How do i download youtube premium videos to my computer

• You can download YouTube videos on your computer using VLC media player.
• You can also use WinX YouTube Downloader on PC or MacX YouTube Downloader on Mac.
• To download YouTube videos on the mobile app, simply tap "Download" on the selected video.

YouTube has billions of videos available for streaming, but sometimes, you might want to download some of them for offline viewing. 

However, there's no download button that allows you to save them onto your computer. This is odd, considering that the YouTube mobile app allows you to download videos on your smartphone and watch them offline.

Luckily, you can use third-party services – of which they're dozens – to download videos from YouTube.

Here are the two ways to download YouTube videos on your computer.

How to download YouTube videos using VLC Media player

VLC Media Player is a free app that lets you watch videos or play music from your Mac or PC. There's a chance you might already have it installed on your computer.

And although it'll take a few minutes, you can use it to download any YouTube video.

1. Find the video you want to download off YouTube and copy its URL.

2. Open VLC. If you're on a PC, click Media in the top menu, and then Open Network Stream. If you're on a Mac, click File in the top menu, and then Open Network.

3. In the pop-up that appears, select the Network tab and paste the YouTube video's URL in the text box at top, and then click Play or Open at the bottom.

4. After a moment, the YouTube video will begin playing. A longer YouTube video will take longer to open.

5. If you're on a PC, click Tools in the top menu, and then Media Information. If you're on a Mac, click Window in the top menu, and then Media Information.

6. In the Media Information" pop-up, there will be a Location text box at the bottom. Double-click the URL in this text box to select it, and then copy it.

7. Go back to your web browser and paste that link into the URL text box at the top of the screen, and then hit the Enter key on a PC or Return key on a Mac.

8. You'll be brought to a page with just the video playing. Click on the three vertical dots in the bottom right corner, and then click Download.

The video will download onto your computer as an .MP4 file. You can name it or move it wherever you like.

How to download YouTube videos using the WinX or MacX YouTube Downloader

WinX and MacX are a whole suite of programs, each of which is made for downloading videos from different sources. The WinX and MacX YouTube Downloaders, as the names suggest, are meant for downloading YouTube videos.

1. Go to the WinX website and download the application. If you're on a Mac, go to the MacX download page instead.

2. Once the program is installed, open it and click Add Url in the top left corner.

3. Paste the link to the YouTube video in the text box at the top and then click Analyze on the right. 

4. The app will check the video to see how high quality it is. Once done, you'll be offered a variety of file types to download it in.

5. Select the version of the video that you want, and then click Download Selected Videos or Done in the bottom-right.

6. On the next page, click Download now.

Your videos will download in the format you asked for, and be saved to your computer's Videos or Movies folder.

How to download YouTube videos on mobile

The easiest way to watch YouTube videos offline is to download them on your smartphone using the mobile app.

1. Open the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device.

2. Find the video you want to download for offline viewing.

3. Tap the Download button.

Ryan Ariano grew up in Baltimore when the Macintosh was cutting edge, lived in Los Angeles as Blackberries gave way to iPhones, and now lives in Jackson Hole where his life is held together by Bluetooth. He writes on a wide range of topics but especially loves nerding out across the tech spectrum. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.

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