- Download Youtube Videos Mac Os
- Download Youtube Videos Macbook
- Youtube App Download For Mac
- Download Youtube Videos Mac Software
- Free Video Downloader For Mac Os X
Jul 29, 2019 This article will tell you an easy and quick way to download online videos from YouTube to MacBook Pro, MacBook air and iMac, as well as some tips you should know about YouTube App for Mac.
- Find and paste the URL of the video in the input field; Click the green “Download” button to save it, or choose the format you like (MP3, MP4, WEBM, 3GP).
- The program doesn’t only offer you a great way to download YouTube video Mac for free, but it is also an efficient video converter that allows you to convert your.
It appears that an increasing number of users would like to download video clips and movies from YouTube, Google Video, Veoh, Break, or DailyMotion, etc. and convert them to portable devices such as iPhone, iPad, etc., so that you can enjoy the videos anytime anywhere.
There are tons of free video downloaders for Mac and Windows PC. Some are for desktop while others are web apps. No matter which one you pick, each has its pros and cons. Here I would introduce the top 10 best free video downloader for Mac or PC to you. All of them are able to help you grab videos to your computer with the URLs.
Best Video Downloader for Mac
Cisdem Video Converter (All-in-one Solution)
- Download clips from more than 1000 popular sites
- Cope with 720p, 1080p, 4k and 8k videos
- Ensure video conversion between over 500 formats without losing quality
- Support batch processing multiple videos
- Built-in media editor allows to trim, combine, crop, add subtitles or effects, etc.
- Rip personal & commercial DVD to digital formats
- Supported OS: OS X 10.10 or later
Reviews on Best Free Video Downloader for Mac/PC
1. iFunia YouTube Downloader (Mac)
iFunia YouTube Downloader is a free video downloader for Mac that helps you download online 1080p FHD, 4k UHD videos to Mac in batch. It's not just for video downloads from YouTube but from Dailymotion, Vimeo, Blip TV, Liveleak, Lynda, Break, Vube, Ustream, Ted, and other websites.
Copy the video URL and it will be auto pasted into the URL field. Or you can drag-n-drop all of the videos' thumbnails into the program, and start to download favorite videos for several minutes.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use, intuitive
- Support to download YouTube playlist
2. VDownloader (Windows, macOS)
VDownloader is an intuitive app that focuses on video downloading. It’s fully compatible with major video hosting sites, like Dailymotion, Break, Twitch, Vimeo, and more.
However, you are only allowed to bulk download unlimited videos 10 times and convert local videos 3 times. If you like this best free video downloader, you can fetch their commercial version at the price of $17.99/yearly or $59/lifetime.
Pros:
- Integrated with a search feature to add video content to your follow tab
- Convert video to custom format
Cons:
- The speed of installation is pretty slow
- Not work well on Mac computer and merely available on macOS Mojave or later
3. QDownloader.io (web tool)
QDownloader.io is a free online video downloader & converter with the ability to grab videos from a handful of video hosting sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
It can directly convert video from websites to MP4 and MP3 on Mac or PC. There are browser extension versions on Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome, assisting you in downloading.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Quickly catch video by adding io before 'youtube.com'
Cons:
- Save up to 720p video, even it's a 1080p or 4k video
- Download up to 128kbps audio only
4. Keepv.id (web tool)
KeepVid is one of the best free video downloader for Mac/PC that allows you to download all types of videos online from YouTube, Facebook, Twitch.Tv, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and many more. The downloaded videos will be saved in MP4, MP3, M4A, or WebM format.
Without superfluous interfaces, novices can get started via copying & pasting the URL in the textbox.
Pros:
- Preserve video metadata like name, song title, album, etc. in MP3
- Keep subtitles in various languages
Cons:
- Only 100 videos in the YouTube playlist can be detected at most
- Can't download the playlist all at once and no batch download
- The output definition is limited no exceed 1280p
5. aTube Catcher (Windows)
aTube Catcher is a desktop free video downloader for PC system which can perform lots of video tasks. It lets you download videos from social websites, and export them to PC or some portable devices, like iPad, iPod, PSP, MP4 player, and DVD.
