How Do I Convert YouTube Songs?
Most of us have gone down the YouTube music rabbit hole. Often, it may be because we’re studying late and the music is just coming in on autoplay, and other times we deliberately click on what we want next. However, you may end up where you are; chances are you’ve discovered some amazing songs on the way. But what if they’re not on your online streaming service or app?
Many websites, browser extensions, or desktop applications allow you to convert YouTube music videos or songs to your preferred audio file format. Each type of tool has its unique advantages. Alternatively, you can pay for YouTube Premium to have downloaded songs.
YouTube often has songs – or versions of songs – that you cannot find anywhere else; therefore, there is a great demand for YouTube song converters. Luckily, we’ve listed the best options below, including all the necessary steps to convert your favorite YouTube content to customizable audio files.
How To Convert YouTube Songs: A Comprehensive Guide
Now, you might be worried about converting YouTube songs to audio. After all, who knows what kind of malware can infect your PC when using untrustworthy sites? Luckily, YouTube to MP3 (and other audio formats) converters have been around long enough to ensure that those still sticking around are the best.
When converting your chosen YouTube video to your preferred audio format, remember that every technique you use will have different pros and cons. Consider these carefully per your preferences; we’re sure you’ll be happy with the outcome.
Using Online Converter Tools
The most popular option out there is simply using online converter tools. These converter tools are websites you can access via the browser on your phone, laptop, or PC (and even some gaming consoles). With most of these websites, the process is super easy. You only need to copy and paste a link in the relevant box, but we’ll expand on that.
Here are our choices of the best online converter tools:
- TubeMP3
- YTMP3
- OnlineVideoConverter
- Convert2MP3
- OnlyMP3
If you struggle to find these, don’t be afraid to try alternatives. These websites tend to have a high turnover rate and frequently change domains. A pro tip would be to activate your Windows Defender or other antivirus and firewall when using online converter tools – most have no malicious intent. Still, you never know when you may have stumbled across the wrong site.
Here are a couple of simple steps on how to convert YouTube songs using online converter tools:
- Pick your preferred online converter tool. Make sure it is reliable and that recent reviews are good.
- Open the YouTube video or song you want to convert and copy its URL in your browser’s search bar.
- Go to the website of your preferred converter and paste the YouTube URL you copied into the respective box or field.
- If you have the option, select your preferred format. MP3 is smaller than WAV, but WAV has better quality.
- Press the button to start the conversion. When the conversion is completed, another button will likely pop up.
- Press the download button.
- Download your song and enjoy it offline.
Converting YouTube Songs With Desktop Software
Dedicated desktop software is recommended for downloading YouTube songs more reliably. Desktop software tends to be more robust, offering more options and customizations; it tends not to be affected by online downtime and is often much quicker at converting and downloading.
People such as hip-hop producers – or other musicians that use lots of samples – prefer desktop software, as many can integrate directly with their DAW and make producing songs much easier. Furthermore, the customizability allows them to get the right sound quality for their next song. Many other professions prefer desktop software to convert YouTube to audio.
Here are some of the most trusted YT to audio converter desktop software:
- Movavi Video Converter – this option is likely the most robust, with over 180 media formats supported.
- Freemake Video Converter
- 4K Video Downloader
- Any Video Converter
The steps to using YouTube song converter software are similar to using a website:
- Please choose your favorite YouTube downloader software, download it, and proceed to install it.
- Once installed, find the video you want to convert on YouTube and copy the URL.
- Paste the URL into the app’s download or conversion section.
- Make sure the setting is aligned to your preference. These settings may include output format, bitrate, sample rate, etc.
- Once happy with the settings, proceed to press download.
- Now, you may be prompted to select a destination folder for the files to go to once downloaded – it’s always a good idea to have a dedicated folder for these kinds of downloads.
- Once the download is complete, you can access the file in the selected folder.
Converting YouTube Songs With Browser Extensions
Browser extensions are the perfect middle-way between using an online converter app and desktop software. Best of all, your preferred browser (e.g., Google Chrome) often ensures that the extensions available to users are free of harm and malware.
