How to Download Videos from YouTube to Your Laptop
YouTube is the most popular video streaming platform in the world, with billions of hours of content available for free. However, sometimes you might want to download YouTube videos to your laptop for offline viewing, editing, or sharing. For example, you might want to watch a tutorial, a documentary, or a music video without an internet connection, or you might want to save a video that might be deleted or blocked in the future.
download videos from youtube to laptop
But how can you download YouTube videos to your laptop? There are many ways to do it, but not all of them are legal or ethical. According to YouTube's terms of service, you are not allowed to download any content from the platform unless you see a "download" or similar link displayed by YouTube on the service for that content. You also need to respect the copyright and privacy rights of the video creators and owners. Therefore, before you download any YouTube video, make sure you have the permission of the content owner or you are using it for fair use purposes.
In this article, we will show you four different methods of downloading YouTube videos to your laptop, using various tools and services. We will also compare their advantages and disadvantages, and answer some common questions about this topic.
Method 1: Using Open Video Downloader on a Computer
Open Video Downloader is a free open source tool that makes it easy to download any YouTube video on Windows and macOS. You can get it from . To install it on Windows, click the GET icon to install the Microsoft Store version, as the other version doesn't work on some Windows PCs. On a Mac, click the Download button, then double-click the downloaded file to install the app.
Here are the steps to use Open Video Downloader:
Go to the YouTube video you want to download in a web browser. You can use any web browser, such as Safari or Chrome.
Copy the video's URL. Just highlight the URL of the video in the address bar, right-click the highlighted area, and then select Copy.
Start the Open Video Downloader app. You'll see it in your Windows Start menu or in your Mac's Applications folder.
Right-click the address bar and select Paste. The address bar is at the top of Open Video Downloader. This pastes your video's URL into the field.
Click the +. The tool will scan the video and display some options for download.
Select your download preferences. The "Video + Audio" format is selected by defaultthis ensures you're downloading the entire video, including the audio. You can also choose the video resolution and frame rate you want to download from the second drop-down menu. The higher the resolution and framerate, the better the quality. However, a higher-quality file will result in a larger file size.
Click Download. The tool will start downloading the video to your laptop. You can see the progress and speed of the download in the bottom-right corner of the app.
Find your downloaded video. By default, Open Video Downloader saves your videos to your Downloads folder. You can change this by clicking the Settings icon in the top-right corner of the app and selecting a different folder. You can also open the folder where your video is saved by right-clicking the video in the app and selecting Show in Folder.
Congratulations, you have successfully downloaded a YouTube video using Open Video Downloader!
Method 2: Using VLC Player on a Computer
VLC Media Player is a popular open source media player that can play almost any video or audio format. But did you know that it can also download YouTube videos? You can get VLC Media Player from . To install it on Windows, click the Download VLC button, then run the downloaded file and follow the instructions. On a Mac, click the Download VLC button, then drag and drop the VLC icon to your Applications folder.
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Here are the steps to use VLC Media Player:
Go to the YouTube video you want to download in a web browser. You can use any web browser, such as Safari or Chrome.
Copy the video's URL. Just highlight the URL of the video in the address bar, right-click the highlighted area, and then select Copy.
Start VLC Media Player. You'll see it in your Windows Start menu or in your Mac's Applications folder.
Click Media (Windows) or File (Mac) and select Open Network Stream. A new window will appear.
Paste the video's URL into the field and click Play. The video will start playing in VLC Media Player.
Click Tools (Windows) or Window (Mac) and select Codec Information. A new window will appear with some information about the video.
Copy the Location URL at the bottom of the window. This is the direct link to the video file on YouTube's server.
Paste the Location URL into a web browser and press Enter. The video will start playing in your web browser.
Right-click on the video and select Save Video As. A new window will appear where you can choose where to save the video file on your laptop.
Click Save. The web browser will start downloading the video to your laptop.
Congratulations, you have successfully downloaded a YouTube video using VLC Media Player!
Method 3: Using 4K Video Downloader on a Computer
4K Video Downloader is a paid software that offers more features and options for downloading YouTube videos on Windows and macOS. You can get it from . To install it on Windows, click the Get 4K Video Downloader button, then run the downloaded file and follow the instructions. On a Mac, click the Download button, then double-click the downloaded file and drag and drop the 4K Video Downloader icon to your Applications folder.
Here are the steps to use 4K Video Downloader:
Go to the YouTube video you want to download in a web browser. You can use any web browser, such as Safari or Chrome.
Copy the video's URL. Just highlight the URL of the video in the address bar, right-click the highlighted area, and then select Copy.
Start 4K Video Downloader. You'll see it in your Windows Start menu or in your Mac's Applications folder.
Click Paste Link. The software will automatically detect and analyze the video link.
Select your download preferences. You can choose from various formats, resolutions, qualities, subtitles, and other options for your downloaded video. You can also click Smart Mode to apply your preferred settings to all future downloads.
