YouTube is a treasure trove for music or podcast lovers. When you come across a catchy song or tune, it is pretty common that you wish to get it downloaded to your device, right? Well, you are not alone. So many people feel the same need. But do not worry. You can effectively extract your preferred audio from a YouTube video with various YouTube audio download methods.
Why Should You Opt for YouTube Audio Download?
Once you decide to opt for YouTube audio download, you will reap several advantages out of it. Some of these benefits are:
Offline Listening
Once you download the audio on your device, you can listen to it later offline. You do not need an internet connection to listen to this downloaded audio. This enables you to enjoy your favourite tunes and audio wherever you are, whenever you want, and as many times as you want without worrying about your data usage.
Curated Playlist
With the help of a YouTube audio download, you can curate your playlist for different activities and schedules, such as studying, working out, or simply relaxing. Thus, you can sort out different songs and playlists according to your needs and preferences.
Improved Sound Quality
After downloading songs or tunes, you can improve sound quality. This is because, in most cases, downloaded audio is of higher quality than streaming videos, depending on the source and chosen format.
Is It Legal to Download YouTube Audio or Music Directly?
The legality of downloading YouTube audio falls in the grey area. Technically, it is not illegal. However, you can download audio or music from YouTube by abiding by its terms and conditions.
According to YouTube’s terms of service, you are prohibited from altering, downloading, or redistributing videos without the copyright owner’s consent. But you can take advantage of some exceptions to this rule. You can download videos in the following segments:
Public Domain Materials
These types of content either do not have any copyright ownership or are too old to be copyrighted.
Copyleft or Creative Common
These contents come with sharing permissions enabled. But you need to give the due credit to its owner while using or sharing it.
Your Content
You can extract or download YouTube audio from your posted content.
However, opting for YouTube audio download or extracting some music or songs from copyrighted videos without authorization violates YouTube’s terms of service. If you still want to download it illegally, it all comes down to your discretion.
You always have the option to opt for YouTube audio download and download the content legally with YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium option.
Download Audio from YouTube Mac Free: What Are the Methods?
YouTube has no official download feature, but you can use various third-party tools and software to download audio to your Mac. Check out these two popular methods:
YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium (Paid Option)
Among the paid options, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium are the most valuable and popular methods. This premium subscription enables you to watch YouTube content ad-free. You can also enjoy the YouTube videos in the background and listen to music.
There are different premium subscription plans available, each tailored to your needs and preferences.
Audacity (Open Source and Free)
This is a very useful open-source audio editor. It is not primarily used for YouTube audio downloads, but you can effectively utilize this tool. Follow these step-by-step methods to download audio from YouTube:
Install Audacity
Download and install this software from its official website, here.
Go to Your YouTube Video
Now, go to the YouTube video from which you want to extract its audio.
Record Audio
Go open Audacity and click on the option ‘Record.’
Play YouTube Video
While Audacity starts recording, you have to play the video on YouTube. In the meantime, Audacity will download the audio (from the Video being played) to your device.
Stop Recording
Once the video finishes, you can stop the recording on Audacity.
Export the Audio
Now, you are supposed to click on “File” and then “Export.” You have the option to select the desired audio format, such as MP3 or a similar format.
Online Converters with Mac Compatibility
You may download audio straight to your Mac from YouTube using several online converters. But exercise caution—some websites may include malware or invasive advertisements. To think about when using this method:
Select a Reputable Converter
Search for converters with a clear UI and good user reviews. A fast Google search for “YouTube audio download Mac free” should provide results.
Please copy & Paste the URL
Copy the video’s URL to download its audio.
Select a Format
When you’re on the converter page, remember to select the audio format and quality that best suit your needs. This step is crucial to ensuring you get the desired output.
Download
Save the audio file to your Mac by clicking the “Download” button.
Things to Consider Before Opting for Free Download Methods:
There are several aspects that you need to consider when downloading YouTube audio. Each of these aspects is vital.
Copyright
It is forbidden to download content protected by copyright without authorization. Ensure the audio you are downloading has a royalty-free license or is covered by fair use.
Risks of Malware
Occasionally, free online converters may include malware. Use caution when downloading from unknown websites.
Audio Quality
The downloaded audio quality may differ depending on the source and format selected.
Downloading Audio from YouTube Online (For All Devices)
An increasing amount of YouTube audio download services are available online. You can access them from any internet-connected device. Some benefits of accessing these online platforms or tools are:
Convenience
Online converters allow you to download audio from YouTube quickly and easily without installing software on your computer.
Reassurance
These services are designed to work seamlessly on various devices, including computers, tablets, and phones, ensuring you can access your favourite audio from YouTube wherever you are.
How Do Online YouTube Audio Downloaders Work?
Copy the URL
Copy the YouTube video’s URL to extract the audio.
Paste URL on Converter
Go to the website of your choice for an online converter, then paste the copied URL into the space provided.
Select Format
You can decide on the preferred audio quality and format (such as MP3).
Download
Save the audio file to your device by clicking the “Download” button.
The steps described above are common methods for most online tools or platforms to download YouTube audio.
Things to Remember while Opting for YouTube Audio Download
While using online YouTube audio downloaders, it is essential to remember a few aspects described below.
Free vs. Paid Services
If you wish to use free tools or services for YouTube audio download, there are certain limitations, such as daily download quotas and lower audio quality. However, paid tools or services do not have such limitations.
Conversation Speed
The conversion speed may also vary depending on the internet connection speed.
Emerging Technologies
With the latest emerging technologies, several tools and platforms help you download audio according to your preferences. However, you need to follow different terms of use.
Conclusion
There are various methods for downloading audio or music from YouTube videos. YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium are the most popular paid methods.
However, several options are available online if you are looking for free methods or tools. However, free tools come with drawbacks like safety, less conversion speed, etc. You need to find the best You Tube audio downloader according to your preferences.
FAQs
Is It Okay to Download YouTube Audio?
It is not entirely illegal. This matter falls into the grey area. You are not allowed to extract audio from copyrighted YouTube videos, but it is okay to download audio from copyright-free videos or content.
What are Your YouTube Audio Download Online Options?
There are a few ways. First, use websites that let you paste YouTube video URLs and extract their audio in your preferred format, like MP3. On the other hand, there are some other third-party software programs that you can use for this purpose.
What are Some Alternatives to YouTube Video Audio Downloader?
Regarding alternatives, you can opt for the YouTube Premium (paid) option to download any audio you want. The screen recording feature is another effective way to download your favourite audio.
Why Do You Need to Consider before Opting for YouTube Audio Download Online?
Before opting for YouTube audio download tools, you need to consider safety, features and functionalities, and compatibility. Using such tools may compromise your online safety and security.
What are Some Formats to Download Your YouTube Audio In?
MP3 is the most common format in which to download your audio. There are some other formats that you can consider, such as FLAC or AAC.
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