12 Effective Methods for Downloading YouTube Audio Clips on Your Mac

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How to Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Original Audio Quality

By Bertha Miller ｜Last updated onJuly 17, 2024

YouTube holds a vast library with billions of videos. Embedded within these videos lies a wealth of audio content, such as albums, movie soundtracks, podcasts, and audiobooks, that you may want to download. In this article we’ll introduce 12 ways to download audio from YouTube on Mac, whether you prefer legal subscriptions, desktop software, or online tools. We’ll cover all your bases to find the perfect solution for your needs.

Part 1. How to Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium offers an official way to download YouTube videos for offline viewing. With YouTube Premium, you can also enjoy uninterrupted streaming on the YouTube Music app, accessing the world’s largest music catalog with over 100 million songs, all ad-free. You can enjoy personalized mixes, playlists for every mood, and global chart-toppers without any interruptions. However, downloading music from YouTube Music for offline listening currently is only available on the Android and iOS app. You cannot do it on Mac.

YouTube Premium offers three types of memberships:

Individual: $13.99/month or $139.99/year
Family: $22.99/month (supports up to 5 family members)
Student: $7.99/month

Each subscription comes with a 1-month free trial. Here’s how you can download audio from YouTube on a Mac using YouTube Premium.

Step 1. Sign up for YouTube Premium.

Visit the YouTube Premium page. Click on the “Try 1 month for $0” button and follow the on-screen instructions to sign up.

Step 2. Find the YouTube video.

Open the YouTube video that contains the audio you want to download on the YouTube.

Step 3. Download the YouTube video.

Click or tap the Download button found under the video.

Step 4. Extract the audio from the YouTube video.

Once the video is downloaded, use a suitable software or tool (such as MacX Video Converter ) to extract the audio from the video file.

With these steps, you can easily download and enjoy your favorite audio tracks from YouTube on your Mac using YouTube Premium.

Part 2. How to Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Desktop Software

Here we’ll introduce 3 desktop programs to help you download audio from YouTube on Mac, namely MacX Video Converter, VLC media player, and Any Video Converter.

Method 1. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with MacX Video Converter Pro

In the past days, you could rely on YouTube-dl, 4K Video Downloader or add-on easy youtube downloader express to free download audio from YouTube on Mac. However, they won’t smoothly work for you any more. Since YouTube throttles your bandwidth, YouTube-dl, 4K video downloader and easy youtube downloader express would become badly slow in ytb video downloading and audio ripping procedure. And this problem is still unsolved. If you want faster speed, try MacX Video Converter Pro to download audio from YouTube without bandwidth throttling issue.

MacX Video Converter Pro, an all-in-one YouTube audio downloader and converter, is able to directly download YouTube audio with original quality for offline playback on iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, iTunes, PS5/4, Xbox, etc. You are also allowed to rip audio from YouTube (in MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AC3, AAC, iPhone ringtone, WMA…) at 320kbps, 256kbps, 192kbps or 160kbps high quality.

It also works for downloading and saving video, audio from Vevo, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, Instagram, Metacafe, grooveshark, musicvault, musicplayon, soundcloud, soundgasm, etc. 1000+ sites, NO bandwidth throttling issue!

This method is quite easy and fast without having to download extra apps. The top-rated YouTube audio extractor has no tricks inside, no ads, and no redirets. It has no limits on the number of videos you can download. Batch download is also supported. Use steps below to directly download YouTube audio MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, YouTube 8D music with up to 320kbps high quality. No conversion is needed.

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Step 1. Copy YouTube URL

Get and run MacX Video Converter Pro on your Mac. Then, click the YouTube URL button to access YouTube Downloader interface.

Click the link-shaped button, and then click the blue Paste & Analyze button to enter the YouTube URL that contains the audio content you want to download.

Step 2. Select the YouTube audio format

When the analysis is complete, all the available video and audio formats will display. Then, you just need to select the sound format you want and click the OK button to confirm.

