4 Ways to Download YouTube Live Video [100% Working]

YouTubers have the option to download their live streams after they’ve ended, but viewers don’t have this luxury. This lack of a straightforward solution can make YouTube live video downloads a real challenge. The good news is, you’re not out of luck! There are actually many methods available. And this article has compiled 4 proven ways to download YouTube live videos, working for completed and ongoing live streams. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Method 1. Download YouTube Live Videos via Desktop Software

Does your subscribed YouTuber upload their live streams to their channel afterward?  If so, there’s no better way to download YouTube live videos than TuneFab VideoOne YouTube Downloader. This highly-rated software, available for Windows and Mac, can bypass YouTube’s DRM restrictions to download entire stream replays or clips as MP4s for permanent collection.

Meanwhile, based on the YouTuber’s upload, you can choose from 480P to 4K quality and even customize the H.265 codec to save long YouTube videos in higher quality but smaller file sizes. Better yet, the built-in YouTube web player makes the process even simpler. Both URL parsing and keyword search are supported, and only takes a few steps to download live videos from YouTube online.

Now let’s take a look at how TuneFab VideoOne YouTube Downloader works to help you solve how to download YouTube live streams.

Step 1. Click the buttons below to install TuneFab VideoOne YouTube Downloader first. Then launch it and choose the “YouTube” icon in the main interface.

Step 2. Log in to your YouTube account and click the “Website” tab at the top. Play one live video and hit the red “Plus” button. Then the video will be parsed and added to the download queue automatically.

Step 3. Go to “Convert all files to” in the top right corner to set MP4 as the output format. Also, click the “Video Quality” dropdown to choose one preferred quality.

Step 4. Now hit the “Convert All” button when every setting is ready. Just wait for a moment, and the YouTube live video will be downloaded locally as MP4 for forever playback.

Method 2. Download YouTube Live Videos via Online Tool

If you don’t want to install any software, there’s a software-free way: y2mate. This online tool supports multiple YouTube output formats like MP4, M4V, 3GP, WMV, and more, with maximum quality of full 1080P. Be the YouTube videos live replays or uploaded ones, y2mate can download all of them for free. Additionally, it offers an audio extraction feature, allowing you to save the audio as an MP3 file.

While y2mate is convenient, it’s not as safe as TuneFab because of pop-ups and redirections to gambling games. Therefore, if security is your top priority for YouTube live video downloads, TuneFab VideoOne YouTube Downloader is recommended as an alternative.

However, if used occasionally, y2mate is more than enough to deal with how to download live videos from YouTube online.

Step 1. Copy a live replay or clip URL from the subscribed YouTuber’s interface;

Step 2. Visit y2mate and paste the URL into its search bar;

Step 3. Select your preferred resolution from the list and click “Download”.

Step 4. Click “Download” again when the live video is converted.

Method 3. Save YouTube Live Videos from the Beginning

If you’re a tech-savvy YouTube user, you can also use a command-line tool called yt-dlp to help with YouTube live video downloads. It’s available on GitHub and supports thousands of sites, including YouTube. It primarily outputs in MP4 and MKV formats and can also extract subtitles and metadata. Most importantly, this free downloader can download YouTube live videos while they are ongoing, without waiting for the replay to be uploaded. However, its operation might be a bit unfriendly for beginners. If you’re interested, try the following steps.

Step 1. Install Python on your computer and download yt-dlp on GitHub;

Step 2. Open a YouTube livestream that you like and that is currently ongoing;

Step 3. Use the command below to download YouTube live video right now.

This is a general guide, and the specific steps might vary depending on the publisher. Once you find this method doesn’t work or is too complicated, use TuneFab VideoOne YouTube Downloader instead. It doesn’t need troubleshooting or seeking help elsewhere. With only one click can you convert the live stream into MP4 for playback on multiple devices.

Method 4. Capture Live Streams on YouTube by Recording

To download ongoing or completed YouTube live streams, you can use a recording tool as well. Windows and Mac have a built-in one: Xbox Game Bar and QuickTime Player. Both tools can be used for free to capture YouTube live stream videos and can output videos in 1080P and MP4 formats. QuickTime Player is slightly better as it supports 4K. However, they can be time-consuming, especially if the live stream is long. If this doesn’t bother you, feel free to have a try based on your device.

For Xbox Game Bar:

Step 1. Play a YouTube live video and press “Windows+G” to open Xbox Game Bar;

Step 2. Select the “Camera” icon to record the YouTube live screen;

Step 3. Disable your microphone and click “Record” when all settings are ready.

Step 4. Hit “Stop” when the live ends. And “Show all captures” at the bottom can show your recording.

For QuickTime Player:

Step 1. Launch QuickTime Player and go to “File” > “New Screen Recording”;

Step 2. Click the arrow next to the “Record” button to mute your microphone;

Step 3. Open a live video and select the live screen to record, then click the “Record” button;

Step 4. Press “Command-Control-Esc” or click the “Stop” button to end the recording. After that, QuickTime Player will automatically open the file.

FAQs About YouTube Live Video Download

How to download YouTube live stream to my phone?

To download YouTube live videos on your phone, you have three available methods.

• Use online YouTube video downloaders to convert and download already completed live stream replays;
• Employ the built-in screen recording feature to capture the live stream if you want to save it immediately;
• Download the YouTube live stream to your computer using TuneFab VideoOne YouTube Downloader and then transfer it to your mobile device for storage and viewing.

The third method is generally safer and free from pop-ups that may interrupt live recording.

Can I download my own YouTube live video?

Of course, you can. Although YouTube only archives live videos of up to 12 hours in length, you can follow the steps below to download your own live streams as a YouTuber.

• Open YouTube on a browser and select “Content” on the left sidebar;
• Go to the “Live” tab under this section and locate the stream you want to save;
• Hit on the “Three Dot” icon and select “Download” from the list.

Conclusion

To wrap up, third-party tools are essential when you download YouTube live videos. The four solutions provided in this post are applicable to live replays and ongoing streams.

However, it’s worth noting that YouTubers often have high standards for video and audio quality. Therefore, to obtain a more authentic video download, TuneFab VideoOne YouTube Downloader is highly recommended. Its advanced technology and stable performance ensure live videos are lossless, which is beneficial for personal viewing anytime, anywhere. So better try than never!