YouTube downloader — free online tool

Save a public YouTube video, Short or soundtrack from watch, youtu.be, shorts and embed links; playlists, live streams and sign-in videos are refused.

What to know

Accepted YouTube links are youtube.com/watch?v=ID, the short youtu.be/ID form, youtube.com/shorts/ID, and the embed, clip and legacy /v/ paths. When you leave the field the address is cut down to just the video parameter, so a timestamp such as &t=90s or tracking text after the ID is dropped.

A link that carries a list parameter is treated as a playlist and refused, even if it also has a v parameter. The same goes for paths containing /playlist or /live and for live streams that have not ended. Copy the plain address of one finished video instead.

Three pages split the platform by purpose. The video page returns an MP4 with a quality ladder, the Shorts page handles vertical clips, and the audio page returns only sound as MP3, M4A, Opus, WAV or FLAC. The audio page preselects MP3 at 192 kbps, which is why it can be quicker for a lecture or a podcast episode.

Private videos, members-only videos, age-restricted videos and removed videos cannot be inspected without a login, so they end in an unavailable message. YouTube sometimes asks the server to prove it is not a bot, which appears as a temporary source restriction and clears on its own. Saving your own uploads or videos under a Creative Commons licence is fine; downloading someone else’s channel content or music breaks the creator’s rights and YouTube’s terms.

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How to use YouTube downloader — free online tool
  1. Open the video, press Share, choose Copy and paste https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ or a youtu.be address.
  2. Wait for the preview to show the title, the duration such as 12:34 and the resolution of the source.
  3. Select Original quality, a step such as 720p, or switch to the audio page and keep MP3 192 kbps.
  4. Tick the rights box, press Prepare selected file, and save the .mp4 or audio file once the progress bar finishes.

Quick answers

Why is my watch link refused when it opens one video?

If the address contains a list parameter, such as a mix or a playlist you clicked from, it is treated as a playlist. Remove everything after the video ID, or copy the link from the Share button.

Does the service keep the timestamp from a link like &t=90s?

No. The address is reduced to the video ID before the preview is requested, so the file always covers the whole video from the start.

Can I download a video that asks me to sign in to confirm my age?

No. Only media that can be seen without logging in is supported, so age-restricted, private and members-only videos end with an unavailable message.