How do I save an audio file from YouTube to my Android?

ByJael Lawler

With the popularity of YouTube and music streaming apps, many Android users want to download audio from YouTube videos to listen offline or integrate into their own playlists. There are several benefits to saving YouTube audio files on your Android device:

  • Listen offline – Download audio when you have internet access to play anytime without using data.
  • Create playlists – Curate custom playlists by downloading your favorite tracks.
  • Higher quality – Get better audio quality than streaming allows.
  • Ad-free listening – Avoid interruptions from ads when playing downloaded audio.

This guide will provide step-by-step instructions for the main methods of downloading YouTube audio on an Android device. We’ll cover using third party apps, online converters, media players, browsers, workflow automation apps, choosing file formats, and more. With the right technique you can easily save high quality audio from YouTube videos on your Android phone or tablet.

Prerequisites

Before saving a YouTube audio file on your Android device, you’ll need to make sure you meet the minimum requirements:

For your Android device:
– Android version 7.0 or higher is recommended (source). Older versions may work but are not officially supported by YouTube.

For the YouTube app:
– The latest version of the YouTube app from the Play Store (source). Make sure auto-updates are enabled.

For storage space:
– Audio files can take up a considerable amount of storage depending on length and quality. For a 3 minute audio track, expect at least 5-10MB. So make sure you have enough free space on your device before saving audio files.

Using a Third Party App

One of the most popular ways to save audio from YouTube videos on an Android device is by using a third party app. There are many audio ripping apps available on the Google Play Store that allow you to easily download just the audio track from YouTube videos.

Some of the most popular and highly-rated options include Snaptube, YMusic, and Video Grabber. These apps make it quick and easy to save YouTube videos as MP3s or other audio formats.

The main pros of using a dedicated third party app are convenience and speed. You don’t have to go through multiple steps to extract just the audio – simply paste in the YouTube URL and the app does the rest. These apps also allow you to download multiple files at once.

However, there are some downsides to be aware of. Many of these apps contain ads, require paid upgrades for certain features, or want extensive permissions like access to your storage, contacts, or network activity. It’s important to pay close attention to what permissions you are granting when installing any app from an unknown developer.

Using Online Converters

Online converters provide a quick and easy way to download YouTube videos as MP3 files directly in your web browser. They work by taking the video URL as input, downloading the video file from YouTube, extracting the audio track, and converting it to MP3 format. Here are some recommended sites:

320YTMp3 (https://320YTMp3.io/) – Supports high quality 320kbps MP3 downloads and is very fast. No need to register an account.

ClipConverter (https://www.clipconverter.cc/) – Supports MP3 and other formats. Easy to use with no registration required.

OnlineVideoConverter (https://www.onlinevideoconverter.com/video-converter) – Provides options for MP3 quality and bitrate. Simple interface with no account needed.

When using online converters, you can typically select the MP3 quality and bitrate. Higher bitrates like 320kbps will produce larger file sizes but better audio quality. Lower bitrates like 128kbps give smaller files but reduce quality. Choose based on your audio needs and storage space.

Using VLC Media Player

VLC is a popular free and open-source media player capable of playing most audio and video formats. It can be used to extract the audio from YouTube videos on your Android device.

To get started, first download and install VLC Media Player from the Play Store or F-Droid on your Android device. Once installed, open the app and follow these steps:

  1. Copy the YouTube video URL that you want to download the audio from.
  2. In VLC, go to Media > Open Network Stream and paste the URL into the box. The video will start playing.
  3. Tap on the video to bring up the menu and select “Audio > Save as”. This will allow you to save just the audio in MP3 format.
  4. Choose the audio quality and location to save the MP3 file.

The advantage of using VLC is you can customize the audio format (MP3, FLAC, etc.) and quality when saving the file. The app is also free and doesn’t have any ads or limits unlike some online converters.

One thing to note is that VLC downloads and converts the files in real-time, so it may be slower than some optimized online services. But overall it provides an easy option using just your Android device and VLC app.

For more details, refer to the VLC user guide: How to Extract Audio from Video Using VLC Media

Using Firefox Browser

One easy way to save audio from YouTube videos on your Android device is by using the Firefox browser. Firefox has a media downloading feature that allows you to download videos and audio easily.

To enable media downloading in Firefox:

  1. Open the Firefox app on your Android device.
  2. Tap the three dots in the top right to open the menu.
  3. Select “Settings” from the menu.
  4. Scroll down and tap “Media”.
  5. Toggle “Media Autoplay” and “Download Files” to the ON position.

Once media downloading is enabled, you can download audio from any YouTube video by:

  1. Opening the YouTube video in the Firefox app.
  2. Tapping the download icon in the toolbar at the bottom.
  3. Selecting “Audio” from the dialog box.