It offers donations access for users to help them in the budget and maintain the best free video downloader app updated and running.
Pros:
- A host of video formats are supported
- Record screen, create DVDs/CDs
Best Mac Video Downloader
- No risk of ads, buffering, virus attack to your Mac.
- Support the download from all popular sites, like YouTube, Tumblr, DailyMotion, Blip, Veoh, AOL, Vimeo, etc.
- Batch download
- Preview the downloaded videos
- Snapshot and save your favorite screen picture.
- Convert and transfer videos to any kind of digital device including iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone, PSP, etc.
6. Freemake (Windows, macOS)
Freemake is a popular video downloader for free works on Mac and Windows. It supports downloading videos, playlists, channels in HD, MP4, MP3, AVI, 3GP, FLV, etc. Lots of sites are supported, like Youtube, Facebook, Vevo, Hulu, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Vkontakte.
The software has a self-explanatory UI. Any new users can easily know how to use it.
Cons (limits of the free version):
- Download up to 50 videos
- Each video can’t longer than 3 minutes
- Unable to convert video to MP3
- Add Freemake logo to your video
- Fail to fetch 4k videos
7. ClipGrab (Windows, Mac)
ClipGrab is an acclaimed best free video downloader working on Windows. It supports downloading videos, playlists, channels in MP4, MP3, AVI, 3GP, FLV, etc. with quality retained.
Plus, it supports certain media sites, like Youtube, Facebook, Vevo, Hulu, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Vkontakte.
Note: It expects you to donate 10, 20, 30 euros for further development.
Pros:
- Automatically catch URL from clipboard
- Support a built-in search option
8. GetTube (Mac)
In old days, GetTube is a lightweight Mac OS X app that enables you to download videos and playback the media any time you like, directly from your computer. Get Tube works well with Safari and Firefox. Once you install it, you'll see a new button in the browser while you surf on YouTube. Click it and you'll be able to download the featured video in a matter of seconds.
With compatibility with macOS 10.12 or above, GetTube starts to charge, and you need to pay 5 euros to unlock the download function.
Pros:
- Download videos in high quality
- Search videos within the software
Cons:
- Inconvenient UI
- Only save video as MP4 and MP3 format
9. 4K Video Downloader (Windows, Mac)
4K Video Downloader is a reliable freeware that downloads videos, playlists, channels, and subtitles from YouTube, Vimeo, etc. This best free video downloader for Mac/PC lets you manually set the output formats as MP4, FLV, MKV, MP3, OGG, M4A.
You just copy the URLs of the target movies and, click the button “Paste Links”. But if you want to download more than 25 YouTube playlist videos or download the channel, you have to buy the serial number and get the perpetual permissions.
Download Youtube Videos Mac Os
Pros:
- Support to download 4k & 360-degree videos
- Download the whole playlists
10. MacTubes (Mac)
Update: 1. The developer stopped releasing the app; 2. Not work anymore since Google changed YouTube API.
MacTubes is a handy free video downloader for Mac that you don’t have to visit the site itself. It allows you to create playlists based on what you've downloaded or what you've searched on. And it will list the downloaded and played files for you to create playlists.
Pros:
- Work without having to open the YouTube website
Cons:
- Offer no compatibility with other major video sites
- Only save videos in one format
Bonus: Best Video Downloader Mac for Paid
Cisdem Video Converter is a one-stop and professional toolbox for Mac users to download & convert & edit videos, rip DVDs, etc. It should be the best video downloader for Mac to help you grab TV episodes, movies, music videos, news, sports, and other online video clips with the fastest speed.
Once you launch the free trial version, it would pop up a small box. Click “Evaluate”, and download the online video for free. If you buy its pro version, you would get the registration code to enjoy video conversion, video downloading, DVD ripping, and sharing functions within one.
