How to Download YouTube Audio: 7 Quick & Easy Methods

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Save audio from any YouTube video using an app or website
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This wikiHow teaches you how to download an audio version of a YouTube video. The most reliable way to do this is by using the free program 4K Video Downloader, though you can also use websites like Y2Mate or programs like OBS, Audacity, and youtube-dl. Keep in mind that you cannot use these services to download audio from YouTube videos that aren't available in your country.

Downloading Audio from YouTube

  • You can download audio from YouTube using free apps like 4K Video Downloader or Youtube-dl.
  • If you don't want to install an app, use a download website like Y2Mate.
  • YouTube Music lets you download music and videos for offline use as long as you have a Premium subscription.
Method 1
Method 1 of 7:

Using 4K Video Downloader Plus

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  1. 4K Video Downloader Plus is a desktop app that allows you to download videos and audio from YouTube. It's free to use, but free plans have a limit of 10 downloads per day. Use the following steps to download the 4K Video Downloader Plus setup file:
    • Go to [1] in your computer's web browser.
    • Click Get 4K Video Downloader Plus on the left side of the page.
    • You can also use 4K Video Downloader Plus to download video and audio from other video websites.
  2. By default, you can find the setup file downloaded to your Downloads folder or you can open it from within your web browser. Use one of the following steps to install 4K Video Downloader Plus:
    • 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. Follow any on-screen instructions.
  3. Go to the video you want to download, then select the whole address in the URL bar at the top of your browser's window. Press Ctrl + C on Windows or ⌘ Cmd + C on Mac to copy the address. You can also right-click the highlighted URL and click Copy .
    • Make sure you're selecting a single video and not a playlist (or a video from a playlist's list of videos).
  4. If it didn't open automatically, click or double-click the 4K Video Downloader Plus app icon. It's a green icon with a white cloud in the middle.
  5. It's the button that has an icon that resembles a light bulb. The Smart Mode menu allows you to select which format you want to extract and download from the video.
  6. Click the drop-down menu next to "Format" and select the option to extract an MP3 from the video.
    • Alternatively, you can select "M4A" or "OGG" as the audio format.
  7. Use the drop-down menu next to "Quality" to select the quality. "Best Quality" is already selected by default. You can also select "High • 320 Kbps", "Medium • 256 Kbps", or "Low • 128 Kbps". Higher-quality files will take up more space but will sound better.
  8. It's in the top-left corner of the 4K Video Downloader Plus window. This will paste in the copied YouTube video address and automatically start downloading the audio clip from the video. Allow a few minutes for the app to parse the audio and download it.
    • If you receive an error that says the video can't be downloaded, try downloading another video's audio through 4K Video Downloader Plus without clearing your downloads. This will usually fix the error.
    • If your video won't download due to copyright issues, wait for a few hours, and then try again. 4K Video Downloader Plus typically patches copyright issues within a day.
  9. Once the audio file finishes downloading, click the icon with three vertical dots to the right of the file, then click Show in Folder . This opens the folder with the mp3s and video files that have been extracted by 4K Video Downloader Plus. Click an mp3 file to play it in your default audio player program.
Method 2
Method 2 of 7:

Using Y2Mate

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  1. Go to [2] in your computer's web browser. You can use any web browser on your PC or Mac.
    • You don't need to be signed into your YouTube account unless you're downloading an age-restricted video .
  2. Use the search bar at the top to search for the video from which you want to download the audio. Then click the video's title to open it.
    • Make sure you're selecting a single video and not a playlist (or a video from a playlist's list of videos).
  3. Select the whole address in the URL bar at the top of your browser's window. Then press Ctrl + C on a Windows PC or ⌘ Cmd + C on a Mac to copy the address. Alternatively, you can right-click the highlighted URL and click Copy .
  4. 4
    Go to Y2Mate in a web browser. Y2Mate is a website that allows you to download YouTube videos in a variety of formats, including audio formats like MP3.
    • YouTube download websites operate in a legal grey area and are often taken down and replaced by other websites. If Y2Mate isn't available, you can try a different website, but be wary of malicious sites. Many online download and conversion sites are buggy or may even try to infect your computer with viruses and malware.