However, most YouTube to MP3 and other audio format downloaders have been removed from the Chrome web store. Furthermore, those stuck around last only a few months at best. Try looking for a good app in the web store, but don’t waste too much time on it – opting for a simple desktop app or online converters may be wiser.
Using Mobile Apps For YouTube Song Conversion
Mobile apps are the perfect option for people who like to convert music on the go, even more so for those who want to listen to their downloaded music files on their phone (which is likely the greatest proportion of people). Both iOS, Android, and other operating systems have their own respective dedicated YT song converters.
Some of the best options for song converters are:
- TubeMate (Android)
- Readdle (iOS)
- VidMate (Android)
- Any online website converter will work on mobile phones too
How to use a mobile app YouTube song converter:
- Look for reliable YouTube song converters on your respective mobile app store – you’ll surely find many free options.
- Install your chosen converter app.
- Launch the app and, in the meantime, navigate to the YouTube song that you want to convert.
- Copy the URL of the video.
- Paste the URL, or if your app works differently, look for it in the GUI-integrated search feature.
- Customize the settings (format and quality).
- Download, and you can enjoy it as soon as the notification pops up!
Purchase YouTube Premium
This point is likely the very piece of advice you came to avoid, but we’ll give it to you anyway. Purchasing a subscription to YouTube Premium may sound like the most expensive option, but depending on your given goal with YouTube songs, it may be the best.
YouTube Music also allows you to download YouTube songs. However, these will not be saved as customizable files on your device. Unfortunately, that means you won’t be able to convert or customize the files (other than high-quality or low-quality downloads). The benefits of using YouTube Premium are that you are more likely to stay within their terms of service.
Pros And Cons Of Using Each Conversion Method
Now, each method of converting YouTube songs will have pros and cons, but it’s impossible, to sum up those of every different service provider. Besides, everyone wanting to convert YouTube songs has different needs. Therefore, we will provide you with the advantages and disadvantages to guide you into looking more in-depth for the right service.
Conversion method | Pros | Cons |
Online conversion websites | No installation requiredConvenient and easyOften supports many audio formats | High turnover (websites get taken down)Not as robust as other options out there |
Desktop Software | More robust (many customizable settings)Supports multiple conversionsCan extract audio from video | Requires installationTakes up HDD space (even though it’s small) May require payment for advanced features |
Browser Extensions | Seamlessly integrated with your browserQuick and convenient | High turnover (especially on Chrome)Less robust |
Mobile Apps | Enables portable conversionCan listen to music while commutingSupports multiple audio formats | May require in-app purchases Limited to mobile devices and certain OS Will probably display advertisements when free |
YouTube Premium | High-quality audio streaming and downloadingNo breach of YouTube’s TOSNo breach of US copyright law | You must pay a monthly subscription You cannot convert your audio filesDownloads cannot be accessed outside of the YouTube Music app |
Can I Code My Own YouTube Song Converter?
Of course, you can! Coding their application to convert YouTube songs to WAV or other formats may be the best option for the more daring or programmatically literate. Sometimes, it may be a little slower than a dedicated app created by someone else, but now you have the ultimate freedom (not to mention bragging rights).
How To Create Your YouTube Converter In Python
Many have coined Python as the second-best coding language for doing anything. We stand by that saying. Python is extremely versatile and likely the most popular language, so we’re providing the code for developers to create their own YouTube to WAV converter. After that, you can convert it to any format you like (whether with your program or online).
You will need to install the pytube and moviepy packages on your Python. Do this by using the following commands:
- !pip install pytube
- !pip install moviepy
Once done, you can code your YouTube song to the WAV converter app. Here is some example code, but feel free to optimize it as you see fit:
import pytube
from moviepy.editor import AudioFileClip
def download_youtube_video(url):
youtube = pytube.YouTube(url)
video = youtube.streams.get_audio_only()
video.download(output_path=’temp’, filename=’temp’)
def convert_to_wav():
audio_clip = AudioFileClip(‘temp/temp.mp4’)
audio_clip.write_audiofile(‘temp/temp.wav’)
audio_clip.close()
def main():
youtube_url = input(“Enter the YouTube video URL: “)
download_youtube_video(youtube_url)
convert_to_wav()
print(“Conversion to WAV completed successfully.”)
if __name__ == ‘__main__’:
main()
When running this code, the program will prompt you to enter the URL in its kernel. Copy and paste your chosen YouTube song’s URL link next to the program’s prompt and hit Enter. After a while, you should see some percentages loading, and soon enough, your newly converted WAV file will be ready! Pretty cool doing all of it by yourself, right?