Quick Steps to Download Video from Website Mac Using Cisdem Video Converter:
Download Cisdem Video Converter to your Mac first, then run it and click the download section at the top.
Go to the video streaming sites that the software supports. Find the video you desire to download and copy its URL.
Return to the best video downloader for Mac, and paste the URL to the download bar.
Click on the “down arrow” icon to start the video download. You can add multiple URLs to the download list.
It provides you with a free trial version for taking a test. But the free version of this best video downloader Mac merely converts 5 minutes per file and merely downloads 3 videos. Come to download its commercial version which priced at $49.99. You can enjoy YouTube videos on any portable devices.
Conclusion
After being familiar with a vast assortment of options for the best free video downloaders for Mac/ PC as well as the paid one, we can easily distinguish their benefits and drawbacks. With our overview, you should have a clearer picture of which best video downloader suits most of your needs.
Superpowers for your Mac
You may hate funny cat videos or game reviews, but the chances are you still use YouTube. A mammoth of video content, YouTube is a go-to spot for many. In fact, the platform has over 1 billion users which is one-third of all internet users. Huge.
Or, maybe your daily companions are Vimeo and Twitch. One way or another, video content is a part of your digital life. The question is how to make the best use of it.
In this article, we compare top YouTube downloaders for Mac and explain how you can legally download video from YouTube (or any other video platform) to watch it anytime and anywhere.
Best YouTube downloaders
Get a huge set of top tools to download videos from Youtube. Most helpful utilities in one pack, give it a go!
Let us warn you in advance, all YouTube download tools reviewed in this article are worth a try. To help you narrow down the choice, here are the nice-to-have:
- Works with all major video streaming platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion.
- Allows to save mp4 content and, optionally, convert to different formats.
- Has support for audio output — allowing you to save music from videos.
- Can download playlists or channels in batch.
- Caters for both professional and everyday use.
- Guarantees privacy and does not collect any of your personal information.
For sure, these are not one-size-fits-alls. Maybe batch downloading playlists is totally useless for you. We made sure the reviewed tools satisfy the key needs — like security and integration with video streaming platforms. The rest is up to you.
Quick navigation:
It’s not easy to step into the jungle of video downloaders and instantly pick the right fit. Impossible if you’re new to Mac. There’s help, though.
How to download from YouTube
Whether to capture a few movies for an upcoming flight or save favorite clips to rewatch, many Mac owners want to know how to download a YouTube video. The problem is that it’s complicated to find an efficient free YouTube downloader. Not to mention they could be used for copyright infringement.
To legally save content from YouTube and video streaming services to Mac, as well as download music from videos, you can use third-party apps. As long as you’re not earning money from downloads or breaching any copyright agreements, they are safe to use.
How to save YouTube videos on Mac using native tools
YouTube used to allow direct video downloads. But well...no more. That’s because there’s now a native tool for the job. If you ask YouTube for the best YouTube downloader, it will probably suggest you use YouTube Premium, a native paid subscription service that allows you to save content for offline watching. For the monthly cost of $11.99, you can keep YouTube videos on iPhone and Android devices. Here’s how it works:
- Open the video in your YouTube mobile app.
- Click on the download button below the video player.
- Customize the quality of the output.
- Once the video is downloaded, you’ll see the “download complete” icon below the player.
The app will automatically save YouTube videos you download to the Library or Account tab. Note that a YouTube Premium subscription allows you to save videos only to mobile devices. Thus, if you want to download a YouTube video to Mac, it won't help.
Save YouTube videos on iPhone and iPad
Download Youtube Videos Macbook
If you want to download video from YouTube on your iOS device, there’s a way to do it with Shortcuts, a native utility that helps solve tasks faster with your iOS apps (by the way, Shortcuts are coming to macOS Monterey! This means shortcuts for video download on Mac could become available in the future). For now, let’s focus on iOS:
Youtube App Download For Mac
- Add the “Download YouTube” shortcut to your Gallery (open this link on your iOS device)
- Open the YouTube video you want to download in the YouTube app > Share button > More > Shortcuts
- On the Run Shortcut screen, tap your shortcut — it will prompt the download process
- Once the video is downloaded, you can choose to save it to camera roll or share.