    Tip: Make sure you install a reliable antivirus program and that you have it updated before using one of these websites.

  5. 5
    Paste the URL in the bar in the text field. Click the field under "Insert a YouTube video URL" in the middle of the page. Then right-click the cursor and click Paste . Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + V on Windows or ⌘ Cmd + V on Mac to paste as well.
  6. 6
    Click the button that says MP3 to change the file type. You can choose between MP3 and MP4. Whatever file type the button says is the file type the video will be converted to.
  7. 7
    Click Convert . Y2Mate will immediately begin converting the video to audio.
  8. 8
    Click Download . The file will be immediately downloaded to your computer. While Y2Mate is safe to use, if you want an extra layer of security, upload your recently downloaded file to VirusTotal to scan it for viruses or threats. You can also use an antivirus program that you have installed on your computer to scan the file for viruses as well.
Method 3
Method 3 of 7:

Using Audacity

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  1. 1
    Download and install Audacity. Audacity is a free and open-source audio editing program for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Go to Audacity's website to download it, then run the installer to install the program.
    • Once you get done installing Audacity, open it up.
  2. 2
    Choose your loopback device. How you do this differs depending on what operating system you're using: [3]
    • Windows:
      • Click Audio Setup at the top of the Audacity window.
      • Hover the Host option, then click Windows WASAPI .
      • Click Audio Setup again and hover Recording device .
      • Choose your speakers from the list, ensuring you choose the option that says (loopback) .
    • Mac:
      • Download and install Soundflower based on the instructions on the GitHub page. Unfortunately, Audacity cannot record desktop audio on a Mac without Soundflower.
      • Go to /Applications/Utilities and open the Audio Midi Setup app.
      • Click + and choose Create Multi-Output Device .
      • Choose Built-in Output and Soundflower (2ch) in the right-hand panel.
      • Click the gear button in the bottom left.
      • Choose Use this device for sound output .
      • Open Audacity (restart it if Audacity is already open).
      • Click Audio Setup .
      • Hover Recording device and choose Soundflower (2ch) .
    • Linux:
      • Install PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol), which should already be in your repo.
      • Open Audacity (restart it if Audacity is already open).
      • Click Audio Setup at the top of the Audacity window.
      • Hover the Host option, then click ALSA .
      • Click Audio Setup again and hover Recording device .
      • Choose pulse (which might also be called default ).
      • Click the microphone button that, when hovered, says "Recording meter" in the tooltip.
      • Click Start Monitoring .
      • Open PulseAudio Volume Control.
      • Click Recording .
      • In the dropdown that says "Capture from," choose Monitor .
  3. 3
    Turn off software playthrough and overdub. To do this, click Transport > Transport Options , then toggle off Software playthrough and Overdub .
  4. 4
    Navigate to your desired YouTube video and click the play button. You must be playing audio first before you can start recording your desktop audio.
    • If you're on Linux, lower Audacity's recording volume slider in the Recording tab of PulseAudio Volume Control slightly to the left of 0 dB.
  5. 5
    Click Record in Audacity. Audacity will now start recording whatever is playing on your desktop right now. You can start the video over, as well, if you need to record it from the very start. When you're done recording, you can click the Stop button to stop.
    • Use Audacity to trim your audio clip to get rid of any unwanted sounds or silence at the start or end of the clip.
Method 4
Method 4 of 7:

