Many of us learned how to download music from YouTube in the early 2000s when the internet was far more free and lawless. The times have changed, and this knowledge is not as commonplace, which is both a good and bad thing. The practice of hoarding low-quality YouTube-to-MP3 audio clips is now a lost art because we all have access to music at all times via the various apps on our smartphones, but there are occasions when having a downloaded version of an audio file or two can be useful.
The legalities surrounding the act of downloading YouTube music offline through unofficial sources need to be discussed, but if you’re on board with using these powers sparingly and facing the consequences if you don’t, then we have a YouTube audio download guide ready for you.
Let’s learn how to download music from YouTube together. (Image: Freepik)
How to Download Music from YouTube—Exploring the Different Methods of Storing Music
There are many reasons why you might need to download YouTube music offline or do the same thing with a specific video, but not all of them will give you a free pass to do so in Google’s eyes. All content uploaded to YouTube rightfully belongs to the owner, and the mere act of watching or listening to their content on the app benefits them in many ways, including helping to pay their bills. In almost all situations, it is best to watch and listen to the content on the YouTube platform or YouTube Music app to support them in reaching all their goals.
Not only that, saving YouTube playlists as MP3 tracks or downloading YouTube music offline off the app is a violation of the platform’s Terms of Service and could lead to the account being banned or other, more severe, consequences. Some content under the Creative Commons license is free to download, but you must use the official channels to do so.
Still, if you’re not planning on using the music commercially or abusing the knowledge of how to download music from YouTube, it may be okay to do so under some conditions. Maybe you want to listen to it on repeat as you work offline, or you want to use the tune from a video as a ringtone. Under such circumstances, learning the YouTube MP3 download process can be beneficial for everyone involved. Use this information at your own discretion and weigh the consequences out before you do.
1. How to Download Music on the YouTube Music App
The best way to listen to music on YouTube is to subscribe to YouTube Premium to access its extensive catalog of music. You can subscribe to YouTube Premium for $13.99 a month to enjoy all the features on the main app as well as the music app. If you exclusively want to listen to music and don’t care much for the YouTube video app features, you can also subscribe to YouTube Music Premium for $10.99 a month.
This is the safest way to access music from the platform without worrying about the risks of being accused of theft or even the malware dangers that come with downloading from third-party services.
- Subscribe to YouTube Music Premium
- Open the YouTube Music app
- Find the songs, albums, podcasts, or playlists you want to listen to offline
- Find the three-dot menu and locate the “Download” option or click on the download arrow
The downloads should begin instantly on the app. This is how to save music on the YouTube app. How much you download will depend on the storage available on your phone.
Turn on Smart Downloads
If you want YouTube to automatically download the music you frequently play to your smartphone, you can turn on Smart Downloads.
- Go to the YouTube Music app
- Click on your profile picture
- Go to Settings
- Go to the Downloads tab
- Click on the toggle Smart Downloads and adjust the settings for the number of songs to download, as the default is 100
2. Download Music from YouTube on PC
If you want to download music from YouTube, you can also use the 4K YouTube to MP3 desktop tool, which converts YouTube videos to MP3 or other audio formats (e.g., M4A, OGG) and is available for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu. With the free version, you can get up to 15 downloads per day.
- Visit the official 4K Download website and download and install the app
- Open YouTube in your browser and find the video with the music you want
- Copy the video URL from the address bar
- Open 4K YouTube to MP3 and paste the URL in the app
- Choose the format and quality you want, as the default is MP3
- Select Download, and the app will extract and save the audio to your computer
When you download YouTube music offline, remember to save only non-copyrighted content or your own uploads.
3. YouTube Audio Download Guide for Online MP3 Converters
There are a few online converters like YTMP3, Dirpy, or YouTubeMP3, which allow you to extract audio from YouTube videos without having to install any software. These are convenient but may pose security risks and typically only support MP3 format with limited quality options. If you’re not picky and have a really reliable antivirus to check your downloads, you can consider this an option.
- First, find a reputable converter, like ytmp3.cc or similar sites that you are willing to trust
- Go to YouTube, select the video, and copy its URL
- Open the converter site in your browser, whether you’re on desktop or mobile
- Paste the YouTube URL into the provided input field
- Click Convert or Convert to MP3
- Once converted, a download link will appear. Click on it to save the MP3 file to your device
- Play the file to ensure quality and scan it with antivirus software to avoid malware
4. YouTube MP3 Download on Android Using NewPipe
NewPipe is an open-source Android app that provides YouTube Premium-like features for free, including audio downloads. It’s not available on the Google Play Store due to its functionality so you have to download the APK file from the website to your Android device by bypassing your security controls. Read up on the risks of downloading files from such third-party sources before you commit to the download.
- Visit the official NewPipe website or GitHub page to find the file
- Download the latest APK file to your Android device
- Open the downloaded file. You may need to enable Install from Unknown Sources in your device settings first
- Follow the prompts to install NewPipe
- Open NewPipe and search for the YouTube video containing the music you want to download
- Tap the video, then select Download
- Choose the audio format and then save
- The file will be saved to your device’s default download folder or a location you specify
- Use your Android file manager to locate the audio in your Downloads or NewPipe folder and play it with any media player
- Only download content you have rights to (e.g., your own uploads or Creative Commons-licensed music).
And That’s How to Download Music from YouTube
There are many reasons why you might need to download YouTube music offline, but you should be aware of the legal implications of doing so and the risks involved with using third-party services. Ensure that your desire to save YouTube playlists in MP3 on your device for a road trip or another purpose doesn’t get you in trouble with tech giant Google.
Getting YouTube Premium and learning how to save music on the YouTube app is always going to be the safest bet, and it’ll ensure all your songs are organized in one place.