Unfortunately, many people have been reporting errors with this shortcut method recently. If you, too, can’t get it to work, here’s a workaround: download video on your Mac and then transfer it to iPhone or iPad with AnyTrans. Sounds like an overkill, but AnyTrans actually makes the whole process really smooth.
AnyTrans for iOS is a file transfer and backup app that lets you manage your content across devices. And guess what, it also has a YouTube download feature! So you can literally do it all in one app: 1) download video from YouTube; 2) connect your iPhone or iPad; 3) move the video from Mac to iOS in one click. Works like magic.
Save YouTube videos on Android
One option is to use YouTube Go, an alternative version of YouTube for Android that wastes less network data but also, naturally, works much slower. If you’re ok with spending more time than usual waiting for your download to finish, you can try it out:
- Find YouTube Go on Google Play and download it on your phone
- Search for the video
- Tap on the video you want to download > select quality > Download.
If you have a Mac, we recommend AnyDroid, an app that downloads and sends your videos directly to your Android phone. It’s faster and requires minimum effort:
- Open AnyDroid on Mac
- Navigate to Media Downloader > YouTube
- Find the video you want to download > select quality > Download
- Click on Device Manager, connect your Android phone to Mac, and move the video.
So that’s how to save YouTube videos on Mac without software that needs installing (for AnyTrans and AnyDroid, you’ll need a Setapp membership). Now let’s talk about third-party tools that not only answer the question of how to download a YouTube video, they are packed with extra perks like trimming, converting, and sharing your videos flexibly.
How to download YouTube videos with a YouTube downloader
If you download media files often, you don’t want any extra fuss. Ideally, you want to just grab the video from YouTube in one click. With browser extensions, you can! Get an app that supports extensions and craft your ideal workflow. Here are our favorite options:
- Downie, a video downloader with built-in search and browser extensions, capable of saving videos from 1200+ websites. Want to download YouTube videos Mac Chrome? Just pick Chrome from the available extensions and give it a go.
- Folx is the fastest video and torrent downloader with extension support we’ve seen. It can split your downloads in up to 20 streams to speed up the process — so if you have a particularly large file to download, you can get it 20x times faster than usual. In Preferences, you can enable an extension for one of the most popular browsers.
- Pulltube supports extensions for only three browsers — Safari, Chrome, and Firefox — but there’s a lot more to love Pulltube for. We love it for the trimming tool and built-in file converter. If you want to know how to save a YouTube video as a file of any quality and size, look no further.
Save video from YouTube in mp3, mp4, and other formats
Whether it’s native YouTube Premium or a third-party application, most of the tools you use to download content from YouTube will by default save video files in mp4. There are different options to tweak the format:
Retrieve only audio from your video file — it’s possible with apps like Downie and Folx.
Use Downie + Permute to download and convert to different formats — from FLV to MKV to AVI. The two work well together and are both available with Setapp subscription.
If you use AnyTrans or AnyDroid to transfer downloaded videos to your phone, there’s an option to change the format in Media Downloader.
How to save streaming video
Streaming content is a huge chunk of your internet traffic. Think Vimeo, Twitch, YouTube, Dailymotion, and other platforms where you can watch live content. Relying on online streaming stymies your watching experience in many ways – from limited data usage to network issues. Plus Wi-Fi often fails you at the most crucial moments. Therefore, you need a reliable tool that helps you capture YouTube videos.
If you’re wondering how to watch favorite YouTube videos without downloading, try Elmedia Player — it disables ads in YouTube videos. Yes, it’s actually possible! Just open Elmedia > menu > Open Online Video > paste the link > Play.
