How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac [4 Effective Ways]

Watching YouTube videos on an iMac’s large screen provides a far better viewing experience than a smartphone, but streaming online often brings issues like buffering and repetitive ads. For a smoother experience, can you download YouTube videos to your MacBook, especially when traveling outside?

Yes, you can. Although YouTube doesn’t offer a dedicated desktop app for macOS, that doesn’t mean downloading videos on a Mac is impossible. You can still download YouTube videos through the YouTube website, professional third-party downloaders, screen recording software, or online tools. If you’re unsure how to proceed, don’t worry, we’ll guide you through each method step by step!

Method 1. Download YouTube Videos on Mac with Official Web Player

If you have a YouTube Premium subscription, downloading videos through the YouTube web platform is the most convenient and straightforward method since you won’t need to spend time searching for or downloading third-party software. However, there are some downsides to using this official method.

However, it should be noted that YouTube imposes restrictions to protect copyrights. Downloaded videos are only available for 29 days, and after this, or if your subscription expires, you lose access. These videos remain protected, so they can’t be opened by other media players, and some purchased content and YouTube Shorts aren’t available for download. If these limitations concern you, skip to the next section. Otherwise, YouTube Premium subscribers can follow the steps below to download videos.

Step 1. Open the YouTube website in your Macbook Pro or Macbook Air’s web browser and log in to your Premium account.

Step 2. Open the video you want to download, then find and click the “Download” button located below the video.

Step 3. The downloaded video will be in 480p by default. If you wish to change this, you can adjust the settings in Settings > Downloads.

Step 4. To find your downloaded videos, click on the “Downloads” icon in the left menu.

Method 2. Download YouTube Videos on Mac with YouTube Downloader

For a reliable and convenient way to download YouTube videos on your Mac, third-party desktop software is the best option. With so many tools available, finding the right one can be time-consuming, so we’ve done the testing for you. Our top recommendation is TuneFab VideOne YouTube Downloader, ideal for most users.

This software features an embedded YouTube web player, allowing you to either paste video URLs or search keywords to download various YouTube channels, playlists, movies, and TV shows. With 3X download speeds and batch downloading, you can quickly grab hours of content or entire seasons. TuneFab supports MP4, MKV, and MOV formats, enabling permanent storage and easy transfer to other devices. Plus, it retains original video quality, supporting resolutions up to 4K, ensuring no loss in quality.

Now, let’s take a look at how to use this reliable and stable YouTube downloader to download YouTube videos on MacBook Air/Pro or iMac.

Step 1. Download and install TuneFab VideOne Downloader on your Mac. Once on the main page, click the “YouTube” icon to access the embedded web player. Click the “Sign in” button in the upper right corner to log into your YouTube account.

Step 2. Now, you can directly search for the videos you want to download using keywords within the software. Once selected, click the floating “+” button on the right or drag and drop the YouTube channel/playlist to add them to the download list.

Step 3. On the preparation page, you can set the subtitle, audio, video quality, download options, and export formats. After completing these settings, click the “Convert All” button in the lower right corner to start the download process.

Step 4. Once the download is complete, click the “Finished” section at the top of the page to open the local files for offline viewing.

Method 3. Download YouTube Videos on Mac Without software

Aside from desktop software, an online YouTube downloader, like Y2Mate YouTube Downloader, is a popular alternative to desktop software, especially if your Mac has limited storage or you prefer not to install apps. It allows you to rip YouTube videos directly to your Mac, and save them as MP4 files for unlimited offline viewing.

However, online tools may come with more risks, such as pop-up ads that may contain viruses, and often have lower success rates, particularly with longer videos. Link parsing can fail frequently, making them less reliable than desktop apps. So for a better user experience, consider using professional Mac YouTube downloaders, especially desktop software like TuneFab VideOne.

Here’s how you can download YouTube videos on Mac using Y2Mate online, without installing software.

Step 1. Copy the link to the video you want to download from the YouTube website, then open Y2mate

Step 2. Paste the video link into the input box and click “Start.”

Step 3. The platform will automatically parse the link and provide options to download videos in various formats and resolutions. Finally, click to download.

Method 4. Download YouTube Videos on Mac with Screen Recorder

Another way to download YouTube videos on Mac is through screen recording. Mac users can use QuickTime Player or press “Shift + Command + 5” (on macOS Mojave and later) to record the screen. While this method is reliable, it’s less efficient than downloaders since it only allows one video at a time and prevents multitasking, as this can affect recording quality. For long videos or multiple playlists, recording YouTube videos can be time-consuming.

Here’s how to use QuickTime Player to record your screen.

Step 1. Open QuickTime Player and select File > New Movie Recording. Choose a microphone from the drop-down menu to capture system audio.

Step 2. Navigate to the YouTube video you want to record, then click the red Record button. Select to record the entire screen or drag to capture a specific area.

Step 3. Click the Stop button in the top-right menu bar when finished. Preview the recorded video and save the file.

Bottom Line

These are 4 workable methods for downloading YouTube videos on a Mac, each with its pros and cons. For example, downloading via the official YouTube website requires a subscription and has a limited viewing period, while screen recording software is inefficient as it can only record one video at a time.

Overall, we recommend TuneFab VideOne YouTube Downloader as the best option. It offers comprehensive services compared to online downloaders, including various format options, preservation of original video and audio quality, batch downloads, and the ability to cache all types of YouTube videos. If you’re struggling to download YouTube videos on your Mac, consider giving it a try!