How do I extract audio from YouTube on Android?

With the rise of video sharing platforms like YouTube, more people are watching videos online than ever before. This is especially true on mobile devices like Android phones and tablets, where YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users. Sometimes you may want to save just the audio portion of a YouTube video to listen to offline or elsewhere. There are a few different methods to extract and download audio from YouTube on your Android device.

The main reasons people want to extract only the audio from YouTube videos include:

• Listening to songs, podcasts, lectures, or other audio content offline when not connected to the internet
• Saving audio to listen to on a different device that supports audio only
• Isolating high quality audio from videos to sample or remix
• Reducing file size since audio files are smaller than video
• Focusing on just the content without any visual distractions

Luckily there are several straightforward methods to download YouTube audio on an Android device, which we’ll explore in this guide.

Prerequisites

To extract audio from YouTube videos on your Android device, there are a few prerequisites you’ll need:

You’ll need an Android device running Android 5.0 or later. The YouTube app requires Android 5.0 or newer to run, so having a device on this version or newer is necessary (The best free YouTube downloader apps to use for 2024).

You’ll also need to have the official YouTube app installed on your device from the Google Play Store. The YouTube app is required to download and play YouTube videos on your device.

Finally, you’ll need a third party video downloader app to actually extract and save just the audio portion of a YouTube video. Some popular options include 4K Video Downloader, SnapTube, VidMate, and others. These apps allow extracting audio from YouTube videos while the regular YouTube app does not.

So in summary, an Android device on 5.0 or newer, the YouTube app, and a third party downloader app are the prerequisites needed to extract YouTube audio on an Android device.

Using a Third Party App

Some of the top recommended third party apps for downloading YouTube videos or audio on Android include NewPipe, YouTube Go, Snaptube, YMusic, and VidMate. These apps provide an easy way to save YouTube videos and audio directly on your Android device.

The main benefits of using a third party YouTube downloader app are:

• Simple and intuitive interface to search and download videos.
• Ability to select video or audio quality.
• Option to download videos in background.
• No need to root device.

Some potential downsides to be aware of include:

• Apps may show ads.
• Downloading copyrighted content may be illegal in some regions.
• Apps may collect usage data.
• YouTube may block the app.
• Need to trust third party provider.

Overall, third party apps provide a quick and easy way to download YouTube videos and audio on an Android device, but be sure to use reputable apps and understand the risks.

Using Online Conversion Tools

One of the easiest ways to extract audio from YouTube videos on Android is to use an online conversion tool. Here are some top recommended options:

YTMP3 – This is one of the most popular and easy to use online YouTube to MP3 converters. To use it, simply go to the YTMP3 website, paste the YouTube video URL into the box, and click “Convert”. You can then download the extracted MP3 audio file.

4K Video Downloader – This free program allows you to paste in a YouTube link and download the audio in MP3 format. It also lets you download entire YouTube playlists. The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate.

The main pros of using online converters are that they are quick, free, and don’t require installing any additional apps. The cons are that the audio quality may not be as high as downloading directly from the source, and they often have file size limits.

Using YouTube Premium

One of the main benefits of a YouTube Premium subscription is the ability to download videos and audio from YouTube. According to ScreenRant, downloading videos for offline playback is included with a YouTube Premium subscription.

To download a video or audio with YouTube Premium on an Android device:

1. Open the YouTube app and find the video you want to download.
2. Tap the download button below the video.
3. Select the video quality you want to download. You can choose between video or audio only.
4. The video or audio will now download onto your device so you can access it offline.

The main benefit of using YouTube Premium for downloads is convenience. You don’t need any third party apps and can quickly save videos for offline playback. YouTube Premium also allows background listening, so you can listen to audio downloads even when the app is minimized or your screen is off.

Using VLC Media Player

One of the easiest ways to extract audio from YouTube videos on Android is by using the free and open source VLC media player app. Here’s how to download and use VLC to rip audio on Android:

First, go to the Google Play Store on your Android device and search for “VLC for Android”. Tap on the VLC media player app result and tap “Install”. The app is free to download. Once installed, open up VLC.