The audio track will begin downloading immediately in MP3 format. You can find your downloaded files in the “Downloads” section within Firefox or through your Android device’s file manager.

Firefox provides a straightforward way to extract and save just the audio content from YouTube videos on your Android device [1]. With a couple quick settings changes, you can enable media downloading and be downloading audio in no time.

Using Documents by Readdle

One of the easiest ways to save audio from YouTube videos on your Android device is by using the Documents by Readdle app. Documents by Readdle is a free file manager and document reader app available on both Android and iOS that has built-in YouTube downloading and conversion capabilities.

To use Documents by Readdle to extract audio from YouTube videos:

  1. Download and install the Documents by Readdle app from the Google Play Store on your Android device.
  2. Open the YouTube app, find the video you want to extract audio from, and tap the “Share” icon.
  3. Select “Copy link” to copy the URL of the YouTube video.
  4. Open the Documents app, tap the “Download” button, and paste the YouTube video URL into the bar at the top.
  5. Tap the download icon next to the video to start the download.
  6. Once downloaded, tap the three dots next to the video file and select “Extract Audio.”
  7. Documents will extract the audio into an MP3 file that you can then save and access in the app.

The Documents app makes it quick and easy to save audio from YouTube videos directly on your Android device without needing to use any extra websites or conversion tools. Its integrated downloading and conversion features allow you to extract audio fast.

Using Automated Workflows

One of the easiest ways to save YouTube audio files on Android is by setting up an automated workflow using apps like MacroDroid. MacroDroid allows you to automate various tasks on your device without needing any programming knowledge.

To set up an automated YouTube to MP3 workflow in MacroDroid:

  1. Install and open the MacroDroid app.
  2. Tap on ‘Triggers’ and select ‘Application Launcher’ – this will trigger the workflow when you open YouTube.
  3. Tap on ‘Actions’ and add the action ‘Get YouTube Video’. Configure it to download just the audio in MP3 format and save it to your Music folder.
  4. Tap ‘Constraints’ to set any limitations, like only triggering for certain YouTube links or when connected to WiFi.
  5. Finally, tap ‘Save Macro’ to activate it. Now whenever you open a YouTube link, MacroDroid will automatically extract the audio and save it as an MP3 file.

The key advantage of using MacroDroid is that it fully automates the audio extraction process. Once set up, you can get audio files from YouTube just by opening links – no need to manually convert each time.

Choosing File Format and Quality

When saving an audio file from YouTube, two of the most common formats are MP3 and M4A. Here is a comparison between the two to help you determine the best format for your needs:

MP3:

  • MP3 is the most widely supported audio format.
  • It uses lossy compression, which reduces audio quality but allows for smaller file sizes.
  • The bitrate determines the audio quality – 128 or 320 kbps are common quality settings.
  • MP3 files can be played on almost any device.

M4A:

  • M4A is Apple’s proprietary audio format.
  • It uses AAC encoding which allows high quality at smaller file sizes compared to MP3.
  • M4A supports bitrates up to 320 kbps.
  • Files may not be supported on some older devices.

In summary, M4A offers better audio quality than MP3 at the same bitrate. However, MP3 has wider device support. For the highest possible audio quality, download the audio in the native Opus format if available. Otherwise, choose M4A for quality or MP3 for compatibility.

On YouTube, you can adjust audio quality settings under Video Settings when uploading. Higher bitrates result in better quality but larger file sizes. For music, 128kbps provides standard quality while 320kbps is needed for high fidelity.

Conclusion

Downloading audio from YouTube videos on your Android device is easy to do for free using just a few different methods. The simplest options are to use a third party app like Video to MP3 Converter or NewPipe to extract and save just the audio portion of any YouTube video. You can also use free online converters like ClipConverter.cc or OnlineVideoConverter.com to paste in a YouTube link and download the audio clip. For a bit more advanced but still free option, install the open source VLC media player on your device and use it to convert videos to audio only files. And if you want to automate and streamline the process, try using an automation app like MacroDroid to setup workflows that will automatically download audio from YouTube links you specify.

When choosing how to save the audio, MP3 format provides a good balance of quality and file size. For the best quality, opt for a 192kbps or higher bitrate MP3 file if given the option. And be sure to store the audio files in a designated folder or music app so they are organized and easy to find later on your Android device.

With just a couple taps, you can now easily download audio only versions of your favorite YouTube videos, podcasts, playlists and more. No longer do you need to keep videos open and stream them just to listen to the audio. Download the audio tracks to your Android phone or tablet for free and enjoy them anywhere, anytime.

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