Using OBS

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  1. 1
    Download and install OBS. OBS is a free and open-source program for Windows, Mac, and Linux that allows you to record your screen. Go to OBS's website to download it, then run the installer to install the program.
  2. 2
    Open OBS. The first time you open OBS, the program will run an auto-configuration wizard. You can select whatever responses you want, but if you're just looking to record audio, choose Optimize just for recording, I will not be streaming .
  3. 3
    Locate the Sources section at the bottom of the OBS window. In order for OBS to record your desktop, you must include an audio source for it to record from.
  4. 4
    Click + > Audio Output Capture . Audio Output Capture has an icon of a speaker.
  5. 5
    Choose Add Existing > Desktop Audio . Once you have these two options selected, click OK .
  6. 6
    Click the mute button under your mic if you have one. Under the Audio Mixer section, click the speaker button to the left of the volume slider to mute your "Mic/Aux" channel, if you have one. This will eliminate any chance of your microphone picking up additional sounds when recording audio from YouTube.
  7. 7
    Go to the YouTube video you want to get the audio of. Simply open it in a tab in your web browser.
    • If your "Desktop Audio" channel is picking up sound, you'll see the green, yellow, and red bars moving. If these bars aren't moving, your computer audio is either turned off or OBS isn't set up correctly. If this is the case, check your volume, and re-do the steps above to ensure you've set up OBS properly.
  8. 8
    Click Start Recording . OBS will give you a warning that you don't have any video sources added yet. Click Yes to bypass this warning.
  9. 9
    Click Stop Recording to stop the recording. The recording will be saved as a video in your Videos folder.
    • To extract the audio from the clip, import the video into a video editor. The video will be split into two parts: video and audio. You can then de-link the video and audio and delete the video to only keep the audio.
Method 5
Method 5 of 7:

Using Your Phone

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  1. 1
    Open the YouTube video you want to record. This could be on your computer or another device. While it won't get you a super high-quality recording, you can record YouTube audio playing through speakers on your phone.
  2. 2
    Open your phone's recording app. Some phones come with a built-in audio recording app, but if you don't have one, you can download a free one from the App Store or Google Play Store. You could also record a video with audio, but you'd have to use video editing software to separate the video and audio.
  3. 3
    Start recording on your phone and press play on the video at the same time. Hold your phone's microphone close to the speakers that are playing the audio you want to record. One downside of this method, however, is if there's any background noise, your phone will likely pick it up as well.
Method 6
Method 6 of 7:

Using YouTube-DL

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  1. If you are using a Windows computer, you need to download and install Microsoft Visual Studio C++ Redistribution Package. You can download and install it from the following website.
    • [4]
  2. YouTube-dl is an open-source program you can use to download videos from YouTube using the command line on Windows or the Terminal on Mac and Linux. It takes a little more computer know-how to use this tool properly, but it is reliable. Use one of the following steps to download and install YouTube-dl.
    • Windows: Go to the YTDL nightly build releases page in a web browser. Download and install the youtube-dl.exe file. Additionally, you can add the YouTube-dl.exe file to your PATH Environment Variable so that you can access YouTube-dl from any folder location in the command line.
    • Mac & Linux: Go to the YTDL nightly build releases page in a web browser and copy the URL of the latest build.
      • If you have curl, you can install YTDL using these commands (replace [URL] with the nightly build URL you copied):
        • sudo curl -L [URL] -o /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
        • sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
      • If you don't have curl, you can use these commands to use wget instead (replace [URL] with the nightly build URL you copied):
        • sudo wget [URL] -O /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
        • sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl
  3. Open the Terminal or command line . Use one of the following steps to open the command line on Windows or the Terminal on Mac and Linux.
    • Windows: Click the Windows Start button and type CMD . Click the command prompt, which resembles a black screen with a white cursor.
    • Mac: Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner and type Terminal . Then click the Terminal icon, which resembles a black screen with a white cursor in the search results.
    • Linux: Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Terminal on Linux.
  4. To do so, type cd followed by the location of the folder you want to download your audio files to (i.e., cd C:\Users\Username\Music ) and press Enter .
    • If you are using Windows and you didn't add the YouTube-dl.exe file to your PATH variable environment , you will need to change the directory to the folder you copied and pasted the YouTube-dl.exe file in. It won't work in any other folder.
    • If you want to change the directory to a folder on another hard drive, change drives before changing directories. To do so, type the drive letter (i.e., D: ) and press Enter .
  5. Go to [5] in your computer's web browser. You can use any web browser on your PC or Mac.
    • You don't need to be signed into your YouTube account unless you're downloading an age-restricted video.
  6. Use the search bar at the top to search for the video from which you want to download the audio. Then click the video's title to open it.
    • Make sure you're selecting a single video and not a playlist (or a video from a playlist's list of videos).
  7. Select the whole address in the URL bar at the top of your browser's window. Then press Ctrl + C on a Windows PC or ⌘ Cmd + C on a Mac to copy the address. Alternatively, you can right-click the highlighted URL and click Copy .
  8. This is the starting command to download videos in a specific format using YouTube-dl. Don't press Enter just yet. There's still more to this command.
  9. The format code is the file extension for the file type you want to download. This specifies what audio format you want to download the audio file in. Your options are as follows:
    • mp3 : This downloads the file in MP3 format.
    • wav : This downloads the file in wave format.
    • aac : This downloads the file in Advanced Audio Coding format.
    • ogg : This downloads the file in OGG format.
    • m4a : This downloads the file in M4A format.
  10. You can paste in the command line or Terminal by pressing Ctrl + V on Windows or ⌘ Cmd + V on Mac. Then press Enter . This will download the audio file to whichever folder you are currently using the Command Line or Terminal in.
Method 7
Method 7 of 7:

