Summary :

If you want to download YouTube videos on your Windows computer, you can use MiniTool uTube Downloader, a free YouTube video downloader for Windows. However, if you are using a Mac computer, do you know how to download YouTube videos on Mac? This post will show you some methods.

How to Download a YouTube Video on Mac?

YouTube is a world-famous video-sharing platform. When you watch videos on YouTube, you need to make sure that your network connection is enabled and works normally. If your network is not very good, the YouTube video will not be played smoothly or it may be stuck when playing. At times, the internet connection is broken and you will be unable to watch videos on YouTube.

So it is highly recommended not to use any unknown software. With the online tools mentioned below a novice or an expert, both can download YouTube videos without any software. YouTube studio is the basement for YouTubers to upload and track their videos. To some newbies, they might don't know how to use the YouTube Manager. Get YouTube download manager free download for Mac and Windows and you can help you to capture YouTube and convert videos for free.

A good method to avoid these issues is to download YouTube videos on your computer. Then, you can watch them anytime and anywhere without thinking about network problems.

If you are a Windows user, you can just try MiniTool uTube Downloader. As a free YouTube video downloader, you can use it to download your needed YouTube video to MP3, MP4, WAV, and WebM. This software supports downloading 8K, 5K, 4K, 1080P, 720P videos from YouTube. You can even use this software to download YouTube subtitles if available.

If you are a Mac user, you may want to know: how do I download YouTube videos to my Mac for free? You can look for a free YouTube downloader for Mac and then use it to download a YouTube video on your Mac computer.

Of course, there are some other available methods. For example, you can use QuickTime to screen record a YouTube video. You can also download a YouTube video via Safari Activity.

We will introduce the methods we know in this post. You can just select the one you want to use to download YouTube videos on your Mac computer.

How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac?

1. Use QuickTime
2. Use Safari Activity
3. Use VLC media player
4. Use an online YouTube video downloader

Method 1: Use QuickTime to Screen-Record YouTube Videos on Mac

QuickTime is a Mac built-in extensible multimedia framework. You can use it to do a lot of things like video conversion, video editing, screen-recording, live streaming, etc. Instead of downloading a YouTube video, you can use it to screen-record the YouTube video you are watching. After that, you can re-watch that video even when the network connection is disabled.

You can follow this guide to use QuickTime to screen-record a YouTube video:

1. Go to YouTube to find the YouTube video you want to record.

2. Select that YouTube video to access it but not play it.

3. Open QuickTime on your Mac and then go to File > New Screen Recording.

4. You will see the screen recording toolbar with several icons in it. Usually, it is on the bottom side of the screen.

The first five icons on this toolbar mean (from left to right):

• Capture the entire screen
• Capture a window
• Capture a portion of the screen
• Record the entire screen
• Record a portion of the screen

If you want to record a full screen, you need to click the Record the entire screen icon from the toolbar. If you want to record a portion, you need to click the Record a partition of the screen icon to continue.

5. Click Options and select the features you want to enable. For example, you can set a timed delay for the screen-recording. You can also specify a location to save the video.

6. Open the YouTube video you want to record and play it.

7. Click the Record button on the toolbar to start YouTube video screen-recording.

8. When the video is over or you want to stop recording, you need to click the Stop Recording button in the menu bar.

You can read this post to learn more methods to record YouTube videos using different screen recorders: How to Record YouTube Videos with YouTube Recorders?

Method 2: Use Safari Activity to Download YouTube Videos on Mac

If you only want to download a YouTube video on your Mac and you don’t want to use a third-party software, you can try Safari Activity. You can do this job via your Safari browser.

Here is a guide on how to download videos from YouTube on Mac using Safari.

1. Search for the video you want to download on YouTube and play it.
2. Press Command-Option-A on your keyboard to open Safari Activity.
3. Go to Safari > Preferences….
4. Go to Advanced > Show Develop in the menu bar to enable the develop menu.
5. You can see the video resource in the new pop-out window. Then, you need to find the name of the video that is followed by the word YouTube. It is a link. If you can’t find it, you need to reload that page.
6. Double-click the video resource link to open it.
7. Focus on the location bar and then press Option-Enter to start downloading the video. The video will be downloaded as an FLV file. You need to use a third-party FLV media player to play it. You can find such a media play from the post: Top 10 Best FLV Players – How to Play FLV Files.

Method 3: Use VLC Media Player to Download YouTube Videos on Mac

You can also use third-party software to download YouTube videos on Mac. You can try VLC media player.

