More often than not, YouTube is the go-to choice for songs and music videos for many of us. Despite primarily being a streaming service, it is wildly popular for listening to favorite tunes on the go as well. But as with online streaming, it’s not possible to download YouTube songs or audio to your device to listen anytime. That’s where knowing how to download songs from YouTube to your phone or PC comes in handy.

YouTube does have an Offline Downloader, but you have to use the app to play an offline video, and it’s not available for most videos. Hence, you need a YouTube music downloader to save those favorite songs to your device. In this writing, we’re going to discuss several ways how to download MP3 and video songs from YouTube.

Note: Check YouTube’s policies for music and user guidelines before you try to download videos. YouTube hosts a number of copyrighted videos, and it’s not legally allowed to download or use them in any way. You can get around this by subscribing to YouTube or YouTube Music for a recurring charge.

How to download songs from YouTube | Best 3 ways

There are several ways to get around YouTube’s no-download policy for videos. While the premium YouTube option is the safest, it’s not absolutely necessary if you don’t need to download it for professional reasons. In the following, we’ll lay out the best ways how to download songs from YouTube with and without premium.

How to download songs from YouTube for free using online downloaders

Online YouTube video downloaders are hands down the easiest tool to save music from YouTube. They don’t usually require any subscription, registration, or fees. You also get the option to download videos instantly if you have the link. Some even offer multiple download qualities and formats for convenience.

However, using an online downloader requires some level of caution. You should look out for malicious websites, too many ads, sites that require signup to download, etc. To make things easier, we’re going to recommend some of the most trusted downloaders and how to use them.

SmoothDownloader

SmoothDownloader is an all-in-one video and audio downloader for many platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. It supports any device and browser, is completely free, and requires close to zero effort. So, if you want to know how to download music from YouTube to your computer or Mac, or even your phone, go to SmoothDownloader and follow this.

Open your YouTube video and copy the link from the Share button or browser’s address bar.
Next, go to SmoothDownloader’s YouTube Downloader and paste the link in the designated field.
Click on Get the YouTube Video. After a second or so, your video will be ready.
Simply click the downloader button to save the video in HD.

If you want to learn how to download free music from YouTube in audio format, go to the YouTube Converter tool and follow the process.

Paste the music video URL from YouTube to the designated field.
From the dropdown menu, select a format.
Then click on Get the File. Once the audio is ready, hit Download.

YTdown

YTdown is another online video downloader that’s designed specifically for YouTube. If you need to find out how to save music from YouTube only, you can use this super handy website. The process of downloading is similar to SmoothDownloader, so we’ll keep it simple.

Go to YTdown.com and paste the YouTube video or Shorts link.
Click on the Get Video button. It will ready the video for you instantly.
Choose to download the video (MP4) or audio (MP3) format of the video from the buttons below.

YTConvert

If you need to download MP3 or M4A from your favorite music video, YTConvert can be the standalone solution. Its intuitive UI will definitely catch your attention, along with its simplicity in downloading YouTube music. Since it supports M4A and AAC, you no longer need to worry about how to download songs from YouTube on your iPhone or Mac.

Copy and paste the video URL into YTConvert’s download field.
Select a format among MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, and WAV.
Next, hit the Get the File button. Once ready, download the audio with one click.

How to download music videos from YouTube using the SS extension

Here’s another useful method to save music videos and songs from YouTube, the SS extension. It’s a simple way to redirect YouTube videos to watch offline and download in different formats. All you need to do is put the letters “ss” before the video URL where it starts “YouTube” and hit enter. However, you need to use a browser for this to work, not the YouTube app.

Open up a browser on your device and go to the YouTube video you want to download.
Go to the browser’s address bar to edit the URL.
Insert SS before it says YouTube. For example, “www.ssyoutube.com.” Then hit enter.
This will redirect you to a page. From there, choose a video or audio format and resolution and download it with one tap.

How to download songs from YouTube using a Premium subscription

Using a premium service is undoubtedly the safest and fastest way to download songs on your device, only that it costs a bit. If you get YouTube Premium, it includes a premium subscription to YouTube Music as well. But if it’s only songs you want to download, getting only the YouTube Music Premium for less charge is enough.

Here’s how to download songs from YouTube Music Premium

Launch the YouTube Music app and play the song.
Locate the side-scrolling menu under the title and album.
Swipe to the right to find the Download icon. Remember that the icon placement may vary depending on your device, such as a smartphone or tablet.
Finally, download to save it on your device. Following similar steps, you can also open an entire library and download all songs at once.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

How to download MP3 songs from YouTube?

Go to YouTube from your device’s browser or the app, find the song you wish to download, and copy the URL to the video. Next, go to YTdown and paste the link, and click on Get the YouTube Video. Once the video is ready, locate the download buttons at the bottom and hit Download the Audio as MP3 to save the song on your mobile or PC.

Can you download music from YouTube for free?

There are various ways you can download music and videos from YouTube, even if you don’t have a premium subscription. One of the easiest methods is using an online downloader like SmoothDownloader. You simply need to copy the YouTube video URL and paste it into the designated field to get the video.

However, downloading videos goes against YouTube’s policy, especially if you want to use the content. So, check with copyright policies before you download music videos from YouTube.

Final words

We’ve discussed all the easiest and safest ways how to download songs from YouTube to any device. YouTube Premium is the preferred and safer option to save music directly. But if you don’t want to spend and need songs for your personal use, you can try online downloaders for convenience.