How to download YouTube videos on a Mac

How to download YouTube videos on a Mac

Browsing and surfing videos on YouTube is not only a source of great entertainment but also delivers essential content and information on various topics and niches. You can keep a playlist of your favorite downloaded videos to watch later but fail to download on your Mac device.

To make downloading for your Mac devices easier, here is a complete guidebook.

How to download Youtube videos on a Mac from YouTube

The users use YouTube’s built-in downloader or browsers like Safari and Chrome to download YouTube videos. But the problem with these browsers is that they allow you to download videos in 480-pixel quality for the ones who aren’t premium subscribers.

Step 1. Open YouTube on Mac

Open the YouTube website on your Mac device using a web browser.

Step 2. Select Video

To download a video, use the search bar.

Step 3. Click “Download.”

You’ll see a “Download” button once you select a video.

Step 4. Choose Resolution

Choose a resolution for downloading the video. YouTube usually offers a variety.

Step 5. Go to Downloads

Go to the “Downloads” menu on YouTube after you start the Download.

Step 6. View Downloaded Videos

You can view your videos in the Downloads folder.

Key Point– Remember that you can’t save downloaded YouTube videos straight to your device. Also, you must connect your Mac to the internet at least once every 30 days, or the movies you download will be erased.

How to download YouTube videos on my Mac for free

The software that comes with your Mac makes it very easy to download YouTube videos for free. There is no need to download any apps. Mojave macOS is designed with in-built screen recording features. You can capture what appears on your screen along with audio as well. For Mac mini, users need a microphone to record a video with audio since it has no built-in microphone.

How to Screen Record with audio on my Mac

Step 1- Use Command + Shift + 5

Open the screen recording tool on your Mac by pressing Command + Shift + 5.

Step 2 -Click on Record Selected Portion

Choose the option to record a specific screen by clicking “Record selected portion.”

Step 3- Drag the Crosshairs to Select a Video

Select the video area on the screen by dragging the crosshairs.

Step 4- Select Your Microphone

Go to the Options menu and select your microphone to capture audio with the video.

Step 5- Start recording

Once you press the “Record” button, both your screen and microphone audio will be captured.

Step 6-Play the Video

Play the video that you want to record. The tool will capture the screen activity and the audio as it plays.

Step 7- Press “Stop” Button

To stop the recording, press the “Stop” button at the top of the screen recording tool.

How to Record the screen using QuickTime.

MacOS Mojave users could record their screens using QuickTime before Apple merged the screen recording tools with screen grab tools. As of Monterey, QuickTime defaults to the same tools as Command + Shift + 5 when you attempt screen capture, but if you use an older version of Mac OS, you should be able to do this:

Step 1- Launch QuickTime Player

Press Command + Space, type “QuickTime,” and open the application.

Step 2- Start New Screen Recording

Go to File Start New Screen Recording from the top menu.

Step 3- Select Internal Microphone

Select “Internal Microphone” for audio recording in the Screen Recording popup window.

Step 4- Start Recording

Click the red button to begin recording.

Step 5- Select Recording Area

Drag the crosshairs over the video to record a specific area, or simply click to record the entire screen.

Step 6- Start Recording

Choose “Record” from the menu to commence screen recording.

Step 7- Enable Sound

Make sure the sound on the YouTube video is turned on.

Step 8- Stop Recording

When finished, click the “Stop” button to end the recording.

Step 9- Review the Recording

Review the recording before saving it to ensure what you want is captured.

Video processing softwares like VideoProc can make the video downloading, enhancement and conversion process all the more easy for you. It comes with a built-in multimedia downloader engine that supports 1000+ video audit websites like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Dailymotion, Twitch, and SoundCloud. VideoProc gives you the option to choose video quality (up to 8k), format (MP4 or MP3), size (up to 10 GB), and subtitle. You can also schedule your downloads or batch download multiple videos at once.

How to Download YouTube videos on Mac using VideoProc.

Step 1- Download and install the software

Download and install VideoProc Converter AI on your Mac.

Note: AI tools are currently available for Windows. (AI features for Mac coming soon).

Step 2- Launch the program

Launch and click the Downloader icon from the main screen.

Step 3- Paste Video URL

Click the Add Video option from the top bar, and paste the video address you want to download into the box. You can even add address of a YouTube Channel or a playlist. Click Analyze.