1. Go to the official site of the VLC media player to download and install it on your Mac computer.
2. Search for and open the YouTube video you want to download.
3. Copy the address of that YouTube video.
4. Open the VLC media player on your Mac.
5. Go to File > Open Network….
6. Paste the address of the YouTube video to the URL
7. Click the Open button that is on the bottom right corner. This can add the video to the playlist of the VLC media player.
8. If the video starts playing, you can right-click on the video and then select Media Information. While, if it is not playing, you can right-click the video on the playlist and then select Media Information.
9. On the new pop-up window, you need to highlight the content in the Location box and then copy it.
10. Return to your web browser and paste the URL to the search box. Press the Return key and the video will begin to play.
11. Right-click on the video and then select Save Video As….
12. Follow the on-screen guide to download that YouTube video on your Mac.

You can also use a third-party professional YouTube downloader for Mac to help you download YouTube videos on Mac. With a professional Mac YouTube video downloader, you are allowed to select the video format and resolution you want to use. This is an attractive feature.

Dedicated YouTube Downloaders for Mac

1. Wondershare UniConverter for Mac
2. YTD Video Downloader
3. Airy YouTube downloader
4. iSkysoft iTube Studio
5. MacX YouTube Downloader
6. PullTube
7. 4K Video Downloader
8. ClipGrab

These YouTube video downloaders for Mac are worth trying. But some of them are not free for use. Perhaps, you can just use them to download part of a YouTube video with the free edition.

For example, you can just download the 1/3 length of a YouTube video using the trial edition of Wondershare UniConverter for Mac. Some tools allow you to use them free for one month, then you need to pay for it.

You can just select one according to your situation.

Method 4: Use an Online YouTube Video Downloader

Is there any available online YouTube video downloader for Mac? Of course yes. You can find many online tools on the internet like KeepVid, Apowersoft Online Video Downloader, ymp4, ClipConverter, and more.

It is also very easy to use an online YouTube video downloader to download your needed videos. You need to copy and paste the URL of the target YouTube video to the search box of the online YouTube video downloader, click the download button or other related button, and select your needed video format and resolution to download.

Bonus: How to Use MiniTool uTube Downloader

In the first part of this post, we mention MiniTool uTube Downloader, a professional and free YouTube video downloader for Windows. If you are looking for a Windows YouTube video downloader, you can try this software.

You can use this software to search for the YouTube video you want to download. You can even sign in to your YouTube in this software and then select the video from your subscription, view history, etc.

In this part, we will simply introduce how to use this software to download YouTube videos on Windows.

1. Download and install this software on your computer.

2. Open the software.

3. Search for the YouTube video you want to download and select the target video from the search results.

4. Click the Download button to continue.

5. Select the video format and resolution you want to download from the pop-out window.

6. Select the YouTube subtitle if available.

7. Click the DOWNLOAD button to start the downloading process.

8. The software will go back to its main interface and you can see the download process at the right History When the downloading process ends, you can click the Navigate to file button to open the storage folder to use the video. You can also click the Play button to play this video.

Bottom Line

Reading here, you should know how to download YouTube videos on Mac using different desktop and online tools. You can select your preferred method to download your needed YouTube videos. Should you have any related issues, you can let us know in the comment or contact us via [email protected]. We will reply to you as soon as possible.

How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac FAQ

After reading this article, you will know five easy and fast ways to download YouTube videos on Mac. Apply one of them to save YouTube videos to your Mac and then you can watch offline without an Internet connection.

As the biggest video site in the world, YouTube has a wide range of users who search, view and upload videos every day. However, unlike you can freely view and upload videos on YouTube, you can't download YouTube videos directly on the site. That's why so many users are looking for a way to download YouTube videos to iPhone/iPad, save videos from YouTube to PC, download YouTube videos on Mac, and more.

Given that, here we provide five proven ways to download videos from YouTube to Mac, including using desktop software, online service, and other workable ways. Read on to learn how to download YouTube videos on Mac in different ways and carry out the one best suited to your needs.

How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac in 5 Ways

Some of the ways below need you to download and install the desktop software, while others may not. Learn them in detail and you will know which one is the best YouTube downloader for you.

Method 1. How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac for Free

100% free, no ads, and no plugins, EaseUS MobiMover is a YouTube downloader that you can use at no cost and without any worries about bothering ads or add-ons. With it, you can download videos from many other websites. You can also transfer the downloaded videos from Mac to iPhone. Refer to the article on how to transfer file between iPhone and Mac for details.

To download YouTube Videos on Mac for Free:

Step 1.Run EaseUS MobiMover > Go to choose the 'Video Downloader' option on the left side > Choose a location to house the videos you download.

Step 2. Copy the URL/link of the YouTube video you wish to download, paste it into the download bar of EaseUS MobiMover, then tap 'Download.'

Step 3. Wait for MobiMover to download YouTube videos to your Mac. When it has finished, you can go to your selected location to check the downloaded item.

In addition to video download, MobiMover also has other features that will help you transfer files between two iOS devices or between an iOS device and computer, which will do a great help if you are an iPhone or iPad user. It's a versatile tool that can work as an iOS content manager and free YouTube downloader at the same time. Don't miss it and make it your good helper.