Next, open the YouTube video you want to extract audio from in the YouTube app. Tap the “Share” button, then select “Copy link”. Now go back to VLC and tap on “Network Stream” at the bottom. In the box, paste the YouTube video URL you copied.

VLC will now start playing the YouTube video. Tap on the three dots at the top right to open additional options. Select “Audio” > “Extract audio to” and choose where you want to save the extracted audio file. The audio will be saved in MP3 format.

That’s it! VLC provides a quick and easy way to convert and save just the audio portion from YouTube videos on your Android phone or tablet. With VLC you can rip the audio into an MP3 format that you can listen to anywhere.

Using Command Line Tools

You can extract YouTube audio on your Android device using command line tools like Termux and youtube-dl.

To get started, install the Termux app from the Google Play Store. Termux provides a Linux terminal environment on Android.

Once Termux is installed, open the app and run the following commands to install youtube-dl:

pkg install python
pip install youtube-dl

This will install youtube-dl inside Termux. To use it, simply run:

youtube-dl -x 

For example:

youtube-dl -x https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

This will extract the audio from the YouTube video in mp3 format. The audio file will be saved to the Termux home directory.

There are many other options available with youtube-dl to control output format, file name, etc. See the youtube-dl documentation for more details.

The main advantage of using youtube-dl is that it works without any GUI and gives you full control over the download process via the command line.

Troubleshooting Problems

Sometimes you may encounter issues when trying to extract audio from YouTube videos on your Android device. Here are some common problems and potential solutions:

No Sound When Playing Extracted Audio Files

If the extracted audio files have no sound when you try to play them, here are some things to try:

• Make sure your device volume is turned up and not muted.
• Try playing the file in a different media player app like VLC media player.
• Re-extract the audio file using a different method or tool.

YouTube Video Has No Sound to Extract

If the YouTube video itself has no sound, this could be caused by:

• The video having no original audio track.
• Your device having an issue playing audio from YouTube. Try troubleshooting steps from this video.

Extraction Keeps Failing

If your audio extraction keeps failing halfway or not completing, try:

• Using a different extraction tool or online converter.
• Downloading the YouTube video first before extracting audio.
• Checking for updates to the app you’re using for extraction.
• Trying on a different device to rule out issues specific to your current device.

If you continue having issues extracting audio from YouTube, searching for the specific error message you get can provide useful troubleshooting tips from other users who have resolved it.

Legal Considerations

According to YouTube’s Terms of Service, downloading videos from the platform is prohibited unless you have permission from the copyright holder. Specifically, the terms state that you cannot “download (other than through video on-demand services), modify, reproduce, distribute, translate, or create derivative works” from YouTube content without authorization.

Under copyright law in many countries like the United States, making copies of videos without permission from the copyright holder is considered copyright infringement. YouTube videos are protected by copyright, so downloading them directly could potentially violate copyright law. However, there are some exceptions that may allow limited downloading for personal or educational use.

In general, it’s recommended to be cautious about downloading YouTube videos without permission to avoid potential legal issues. But for personal offline viewing, short clips, or other fair use cases, the risk of legal action is relatively low in practice.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several methods that Android users can utilize to extract the audio from YouTube videos. Using a third party app from the Google Play Store is often the easiest option since many apps provide a simple download interface designed for mobile devices. Online video converters can also extract just the audio track, but they involve a few more steps.

For Android users with a YouTube Premium subscription, the YouTube Music app provides official support for downloading videos as audio files. Power users with VLC media player or command line skills can also tap into additional audio extraction capabilities.

As a final recommendation, be mindful of any copyright restrictions on the YouTube content you wish to download for personal offline use. While extracting the audio alone may qualify as fair use in many cases, restrictions can still apply. Overall though, Android does provide multiple straightforward ways to save audio from YouTube tracks when needed.