Using YouTube Music

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  1. The YouTube Music app allows you to listen to music from YouTube. If you have a subscription to YouTube Music, you can download audio from music videos to your phone. You can download YouTube Music from the App Store on iPhone and iPad, or the Google Play Store on Android.
  2. A Premium subscription is required to download audio on YouTube Music. YouTube Music Premium starts at $10.99 a month for an individual plan or $16.99 a month for a family plan. A free trial is available. You can also pay annually. Use the following steps to subscribe to YouTube Music: [6]
    • Open the YouTube Music app.
    • Sign in to your YouTube or Google account if needed.
    • Tap your Profile icon in the upper-right corner.
    • Tap Get Premium or Start free trial .
    • Follow the instructions to select a plan and complete your transaction.
  3. It has a round red icon with a white triangle in the middle. Tap the YouTube Music icon on your Home screen or Apps menu to open YouTube Music.
  4. To search for music, tap the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner. Enter the name of a song or artist in the search bar.
  5. YouTube Music allows you to download music or videos. Songs are listed below "Songs" in the search results. Videos are listed below "Videos." Tap a song or video to play it.
  6. It's the icon with three dots in the upper-right corner. This displays a menu.
  7. It's in the menu that appears when you tap the icon with three dots. It's next to an icon that resembles an arrow pointing down. This downloads the song or video to your phone.
    • To access your downloaded music and videos, open the YouTube Music app and tap your profile icon in the upper-right corner. Then tap Downloads . Tap one of the songs or videos you downloaded.
    • You can only access your downloaded music and videos from within the YouTube app. However, you can listen to them without an internet connection.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.4kdownload.com/products/product-videodownloader
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com
      3. ↑ https://support.audacityteam.org/basics/recording-desktop-audio
      4. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-US/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/
      6. ↑ https://support.google.com/youtubemusic/answer/6305537?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Android&oco=0

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Go to https://www.4kdownload.com/products/product-videodownloader in a web browser.
      2. Download and install 4K Video Downloader.
      3. Go to YouTube.com and search for a video you want to extract audio from.
      4. Copy the URL for the video.
      5. Open 4K Video Downloader.
      6. Click Smart Mode .
      7. Select MP3 • Audio as the format and click Ok .
      8 Click Ok .
      9. Click Paste Link at the top and wait for the download to finish.
      10. Right-click the file in the list and click Show in Folder .

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