There are plenty of reasons one might want to download videos off of YouTube or other platforms that host clips and films of varying lengths. You might need it for school, and don’t want to rely on its poor internet connection to present the video in front of the class. Or you are going on a trip and have a long flight ahead of you — there is no internet in the air (well, not really, if you don’t want to pay a fortune for using the crappy plane WiFi that some new aircraft come equipped with), and so you’ll have to rely on your device’s storage to keep yourself entertained.
Whatever the reasoning behind it, most people have probably wondered at least at one point in their life — is it possible to download videos online, even if the hosting website does not provide such an option?
The short answer to that question is: yes, of course, it is possible. The video files you are viewing on YouTube, Vimeo or any other similar service have been uploaded there at some point in the past, meaning that the actual file is also somewhere out there, waiting to be snatched by those who know how to do it.
Best YouTube Downloader Websites 2024
- Bit downloader – Best For 4K
- SaveFrom.net – Best For 2k
- 4K Video Downloader – Best For 1080P
- Catchvideo.net – Best For 720P
- Videoder – Best For 480P and MP3
- Kapwing – Best For All Formates
The ‘official’ method
If you want to download high-quality videos from YouTube directly off of the platform without having to go through any intermediary websites, you will need to pay for it. The service is called YouTube Premium, and at the cost of a couple of bucks per month, it will grant you access to video downloads, as well as some other conveniences that will surely enhance your experience with the most popular video hosting platform in the world.
Pros
Besides downloads, YouTube Premium grants you the possibility to play videos in the background — a much-demanded feature for all of the music fans out there, who want to enjoy their favorite tracks while commuting, working or doing household chores, without the nuisance of having to keep their smartphone unlocked at all times. Once you subscribe to Premium, you’ll be allowed to enjoy YouTube without ever seeing an advertisement again.
Cons
Even though YouTube Premium’s price is not too high compared to alternatives, such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, there are certain disadvantages that come with it, which really make the entire subscription almost not worth paying for!
First of all, if you are thinking about subscribing to Premium because of its Background Play feature in order to listen to music or podcasts using the platform, consider the fact that you can purchase an Apple Music or Spotify subscription for the same price (lower, if you are a student) — they are the superior choices for music enthusiasts. The same logic applies to podcasts, especially considering Spotify’s latest moves in that industry.
Secondly, the download feature, which is supposedly one of the most enticing options of YouTube’s paid subscription offer, doesn’t even allow you to download videos onto your personal computer! Similarly to Netflix and Amazon Prime, you can only save videos for offline viewing on mobile devices, only via the official application.
While this solution makes sense in case of the TV and film streaming giants, since all of their content is copyrighted, many YouTube videos are not, and it really does not make sense to prevent users from downloading these files onto their laptops. Especially since implementing a filter preventing downloads of copyrighted material, such as music or TV clips, would be very easy.
The Method They Don’t Want You To Use
As you can see clearly outlined above, the cons of YouTube’s officially allowed option for downloading options clearly outweigh its advantages. There is no reason for you to pay a subscription fee for an inferior service that does not let you do things that other websites provide for free.
There are plenty of online resources available right now, that allow you to download videos from YouTube, Vimeo and other streaming services directly onto your computer or mobile device, as an MP4 file. Sites such as BitDownloader or Y2Mate convert online clips into video files that you can download and edit to your heart’s content.
All you need to do is copy the link to the video and paste it into a space provided on one of the aforementioned websites. Depending on the service, it will let you choose the quality and file type of the video. Afterwards, you’ll need to wait a minute or two while it converts, and voila — your file is ready for downloading. Here is a short review of free and reliable video downloaders:
Best YouTube Downloader Websites Reviews 2024
1. Bit downloader
Our initial suggestion is bitdownloader.com. It allows you to download videos from 1,000+ websites in several niches and also – of various formats. If you are a Youtube channel follower as well as a fan of different vloggers and artists, Bit downloader can help you a lot – you can easily select your favorite users and save their latest videos straight to your device. There’s no need for you to install any software and it’s reliable, secure, free of charge, and super user-friendly.
2. SaveFrom.net
Another hassle-free video downloader is SaveFrom.net. You can download any kind of video from any kind of URL. It works straight in your web browser. It actually requires you to install the browser extension but the program is very intuitive. Simply copy the URL that you want to download, and paste it to the toolbar on top of the web page. Your videos can be downloaded by SaveFrom.net Helper that permits you to get a larger format, high-quality content. You can save lots of dollars on downloading HD video clips from all over the net.
3. 4K Video Downloader
Another tool you might feel extremely completely satisfied with is 4K Video Downloader. It supports a majority of the most popular websites. Downloading and installing is easy and uncomplicated. You primarily just need to duplicate the link from your browser and also click ‘Paste Link’ in the application. You can download full music playlists and also whole channels in a high-resolution picture. How awesome is that? With this tool, it’s possible to quickly turn your YouTube links right into MP3 documents on your computer. 3D movies? With this tool, it’s never been easier.
4. Catchvideo.net
Catchvideo.net is another cool tool that makes your favorite video downloading easy. Paste your link into a toolbar or search for your favourite keyword. Then press an orange “Catch!” button and…. without installing any software you have the ability to save different kinds of videos: avi, MP4, WebM, or 3GP. You can also extract just the audio from your video clip >> enter Youtube URL and choose “Convert: button. In a glance your audio will be downloaded straight to your computer.
5. Videoder
This video clip downloader simple and straightforward to use. It gained great popularity as it also supports Youtube and 50+ other websites. If they don’t support the website that you’re looking for – simply drop them an email. You can easily create a perfect video/audio album on your PC. It’s free, fast, and has a built-in AdBlock function.
6. Kapwing
Kapwing is a cherry on the top. The idea of this program is to allow people to create, edit, and download videos in a simple, modern manner. It’s a mix of different tools that has so many options making it hard to mention them all! Create videos, gifs, memes, image slides, life collages, and so on. You can easily transform/save/extract the video/audio just by pasting the URL. Select from mp4, mp3, gif, or jpeg. Powerful platform with great possibilities!
Stay safe
Even though they are convenient and simple to use, such video downloading services are a ripe breeding ground for malware and adware. Whenever you use them, beware of clicking on clickbaity articles and sketchy advertisements that might compromise your data. If possible, use Adblock or choose websites that do not rely on such dishonest practices for revenue.
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