YouTube converter
One box for both jobs. Paste a YouTube link and pick the output you want, MP4 if you need the picture, MP3 if only the sound matters. Every quality the video was published in is listed, up to 4K.
How to convert a YouTube video
Copy the address from your browser bar, or Share and Copy link in the app. Paste it above and press Download.
The list that comes back is grouped by kind. Video rows give you MP4 files at each resolution the upload carries, audio rows give you the sound on its own. Pick one and the file saves through your browser.
Shorts, live replays and unlisted links that you already have work the same way as a normal video.
MP4 or MP3, which one do you want
MP4 keeps the picture and the sound in one file and plays on everything, so it is the right pick for reposting, editing or watching offline.
MP3 is audio only and a fraction of the size, which is what you want for a podcast, a lecture, a mix or anything you listen to rather than watch. Our [YouTube to MP3](/youtube-to-mp3) page is the same converter with audio preselected.
Still deciding, our note on [MP4 or MP3](/blog/mp4-or-mp3-which-format-to-save) walks through the trade off in plain terms.
Quality, and why some converters stop at 720p
Above 720p, YouTube stores picture and sound as separate streams. A converter that only knows how to grab one file has to fall back to the last combined stream, which is why so many of them top out there.
We handle the split, so 1080p, 1440p and 4K rows appear whenever the upload actually has them. A video filmed at 720p will never offer more, no matter which tool you use.
After the conversion
Need the words rather than the file, run the link through the [YouTube transcript generator](/youtube-transcript-generator) and copy the text or save it as SRT.
File too big to send, the [video compressor](/video-compressor) shrinks it on your own device. Need a different container such as MOV or WebM, the [video converter](/video-converter) handles files you already have.
Questions people ask
Is the YouTube converter free?
Yes. There is no sign up, no limit on how many videos you convert and no watermark on the output.
What formats can I convert to?
MP4 for video and MP3 for audio, at every quality the original upload carries.
Can I convert a 4K video?
Yes, when the video was published in 4K the 2160p row appears alongside the smaller ones.
Do I need to install software?
No. It runs in your browser on desktop, iPhone and Android.
Do you store the videos I convert?
No. Links are resolved and the file streams straight to you, with nothing written to our storage.
Can I convert private or paid videos?
No. Only content YouTube already shows the public can be read.