The newly EaseUS MobiMover for Windows makes it possible for you to rip audio from YouTube.

Method 2. How to Save YouTube Videos on Mac Online

Don't want to install any software? If so, you may prefer online YouTube video downloaders compared with desktop software. Honestly speaking, although much convenient, an online YouTube downloader may cause more troubles than a desktop program. According to my own experience, there are some issues that may occur while using an online tool to save YouTube videos on a computer, including:

• Ads keep popping up
• The users are redirected to another shopping site
• The tool can't find the video according to the link

And more. Luckily, not all the online YouTube downloaders are that troubling. Here is Keepvid that works well to get videos from YouTube onto your Mac.

Keepvid is one of the most popular online video downloader that allows you to download YouTube videos on a computer by inserting the video link into the address bar. You will like it if downloading YouTube videos in different formats and quality is what you need. Besides, it also serves the function of an audio converter that will extract music or other audio files from a YouTube video for you.

To download a YouTube video on Mac with Keepvid:

Step 1. Go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to download.

Step 2. Visit https://keepv.id/ on your Mac and click the 'Download' button.

Step 3. After an analyzing process, you will see the download options available, including videos in different quality and audio in varying formats. Choose the format and click 'Download' to start downloading YouTube videos to your Mac.

Method 3. Download YouTube Videos for Mac with Chrome/Firefox

Want to download a YouTube video with the browser? If that's exactly what you want, you can't miss the helpful browser extensions shown below, which allow you to save YouTube videos on Mac using Chrome or Firefox for free.

Ilok activation code generator. To download videos from YouTube with Chrome:

Step 1. Go to visit YouTube Video and MP3 Downloader.

Step 2. The webpage will detect your browser automatically. Confirm your browser and click 'INSTALL VIA CROSSPILOT'.

Step 3. Download and install the extension. Afterward, restart the browser.

Step 4. Go to YouTube and play the video you want to download.

Step 5. Now you should see there is a Download button under the video. Click the Download button to save the YouTube video to your laptop directly or click the three dots next to it to choose other qualities available. (If you don't see the download button, click the icon of the YouTube Video and MP3 Downloader from the menu bar of the browser to download the video.)

To save a YouTube video on Mac with Firefox:

Step 1. Go to add the extension - Easy Youtube Video Downloader Express to Firefox.

Step 2. Restart Firefox.

Step 3. Go to YouTube and play the video you intend to download.

Step 4. Under the video, click the 'Download' button and choose one of the versions (MP4 360p, MP4 720p, MP4 1080p, MP3..) to download.

Of course, there are video download tools for Safari. You can search on the Internet and choose the one you like.

Method 4. Save YouTube Videos to Mac with VLC Media Player

How can you download YouTube videos on your Mac for free? One of the answers is to use the VLC media player. VLC is known as a free and open-source portable cross-platform media player software and streaming media. It also enables you to download a YouTube video on your computer, be it Mac, PC, or laptop.

Step 1. Download and install VLC media player on your Mac and launch the program.

Step 2. Go to YouTube and copy the link of the video you attempt to download.

Step 3. In VLC, choose 'File' > 'Open Network'. In the 'Open Source' window, paste the video URL in the address bar and click 'Open'.

Step 4. Right-click the video and select 'Media Information'.

Step 5. Copy the content in the 'Location' bar and paste the copied URL into the address bar. Then press 'return' to begin to play on your browser.

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Step 7. Coherence 6.1 %e2%80%93 turn websites into apps.. Right-click the video and select 'Save Video as.' to start downloading videos from YouTube to your Mac.

Method 5. Grab Videos from YouTube to Mac with Screen Recording Features

Other than downloading videos from YouTube, you can choose to record the video and save it on your Mac. This method works best when you can't download a YouTube video due to copyright issues or other problems.

To capture the screen, you can either use the built-in screen recording feature in macOS or QuickTime Player.

• To use the built-in screen recording feature: Press Command + Shift + 5.
• To use QuickTime: Choose 'File' in QuickTime and select 'New Screen Recording'.

Common Issues Related to YouTube Video Download

There are some frequently asked questions from users about YouTube video download:

The Best Free YouTube Downloader For Mac You’ll Find In 2021

'How do I download YouTube videos to my Mac for free?'

If you have read this article, you know now that all the five methods detailed in this guide enable you to save YouTube videos to Mac for free.

'Can I download a video from YouTube with YouTube Premium?'

The YouTube Premium subscription allows you to download videos from YouTube, but only to mobile devices like phones and tablets. Thus, if you attempt to save a YouTube video to Mac, it won't help.

'Why can't I download YouTube videos?'

If you are going to download a private video or a video containing music, you may fail since these videos may give rise to copyright issues.

The Bottom Line

Free Youtube Download Manager For Mac Free

Among all the video download apps, which is the best YouTube downloader for you? Choose the one that fits your needs best to apply.