Click Download. The software will start downloading the video to your laptop. You can see the progress and speed of the download in the main window of 4K Video Downloader.
Find your downloaded video. By default, 4K Video Downloader saves your videos to your Videos folder. You can change this by clicking Tools (Windows) or 4K Video Downloader (Mac) and selecting Preferences, then choosing a different folder under Save videos to. You can also open the folder where your video is saved by right-clicking the video in 4K Video Downloader and selecting Show in Folder.
Congratulations, you have successfully downloaded a YouTube video using 4K Video Downloader!
Method 4: Using Online Services or Extensions
If you don't want to install any software on your laptop, you can also use some online services or browser extensions that allow you to download YouTube videos without any hassle. However, be careful when using these services or extensions, as some of them may contain malware, ads, or viruses. Also, make sure you are not violating YouTube's terms of service or the content owner's rights when using these services or extensions.
Here are some of the online services or extensions that you can use:
: This is a popular online service that lets you download YouTube videos in various formats and resolutions. Just paste the video's URL into the field and click Start. Then, choose the format and quality you want and click Download.
: This is another online service that lets you download YouTube videos in various formats and resolutions. Just paste the video's URL into the field and click Download. Then, choose the format and quality you want and click Download.
, then go to the YouTube video you want to download and click the extension icon. Then, choose the format and quality you want and click Download.
, then go to the YouTube video you want to download and click the download button. Then, choose the format and quality you want and click Download.
Congratulations, you have successfully downloaded a YouTube video using an online service or extension!
Comparison of Different Methods
As you can see, there are many ways to download YouTube videos to your laptop, but not all of them are equally good. To help you decide which method is best for you, here is a table that compares the pros and cons of different methods:
Method Pros Cons --- --- --- Open Video Downloader Free, open source, easy to use, supports various formats and resolutions May not work on some Windows PCs, may not support some videos VLC Media Player Free, open source, versatile, supports various formats and resolutions A bit complicated, may not support some videos 4K Video Downloader Fast, reliable, supports various formats and resolutions, offers more features and options Paid, may not support some videos Online Services or Extensions No need to install any software, convenient, supports various formats and resolutions May contain malware, ads, or viruses, may violate YouTube's terms of service or content owner's rights Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you four different methods of downloading YouTube videos to your laptop. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose the method that suits you best. However, remember to always respect YouTube's terms of service and the content owner's rights when downloading any video from the platform.
We hope this article was helpful for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about downloading YouTube videos:
Is it legal to download YouTube videos?It depends on the video and how you use it. According to YouTube's terms of service, you are not allowed to download any content from the platform unless you see a "download" or similar link displayed by YouTube on the service for that content. You also need to respect the copyright and privacy rights of the video creators and owners. Therefore, before you download any YouTube video, make sure you have the permission of the content owner or you are using it for fair use purposes. Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows you to use copyrighted material for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.
How can I download YouTube videos on my phone or tablet?There are different ways to download YouTube videos on your phone or tablet, depending on your device and operating system. For example, you can use the official YouTube app, which allows you to download some videos for offline viewing. However, this feature is not available for all videos and regions, and you need to be a YouTube Premium subscriber to access it. Alternatively, you can use some third-party apps or websites that let you download YouTube videos on your phone or tablet. However, be careful when using these apps or websites, as some of them may contain malware, ads, or viruses. Also, make sure you are not violating YouTube's terms of service or the content owner's rights when using these apps or websites.
How can I convert YouTube videos to MP3 or other audio formats?Some of the methods we have shown in this article also allow you to convert YouTube videos to MP3 or other audio formats. For example, Open Video Downloader and 4K Video Downloader let you choose the audio format and quality you want to download. You can also use some online services or extensions that specialize in converting YouTube videos to MP3 or other audio formats. However, be careful when using these services or extensions, as some of them may contain malware, ads, or viruses. Also, make sure you are not violating YouTube's terms of service or the content owner's rights when using these services or extensions.
How can I edit YouTube videos after downloading them?After downloading YouTube videos to your laptop, you can edit them using any video editing software of your choice. For example, you can use Windows Movie Maker (Windows) or iMovie (Mac) to trim, crop, rotate, add effects, transitions, text, music, and more to your downloaded videos. You can also use some online video editing tools that let you edit your videos without installing any software. However, be careful when using these tools, as some of them may contain malware, ads, or viruses. Also, make sure you are not violating YouTube's terms of service or the content owner's rights when editing their videos.
How can I share YouTube videos after downloading them?After downloading and editing YouTube videos to your laptop, you can share them with others using various methods. For example, you can upload them to another video sharing platform such as Vimeo or Dailymotion. However, be careful when uploading someone else's video without their permission, as this may infringe their rights and cause legal issues. You can also share them via email, social media, cloud storage, USB drive, or other means. However, be respectful of the original video creator and owner and give them proper credit and attribution when sharing their video.
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