Step 4- Choose desired output format

Choose the output file format and resolution when the analysis is done.

Step 5- Save to Mac

Hit Download Now button to save the video to the local disk. You can choose the output folder. You can also trim the video to save the part you like.

How to Save videos from YouTube using Downie.

With the Downie app, you can download YouTube videos on a Mac in just two clicks.

Method 1-

1. Install and run the Downie app on your device.
2. The app window can be opened by clicking on a link on YouTube and then dropping it into it.

Method 2-

Once you’ve copied the link, next to the lower left corner appears a “+” button. Tap on it.

Method 3-

1. The link to the YouTube video should be copied. Then press Command + V to paste it.
2. If you need subtitles, you can select them.
3. Depending on the file size, downloading will take some time.

Bonus Tip-

Download the audio track of the video separately from the thumbnail to allow you to download different parts of the video:

• As described above, you can add a video to the Download.
• Click the three dots at the lower-right corner for full-screen mode.
• Select the suitable option from the drop-down menu.

How to Save videos from YouTube using Pulltube.

Pulltube is a great option if you are looking for a tool that will be able to download the entire video and all of its fragments.

Follow these easy steps to complete the process-

Step 1- Run Pulltube after installing it.

Step 2- In the app window, paste or drop a video link.

Step 3- The HQ button allows you to select the quality you want.

Step 4- Click the CC button if you need subtitles.

Step 5- Download the File.

Point to remember– Clicking the gear icon changes the default location of videos in Downloads.

To download a video fragment, follow these steps:

1. In the app window, paste or drop the video link.
2. You can now click on the scissors.
3. By clicking the drop-down box at the top left corner of the preview window, select the desired timecode segment or cut out the desired fragment.
4. Then click Trim.
5. To export, click the arrow.
6. The video can also be divided into timecode segments and downloaded separately.
7. Paste a link to the video.
8. Select Split by all timecodes from the video thumbnail circle.
9. Click on the Download video button.
10. The new video can be added before the current one has finished downloading. Create a queue and set up options for each File individually.

How to save videos from YouTube using Elmedia Player.

One more life hack is for something other than downloading videos from YouTube. But it’s helpful for those without a Premium subscription who want to watch ad-free content.

Step1- Download and install Elmedia Player.

Step 2- Tap on the playlist icon.

Step 3- Add any YouTube video by clicking the + icon.

Step 4- Creating a playlist will let you play videos uninterrupted one by one.

How to save videos from YouTube using online services

You can also use online “YouTube video downloaders for Mac” to save videos without leaving your browser. There are regular websites where you paste the link to the video > select the quality > Download. The File you receive can be edited, sent, or used in any way you like.

There are, however, limitations to these sites:

• The download quality of the files isn’t very high;
• Videos cannot be downloaded in fragments;
• Malware-containing ad banners are found on them.
• For this, try Savefrom.net, ssyoutube, YT5s, YT1s.ltd, or 10downloader.

How to download YouTube videos on Mac VLC

Step 1- Copy Video URL

Copy the URL of the video you want to download.

Step 2- Launch VLC

Open the VLC media player.

Step 3- Open Network

Click on “File” and then select “Open Network”.

Step 4- Paste URL

Paste the video URL into the URL bar in VLC.

Step 5- Shortcut Command

Use the shortcut CMD + N (or CTRL + N for Windows) to paste the link into VLC.

How to fix the “video download failed” issue.

Here are the most common reasons for failures with the video download methods.

• Log out of at least one of your accounts if your account is open on 10 devices.
• Try a different website and clear your browser cache as well. YouTube may have tightened its security, and now you cannot download through a specific website.
• Make sure the app is up to date.

FAQ’s

Why is YouTube not working?

When you try to open the YouTube website or videos, sometimes you’ll see a message saying, “An error has occurred” or “Connection to server lost.”. Try the following steps to fix the issue-

• Clear all the Cookies and cache from your browser.
• A browser update is recommended.
• Your MacBook should be restarted.
• Make sure your video drivers are up to date.
• Wait until the YouTube issue is resolved if none of these work.

How can I download YouTube videos to my Mac without software?

• To save the video to your Mac, copy the URL.
• Visit the downloader online in your browser.
• Paste the video URL In the address bar, and click “Download.”
• Click “Download” and select the format of the video that you want to download.