YouTube to MP4
MP4 is the format YouTube already stores, so converting is really just asking for the right file. Paste a video or Shorts link below, pick a resolution and the MP4 saves straight through your browser. It runs free online and saves in HD where the video has it.
How to convert YouTube to MP4
Copy the video address from the browser bar, or tap Share then Copy link inside the app. Paste it into the box above and press Download.
The available files appear within a few seconds. Choose the resolution you want and the MP4 goes to your downloads folder or camera roll.
Which resolution to pick
1080p is the safe default for watching on a laptop or a TV. 720p halves the file size and still looks clean on a phone.
360p is worth it when you are on mobile data or archiving a talking head clip where picture detail does not matter.
A file can only be as sharp as the upload. A video published in 720p will never come back as 1080p, whatever the tool promises.
Shorts, live replays and long videos
A Shorts link behaves like any other video link, since a Short is a normal upload in a vertical frame.
Live replays resolve once the stream has finished processing. Very long uploads take a little longer to prepare because the file itself is larger.
MP4 or MP3
Pick MP4 when you want the picture. Pick MP3 when only the sound matters, for a podcast episode, a lecture or a track you are studying.
Both come from the same source file, so switching between them costs nothing but another click.
Why higher resolutions arrive as two streams
YouTube stores anything above 720p as separate video and audio tracks, a format called DASH. That is why some tools quietly stop at 720p, it is the highest resolution that still exists as one ready made file.
Here the two tracks are joined back together before the MP4 reaches you, so a 1080p or 4K download arrives with sound rather than as a silent picture.
Picking a resolution by what you will do with it
For a phone screen, 720p is indistinguishable from 1080p at arm's length and roughly halves the file. For a laptop or a TV, take 1080p.
For editing or archiving, take the highest offered, since every later export loses a little more. For a talking head clip you only want to listen to, 360p or the MP3 is enough.
A rough guide on size: a minute of 720p is 5 to 15 MB, a minute of 1080p is 10 to 30 MB, and a minute of 2160p can pass 100 MB.
Codecs, and why a file sometimes will not open
YouTube serves modern uploads in AV1 or VP9 as well as H.264. AV1 is smaller at the same quality but older phones, older smart TVs and some editors cannot decode it.
If a saved file plays as sound with a black picture, that is a codec gap in the player rather than a broken download. VLC opens all three, and the H.264 stream is the safe pick for anything old.
What will not resolve, and why
Private videos, unlisted videos you were not given the link for, age restricted uploads and members only content all require a signed in session, which is deliberately never used here.
Live streams resolve once the replay has finished processing. Premieres behave like ordinary uploads after they end.
Questions people ask
Is the YouTube to MP4 converter free?
Yes. No account, no payment step and no daily counter.
What is the highest quality I can get?
Whatever the creator uploaded. When a 1080p or higher file exists it is offered, otherwise the best available stream is.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. It runs in the browser you already have, so no app or extension is needed on either platform.
Are private or age restricted videos supported?
No. Only videos anyone can open without logging in can be fetched.
Do you keep a copy of the file?
No. It streams from the source straight to your device and nothing is written to our storage.
Does the MP4 include subtitles?
No. Captions are a separate track on YouTube's side. Use the subtitle downloader when you need the SRT file.
Why does a 4K video only offer 1080p right after upload?
YouTube processes higher resolutions after publishing, sometimes for a few hours on long videos. The stream list grows as processing finishes.
Can I download a whole playlist at once?
Paste the links into the bulk downloader instead. This page handles one video at a time so the queue stays quick.
Does downloading count as a view for the creator?
Resolving a link does not register a view. If that matters to you, watch the video on YouTube as well.