Naturally, you will need to change the code depending on your coding language and the Python, pytube, and moviepy version. Our Python runs in 3.10 with the code above and should work for the next couple of updates. Alternatively, you can ask ChatGPT to help you with the code if you encounter any issues. It’s already as good as some senior developers, after all.
The benefit of having your program is that you can optimize it to the extent that it can be faster than any other conversion software. You can add featcoures that are unavailable on other apps unless you buy them, and you can dodge limitations, such as a limit on the number of songs you can
Is It Legal To Convert Or Download YouTube Songs?
Certainly, a difficult concept is the legality of downloading or converting YouTube songs; several factors play into this point. It is legal to convert any video from YouTube to MP3, yet many videos use copyrighted content. The video category most likely copyrighted is – you guessed it – YouTube music videos (or YouTube songs).
US Copyright Law states that it is illegal to copy content unless you have the owner of the copyright’s permission. Whether for personal or professional and monetarized use, the owner still holds the right to take legal action should there be any evidence of copyright infringement.
However, as an individual, the chances of a case being opened against you are practically zero, and, as they say, “innocent until proven guilty.” As large corporations a highly unlikely to open a case against you, you can rest easy when converting audio from YouTube videos (especially when you follow good practice standards).
Additionally, certain types of copyright allow you to copy or reproduce YouTube videos or songs. Make sure that the content you are looking to convert falls under the following categories of copyright:
- Public domain: Videos are automatically registered as public domain once the copyright expires, is forfeited, waived, or fails to receive recognition of copyright from its inception. This type of content belongs to the public, i.e., there is no owner.
- Creative Commons: When the artist maintains copyright but allows the public to access the content and lets them reproduce and distribute it as they like, it is called Creative Commons.
- Copyleft: Anyone is allowed to reproduce, modify, or distribute copyleft content; however, regardless of the changes to the content, whatever is produced from it remains within the rights of the original owner.
YouTube Song Conversion Best Practice Tips
We all want to stay on the right side of the law – as far as we can, at least. Likewise, we want to protect ourselves from possible harm through the internet. Also, we want to ensure that the files we get from our conversion are useful and that we didn’t waste our time going through all the effort of converting different YouTube songs.
Here are some best practice hints when it comes to converting your favorite YouTube song to audio:
- Double-check the copyright status of the YouTube video/song you want to use before converting.
- If the copyright status prohibits you from converting the song, consider asking for permission.
- Check websites such as Trustpilot to confirm the legitimacy of the website or app that you’re using.
- Organize your downloads in dedicated files.
- Optimize your settings for the right file size to quality ratios.
- If your antivirus software flags a website, it is not necessarily malicious, but it is best to proceed cautiously.
- If the mobile app you’re using crashes while converting, consider downloading a new one, or ensure it’s updated.
- If your file’s quality is too low, ensure you’re downloading in the correct format.
- Also, ensure that your preferred format is compatible with your device (some only work with Apple, for example).
The highest-quality formats are WAV, FLAC, SHM, ALAC, AIFF, PCM, etc. Lower-quality formats include MP3, AAC, and M4A. An important point to consider is that you can always downgrade the quality of the file from a higher quality, but you can never convert the other way around. However, depending on your headphones and other factors, the difference between the two may be negligible.
Conclusion
Converting YouTube songs to MP3, WAV, FLAC, or any other audio format or codec has never been as simple as it is now. Many options are available, and you can customize some of these as you see fit. Remember to explore your options and be wary of malware and copyright infringements. Alternatively, consider coding your converter for ultimate reliability! Surely your professor will be proud.