player is secure and makes it way easier for you to download YouTube videos.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Head To YouTube Video & Copy The URL.

Head to YouTube and open the video you wish to download. Next, copy the URL of the video.

2. Open VLC Media Player.

Ideally, you shouldn’t wait for this step to open the VLC media player. You should keep it open on the taskbar for your benefit.

3. New Network Stream.

When you open the VLC media player, go to the ‘Media’ option, and click on it.

Next, you select the ‘Open Network Stream’ option. Of course, this is the case when you’re using a Windows Operating System.

When you’re using Mac, the flow is FILE > OPEN NETWORK.

4. Open Media.

In this stage, you’ll see a page with a text editor, no matter what OS you’re using. Here, just paste the copied URL of the YouTube video you wish to download.

5. Hit The ‘Play’ Option.

When you click on the ‘play’ option, the video will start playing on VLC.

6. Codec Information.

Then click on the “Tools” option in the upper right corner. There you will find an option called “Codec Information”. You can also access the “Codec Information” option using the “CTRL + J” command.

Click on “Codec Information” and a new window will open.

7. Location.

You should copy the video information from the location text box at the bottom of the page. This procedure is very easy for Windows users.

However, Mac users need to right-click the box and click the Open URL option.

8. Copy/Paste the URL.

If you’re on a Windows system, and you already copied the URL. Paste it into your web browser and click ‘Enter.’ This step is redundant for Mac users.

9. Save the Video.

At this stage, the video should already be playing on your browser online. Right-click on the video and select the ‘Save video as’ option.

10. Download The Video.

The video will download. The default format is MP4 file and the default title is “Video Playback”. Once downloaded, save it with your other videos.

This process may seem tedious at the moment, but it’s very easy if you do it yourself.

How Do You Download YouTube Videos on Mobile?

Downloading YouTube videos to your mobile device can be a bit of a hassle.

However, there are two easy ways to download to your mobile device.

Option #1: If you have an Android phone, you can use an app called InsTube. This app allows you to download videos to your phone easily and for free.

Option #2: If you have an iPhone with iOS, you cannot use InsTube to download YouTube videos.

The easiest way to achieve this is to get the official YouTube Premium. It costs $11.99 per month, but it’s worth it. The YouTube app allows you to download and watch videos directly on your mobile phone.

You can also access YouTube music, so you can stream music as well as videos. A free hack to achieve this is to use Apple AirDrop.

You can easily transfer video files from your Apple computer to your phone and watch them like regular videos. Just follow the steps on y2mate.com to easily download YouTube videos for free and use them on your mobile device.

Is Downloading YouTube Videos Legal?

YouTube has fairly simple terms of service that explain what viewers can and cannot do on the platform.

Downloading and selling videos without prior permission and committing copyright infringement is against our terms of service.

Downloading YouTube videos is technically a criminal offense, but YouTube has not expressed any intention of penalizing users for downloading videos. Some royalty-free videos on YouTube can be legally downloaded with the proper license. Also, if you use the video for personal purposes only, it can be considered legal.

YouTube states, “You shall not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, or otherwise exploit any Content for any other purposes without the prior written consent of YouTube or the respective licensors of the Content.”

In other words, you can watch Youtube videos, but only from Google applications. 

However, third-party apps still pop up online and allow people to download YouTube videos. It is difficult to coerce or ban users if they are abused. You can watch YouTube videos without logging in.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to download videos from YouTube for personal use.

What is YouTube batch downloading?

Batch download is the term for downloading multiple files in a single Internet download session. The number of files and their size in kilobytes (KB) determines how long it will take to process the files)completely.

With YouTube Batch Download, a user uses software or her web browser her addon to automatically download multiple her YouTube videos to a specific folder on her computer or device.

Batch download is also called multipart download. The main reason people practice batch downloading is that they can easily download multiple small files from one place and the file size of the downloaded videos does not exceed the limit imposed by the particular software. Many YouTube users use third-party software to download videos because it doesn’t take long to complete the task.

What music can I use when creating YouTube videos?

