How do you save a YouTube audio file?

This article will provide step-by-step instructions for several methods to download the audio from YouTube videos and save it as an audio file on your computer or mobile device. There are many reasons why downloading YouTube audio can be useful, such as listening to it offline or saving podcasts or music playlists for later.

We will go over options like using a YouTube to MP3 converter website, browser extensions, media players, and mobile apps to extract and save just the audio track from a YouTube video. Each method has its own pros and cons which we will discuss. By the end, you should have all the information needed to choose the best way to download YouTube audio files for your needs.

Check YouTube Terms of Service

Before downloading audio from YouTube, it’s important to ensure this doesn’t go against any copyrights or YouTube’s regulations.

To check the Terms of Service, visit YouTube’s Terms of Service page for the full legal language. According to the TOS, downloading YouTube audio for anything other than “personal, noncommercial purposes” is prohibited. Any other type of downloading or distributing of YouTube content may violate copyrights.

To stay within guidelines, limit any saved audio to personal use only and avoid sharing or posting that content anywhere else.

Use a YouTube to MP3 Converter

A dedicated YouTube to MP3 converter is one of the easiest ways to save the audio from a YouTube video in MP3 format. These tools allow you to simply enter the URL of the YouTube video and convert the audio into an MP3 file to download to your computer.

Some of the most popular and highly recommended YouTube to MP3 converter services include:

• EaseUS Video Downloader – An easy to use converter available for Windows that can batch convert multiple videos.
• ClipGrab – A free open source YouTube to MP3 converter for Windows.
• WinX HD Video Converter – A fast, ad-free converter available for both Windows and Mac.

The advantage of using these dedicated converter tools is that they make it simple to extract just the audio in the desired format without any unnecessary video conversion or downloads. They provide an efficient way to batch convert multiple YouTube videos to MP3 as well.

Install a Browser Extension

One of the easiest ways to save YouTube audio is to install an extension directly in your browser. Browser extensions can detect audio from YouTube videos and allow you to download only the audio portion. There are a number of great extensions available for download in the Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge webstores.

When choosing a browser extension to download YouTube audio, some key factors to consider are the user interface, file quality options, and file conversion options. Some of the top recommended extensions include:

• YouTube Audio Downloader Chrome – Allows flexible MP3 quality options. Very simple and easy to use.
• AudioTube – Offers direct FLAC file conversion to save audio in lossless format.
• SoundCloud Downloader – Downloads from SoundCloud in addition to YouTube, with 320kbps MP3 option.

Browser extensions provide a fast and convenient path to saving YouTube audio with a simple click. They integrate directly into the YouTube interface and automatically extract the audio track. As such they are a great option for frequent YouTube audio savers to consider.

Use an Online Audio Extractor

Online YouTube audio extractors allow you to easily rip the audio from YouTube videos without installing any software. They work by having you provide the YouTube video URL, then extracting just the audio in MP3 format that you can download to your computer.

Some top online YouTube rippers include:

• FlexClip – Offers fast and easy audio extraction from YouTube simply by entering the video URL.
• Tuberipper – An online service focused specifically on ripping YouTube audio and converting to MP3. Known for fast downloads and high quality audio.
• YTMP3 – One of the most popular online YouTube extractors, allowing you to download audio in MP3 320kbps quality.

The main benefit of using an online audio extractor is convenience – no need to download any software and works on any device with a web browser. Just provide the YouTube link and download the extracted audio file. However, be aware some sites may have download limits or lower audio quality than desktop extractors.

Use VLC Media Player

VLC media player is a free, open-source media player that can download and save the audio from YouTube videos.

To download YouTube audio with VLC:

1. Open the YouTube video in your browser
2. Click on Media > Open Network Stream
3. Paste the video URL into the box and click Play
4. Under Tools, select Media Information
5. Select Codecs > Save audio as… to save the audio file

Using VLC can be handy if you want a simple way to extract the audio quickly without installing any additional software or browser extensions. It works for audio and video files from many streaming sites besides YouTube.

One limitation with VLC is that you need to listen to/watch the entire video in real time in order to save the audio. So it may not be the best option for very long videos.

Use a Download Manager

A download manager is software that optimizes and manages downloads on your computer. Examples of popular download managers for Windows/Mac include

Download managers include useful features to save YouTube audio files such as:

• Ability to download audio only from YouTube videos
• Flexible MP3 conversion options
• Option to download high-quality audio formats like FLAC or AAC
• Queue/batch downloading to save multiple audio files
• Fast and stable download speeds

Some top download managers for downloading YouTube audio include:

• SoftOrbits YouTube MP3 Downloader (Windows/Mac) – provides an intuitive interface to convert and save YouTube audio files.
• XDM (source) (Windows/Linux) – popular open-source download manager that is lightweight and full-featured.

Save Audio on Mobile

Saving YouTube audio directly on your iPhone or Android device is convenient if you want the file accessible on your phone. Here are a few methods:

Use a Mobile App

There are a number of apps available for iOS and Android that allow downloading YouTube videos or extracting the audio. Some popular options include iMyFone Filme, Snapter for iOS, and NewPipe for Android.

Use a Mobile Browser

You can also save YouTube audio files directly in the iOS or Android YouTube app using the built-in download feature. Just open the video, tap the download icon, and select “Audio only” to save just the audio track.

Use a Shortcut (iOS only)

iOS users can take advantage of the Shortcuts app to easily convert YouTube videos to MP3s with just a couple taps. There are several pre-made shortcuts available to download, or you can create your own custom shortcut.

Convert to a Desired File Format

Once you have extracted the audio from YouTube, you may want to convert it to a more common audio format like MP3 or WAV. Here are some options:

MediaHuman’s YouTube to MP3 Converter allows you to convert downloaded YouTube audio to MP3, WMA or AAC. Simply add the audio file and select your desired output format like MP3. You can then save it to your computer.

You can also use free audio converter tools like Wave.video which support converting YouTube audio downloads to MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA, M4A and other formats.

On iPhone, tools like Documents by Readdle have audio conversion capabilities built in to convert YouTube audio files you saved to MP3 and more.

Converting to a standardized format makes it easier to play on more devices and platforms.

Conclusion

We covered several useful methods for downloading YouTube audio files, including browser extensions, online audio extractors, media players like VLC, and standalone download managers.

Some additional tips:

• Check YouTube’s Terms of Service before downloading audio to understand allowances.
• For highest audio quality, choose MP3 320kbps if available in your selected tool.
• On mobile devices, use the YouTube app’s background play feature to listen while multitasking.
• Consider converting your downloaded audio file into other formats like AAC or FLAC based on your usage needs.

With the right method chosen, saving audio from YouTube videos is quick and convenient. Follow best practices around copyright and fair use, and enjoy your downloaded audio.