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How to Download YouTube Videos for Free

Alex NevolinMarch 5, 20256 Mins read151

Have you ever seen an amazing YouTube video and you’ve wished that you could make use of a few parts of it in a video you’ve created that you own? Although your mind may be fluttering, it’s important to download YouTube videos safely and legally before creating your video.

If you’re creating your own personal video library or creating to social media video sharing getting a functional YouTube videos doesn’t need to be difficult. We’ve revised our guide with efficient tools and techniques to help you download YouTube videos for free.

5 Steps to Download YouTube Videos for Free

You want to download YouTube videos for free using various online tools, software, or browser extensions. However, keep in mind that downloading videos without permission may violate YouTube’s terms of service. If you have permission or are downloading copyright-free videos, here are 5 steps to download YouTube videos for free.

Steps 1. YouTube Premium

Are you looking for a legal and hassle-free method of downloading YouTube videos? A YouTube Premium subscription could be the best option for you.

Benefits

Legally download videos by using “save offline” feature.
Enjoy ad-free video viewing with a premium subscription.
Choose between family, individual, and student plans that are adapted to your specific needs.
You can try a trial of one month to test the features before signing up.

How to use

Tip

It is important to note that videos saved this way are designed specifically to be played through YouTube. YouTube application. This means that, although you can use them offline from the app, they’re not free as a normal video file format. So, importing these videos into video editing software isn’t a good idea.

Also read: Top 5 Tumblr Video Downloader (Free and Paid)

Steps 2. 4K Video Downloader

4k Video Downloader is gaining a name as being among the simplest methods of downloading online videos.

Benefits

Compatible with Mac, Android, PC, and Linux devices.
You can use it for free up to 30 downloads of videos every day.
Provides premium subscriptions for unlimited downloads, which includes all YouTube playlists.
It allows downloading of live streamed YouTube videos, the same way as normal uploads.

How to use

Go to the 4K Video Downloader site for downloading the app using any web browser.
Install the application on your device.
Click and copy the YouTube video URL you want to download
Start your 4K Video Downloader app, and select “Paste Link.”
Choose the location to save your file.

Tip

You can download free videos in highest quality (how amazing is this? ) However, if you’re looking to conserve space, you may opt for a lower quality option. Additionally, you should regularly check for updates to your software; they typically include enhanced capabilities and bugs fixes.

Steps 3. Cobalt.tools

Download YouTube videos online for free with high speed and security. Cobalt.tools is an easy-to-use, free platform that allows you to download YouTube videos for free directly in your device, without the need to install additional software.

Benefits

Supports various video resolutions, including HD quality of up to 1080p.
Provides downloads of audio only in formats such as MP3.
The app is completely free of ads, trackers or paywalls, providing an unhindered experience.
You can even alter the user interface to suit your visual preferences.

How to use

Copy the YouTube URL of the video you want to download.
Go to cobalt.tools in your browser.
Copy the URL of the video into the input box on the homepage. Press “Enter.”
In settings, choose the format you prefer (e.g. MP4) and resolution (e.g. 1080p, 720p or 1080p).
Click “Download” to save the video on your device.

Tip

Utilize Cobalt.tools’ remux feature to address problems with video file containers to ensure compatibility with different types of software, specifically older versions of. It’s a simple, secure process for the downloaded videos that are stored in a localized way on the device to provide extra security.

Steps 4. Firefox browser extensions

Browser extensions make it easier to manage your process for downloading YouTube videos directly via your browser. They are integrated with your browser and permit you to start downloading without having to switch between different tools.

DownloadHelper is a popular and reliable browser extension that lets videos to download in various resolutions and formats, including MP4 or WEBM. It’s user-friendly and well-maintained and allows downloading directly from YouTube when used in conjunction with compatible browsers.

Unfortunately it is the case that it appears that the Chrome Web Store does not allow extensions to download YouTube videos. Therefore, this is why the Chrome version Video DownloadHelper does not include this feature. However, you can utilize it with the Firefox Version of this extension to function as an alternative to a YouTube videos downloader.

Benefits

Extensions for browsers like Video DownloadHelper are integrated directly into your browser, making it simple for you to download video without switching between applications.
Supports a variety of types of resolutions and formats allowing users to select the highest quality to meet your requirements regardless of whether you need HD or smaller files.
It ensures that you have a ready-to-use high-quality video that is compatible with a variety of gadgets as well as video editing software.
Video DownloadHelper provides its main features for free, which makes it a cost-effective option for projects of your own.

How to use

Check out the Video Download Helper website or look it up within the Firefox Add-ons store.
Include the extension into the Firefox browser and then complete the installation process.
Open the YouTube video that you want to download using Firefox.
Click on the Video DownloadHelper icon located in the Firefox toolbar.
Select the video format and resolution.
Select a storage location where you can save your file to your device. Wait for the download to complete.

Tip

Make sure that you keep the extension up-to-date and stay clear of clicking on suspicious ads while downloading.

Also read: Top 10 Websites to Watch Cartoons Online For Free

Steps 5. Starcher

A user-friendly and modern application, Stacher simplifies downloading videos from YouTube and more than 1,000 other sites. It acts as a visual interface to the command-line tool ytdlp, Stacher allows downloading videos without the requirement for technical knowledge.

Benefits

Stacher comes with Windows, macOS, and Linux offering the same experience across operating platforms.
It allows downloading videos with various resolutions such as HD and 4K, which caters to different quality preferences.
The audio track can be extracted by users from video clips and save them in formats such as MP3 to make it easy to listen.
Stacher lets you download entire channels or playlists, streamlining the process of bulk video storage.
Advanced users can create custom post-processing functions for example, merging audio and video files with FFmpeg to customize downloads to meet specific requirements.

How to use

Go to the Stacher website and download the installer for your operating system. Follow the instructions on screen to install the application.
After the first time you launch Stacher, it can automatically set up yt-dlp upon first launch.
You must copy the video’s URL that you would like to download.
Start Stacher and copy your URL into the appropriate field.
Choose the format you prefer and resolution.
“Download” to save the video “Download” to save the video on your device.

Tip

If you get error during downloading go to Tools menu > Force Reloading UI and try again. This helped us fix an issue in our tests.

Understanding the legal issue: downloading and editing YouTube videos

If you’re thinking, “Can I legally download videos from YouTube?” Yes absolutely! If you have the YouTube Premium membership in your pocket, you’re able to legally download those videos. However, abusing the proper download method could put you in legal quagmires. Although YouTube hasn’t had to take any of its users to court regarding this issue, it’s prudent to remain in line with their copyright guidelines before diving into downloading.

If you’re thinking of download YouTube videos for free, or using the content for commercial or personal use it’s important that you are aware legal consequences.

The terms of Service The terms of YouTube’s Terms of Service explicitly declare that users are not permitted to download content on the platform without the author’s permission or unless YouTube clearly offers an option to download or a link. This policy is put enforced to safeguard rights to intellectual property of the creators.

Copyright law simply said, if your do not own the content or don’t have express permission from its creator and you violate copyright laws through downloading or repurposing a video. This could result in the video being removed and your account getting an strike on copyright or possibly legal enforcement against you.

Fair usage Copyright laws may seem a bit stifling however, there’s the concept of fair use’ in several countries such as those in the U.S. Fair use might allow the use of copyrighted material without permission to use it for purposes like commentary, criticism journalism, education and research. But fair use is a legal concept that is complex that is being determined on a case-by-case basis.