If you want more than just removing ads from a streaming video — maybe you need to extract music from it, add/remove subtitles, trim the video, or just keep it on your Mac — a downloader like Pulltube will work better here. It works with over 1000 websites, including YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and so on. Its best feature, in our opinion, is the trimming tool. Instead of downloading the whole video, you can just extract a specific scene and save lots of space on your Mac. To start downloading, just drag or paste the video link in Pulltube.
Finally, if you need to capture a live stream that can’t be downloaded, use a screen recording tool like Capto. It lets you record the whole screen, a specific window, or area — save the recording on your Mac, and even edit it if you like.
How to save YouTube videos on Mac FAQ
Any questions left? Hopefully, we’ve covered them in this FAQ.
- How do I download YouTube videos on my Mac for free?>With a Setapp subscription, you can try all the trusted downloaders we’ve mentioned — AnyTrans, AnyDroid, Folx, Pulltube, and Downie – for free with a 7-day trial. We don’t recommend using free online services to download videos, because you can accidentally download malware.
- Can I download a video from YouTube with YouTube Premium?Yes, you can download a video on your mobile device with YouTube Premium. This option doesn’t work on Mac.
- Why do my YouTube videos keep saying an error occurred?It could be that you need to update your browser, clear cache and cookies, or just refresh the page. Check out the most common video download issues below.
- Why are my YouTube videos not downloading?In some work spaces, it’s prohibited to download YouTube videos, so there might be a firewall blocking your downloads. Also, some copyright holders block video downloaders.
Common YouTube video download issues and how to fix them
Got your ideal video downloader, but keep having issues? Well, maybe the downloader itself is not an issue. There are different factors, from your Mac’s performance to YouTube’s geo-restrictions, that might prevent you from downloading videos. Here are the ways to fix them.
How to unblock geo-restricted YouTube content?
Some videos may not be available in your location, but there are still ways to access them. Get a good VPN app that can unblock geo-restricted content.
The absolute best is ClearVPN with its shortcuts. Unlike traditional VPNs that just switch locations, ClearVPN has one-click options to unlock American Netflix, Australian HBO, or Norwegian YouTube — you name it. It’s all geared towards your needs.
You can also use ClearVPN to unlock games, toggle anonymous browsing, change your IP, and all the usual things you can expect from a high-end VPN.
Fix the “video download failed” issue
Download Youtube Videos Mac Software
If your video downloader suddenly freezes and shows the “download failed” error, the first thing to try is to simply quit and reopen the app. Doesn’t work? In this case, check whether there’s a copyright issue involved — make sure you have the copyright holder’s permission to download the video.
Why is YouTube not working?
Here are a few things to try if you can’t play video in YouTube:
- Check your network connection. Even if it looks like you’re connected, there might be a problem that’s hard to spot. Tools like NetSpot and WiFi Explorer will help scan your network environment and identify possible issues. You can then use one of these tools to try and fix the issue or simply connect to a different network.
- Play the video in Elmedia Player. Elmedia can play YouTube videos without ads on Mac — and this is a great way to check if the video is even available. So if you can play video in Elmedia, there’s a YouTube issue. If not, probably the video is just unavailable.
- Restart your Mac — sometimes it helps, for no reason.
Downloading from YouTube is very slow — what to do?
Free Video Downloader For Mac Os X
First of all, it should be said that if you download large files (like a high-resolution movie), it’s ok that it takes much time to download it. If you want to get the best speed possible, Folx to the rescue.
If you notice that your downloader works much slower than before, there could be a problem with your Mac performance. CleanMyMac X is a wonderful tool to diagnose such problems. Just run a Smart Scan to see whether there’s some kind of malware or performance issue that you can fix. Or, maybe your Mac is just very cluttered and needs a cleanup to free up storage space.
It’s ok if you have a hard time choosing your favorite. Some of the apps complement each other – like you could use Folx to capture large videos and transfer them with AnyTrans. With Setapp subscription, you can try every mentioned YouTube downloader (as well as other apps such as WiFi Explorer, ClearVPN, and CleanMyMac X) for free, and choose what suits your flow. Or, don’t choose. Your Mac deserves all of them.