We recommend using royalty-free music when recording videos to post on YouTube. This means that the music you choose must not violate the original artist’s rights.

YouTube allows users to use certain tracks from her YouTube library for free.

Frequently Asked Questions

4K Resolution vs. 1080p: Which Is Better?

You may have heard about 4K and 1080p, but few thought where they came from or that they’re actually different things. 4K was born out of TV technology and is becoming increasingly available on a wide variety of devices, platforms and software.

We are going to clarify the difference between 4K resolution and 1080p, determine which one is better in quality and how to download videos in 4K from different sources.

4K vs. 1080p Comparison

Few people have heard of 1080p HD video quality. People usually choose the setup when watching or creating video content because of its sharpness and high definition. But today 4K and 8K are prevalent and are gradually replacing 1080p. And for good reason.

To decide which is better, we need to understand the definition of video resolution. The number of pixels in each frame. The higher the video quality, the more realistic it looks and the more details you can see.

The main difference between 4K and 1080p image quality is resolution. 4K is super high definition, but 1080p is just high definition. As the name suggests, 4K UHD is a significantly higher resolution than 1080p HD video. 4K resolution is 3840 x 2160 pixels, while 1080p is made up of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

4K resolution with an aspect ratio of 16:9 almost quadruples the number of pixels on the screen compared to 1080p technology. Over 8 million pixels at 4K and just 2 million pixels at 1080p. This is a big difference and gives 4K some key advantages over 1080p video quality.

By the way, the ‘p’ in 1080p doesn’t stand for ‘pixel’, despite a common misconception. Rather, it means “progressive scan”. It delivers a complete image at once, but not in a series of interlaced scans. For viewers, you get a smooth, flicker-free image. The “K” in 4K means thousands, not in technical connotations like “progressive scan”.

Why Is 4K Better Than 1080p?

There are several reasons why 4K is clearly superior to 1080p in terms of image quality. These factors include the ability to see particularly fine detail, the ability to see that detail when you get close to the screen, and from a production standpoint, you can compare your captures to regular HD or HD while maintaining high contrast and highly detailed quality. Includes the ability to shrink to other formats. Originally preserved.

Resolution and detail. 

The 4K UHD can reproduce the most intricate details with four times as many pixels as in 1080p. This is considered the biggest advantage of the 4K video standard.

Closer viewing. 

The higher resolution of 4K compared to 1080p allows you to sit closer to the big screen while getting a sharper image. In fact, the recommended optimal viewing distance for 4K TVs is half that of regular TVs. That’s because 4K feels best when viewed up close. Sitting farther away doesn’t always give you the greatest effect (although you can be sure that you’ll enjoy the best intelligibility regardless of distance).

Zoom out.

Images often need to be scaled down to a lower resolution. 4K can be downscaled to 2K high resolution. In testing, comparing the final video quality to a 4K video that was downscaled to 2K, initially showed that the image was much more detailed than if it had been shot at 2K.

For those who want and expect the best possible picture quality in their movies, 4K is perfect in every way. From both a production and viewing perspective, this ultra-high-definition technology has the potential to change the way video is viewed.

Best Solution to Convert 1080p Video to 4K

4K resolution allows you to get extremely sharp and lifelike video images. If you want to enjoy high-definition videos on your TV, computer, or mobile device, 4K Video Downloader is the perfect tool. Follow the steps below to download 4K YouTube videos in high quality.

1. Launch the 4K video downloader. Available for macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android.

2. Copy the link to the 4K video you want to download from YouTube.

3. Click the paste Link button.

4. Select format and quality.

5. Click the Download button.

That’s right! Wait a few seconds and enjoy your video in 4K resolution!

Executive Summary.

There you have it – some of the best ways to download YouTube videos. In our opinion, go with 4K Video Downloader – it’s the best tool for both video quality and MP3 conversions.

With this tool, you can always access your favorite videos from YouTube even without internet connection. Download videos and save them to your computer or mobile phone and never miss your favorite videos again.

Last updated on May 26th, 2023 at 08:40 am