Tips: If there is no desired audio format, you can select a video format and then check “Auto add to convert list”. Then, you’ll be directed to a panel where you can specify audio format and adjust audio settings. The available audio formats include MP3, AAC, AC3, FLAC, etcc.

Step 3. Rip YouTube audio

Click the Download Now button to save the YouTube audio file to your destination folder on Mac.

Additionally, you can make use of MacX Video Converter Pro’s Recorder to capture audio from YouTube and other sites.

How to Download Audio from YouTube on Mac via MacX Video Converter Pro’s Recorder

Step 1. Access Recorder tool.

On the main interface of MacX Video Converter Pro, click the “Recorder” button.

Step 2. Adjust recording settings.

In this area, you are allowed to customize the screen recording area by choosing “Keep Full Screen” or “Crop Region”.

Tips: For smoothly recording the audio, you’re suggested not to adjust the audio settings lest the unexpected heightened volume would hurt your hearing.

Step 3. Select the destination folder.

Click “Target Folder” button to select a destination folder to save your recorded YouTube video.

Step 4. Start recording.

Hit the blue “Record” button to start capturing YouTube video within a fraction of seconds.

Step 5. Convert captured YouTube video to audio.

When you finish the recording, open MacX Video Converter Pro and click the + Video button to import the YouTube video you captured before for conversion. You can convert captured YouTube video to MP3, AAC, FLAC, iPhone ringtone, WMA, etc. audio format.

If you are interested in creating your own YouTube content with high-quality audio, consider investing in a proper microphone for YouTube .

Method 2. Download YouTube Audio on Mac with VLC Media Player

Free media player VLC can also work as a solid YouTube audio downloader for Mac. However, VLC can only download audio from YouTube on Mac with free license. Audio with copyright can not be handled by VLC Media Player.

Additionally, the procedure of using VLC to download YouTube audio is comparatively complicated. If you don’t mind that, continue reading.

Step 1. Open Network

Launch your VLC player on MacBook or iMac > tap “Open Network” under File from the top menu.

Step 2. Paste the Link

Copy and paste the YouTube URL to VLC analysis box (shown as picture) > hit “Open” button and VLC will begin to analyze the YouTube video info.

Note: For some countries and areas, YouTube video couldn’t be analyzed unless you get VPN service activated on your Mac. Try to enable your VPN if your country or area doesn’t natively support YouTube service.

Step 3. Choose Media Information

When the analysis is accomplished, VLC will auto play the video footage. Move your mouse to the top menu bar and find “Windows” > select “Media information…” on the drop-down list.

Step 4. Copy the Full URL

Opt for the full URL from “Location” and copy it. Though some versions of YouTube won’t let you see the complete URL, it doesn’t affect anything. Just copy the full ytb URL.

Step 5. Save Video

Open the copied location YouTube URL in your Safari browser > Right-click the YouTube video > tap “Save Video As” > choose a file folder destination.

Step 6. Convert YouTube to Audio

Now it’s time for VLC YouTube video converting feature. Go back to VLC > tap “Convert/Stream” under “Media” at the top bar > drag & drop the downloaded YouTube video to VLC or load it via “Open Media” button.

Step 7. Select Output format Audio – MP3

Choose output format as audio like MP3 under “Choose Profile” zone > name your resulting MP3 file > VLC begins to extract audio sound from YouTube video on MacBook Pro/Air or iMac.

It’s important to be aware that the process might not always work as expected. In some cases, you may end up with a black VLC window displaying only the VLC icon, or the downloaded files might be empty (just a few bytes). If you encounter these issues, don’t worry – there are other methods available!

Method 3. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Any Video Converter

Any Video Converter is a top rated video converter that has a bonus feature to download YouTube audio on Mac. It has a clean interface that makes it easy to download audio from YouTube on Mac. You can use it to convert YouTube audio into various audio formats that are playable on multiple devices and shared on media platforms.

The free version of Any Video Converter, however, limits the input formats and puts watermark on the video. The free YouTube audio downloader for Mac has ads.

Step 1. Free download Any Video Converter on your Mac computer. Install and run it. Keep your eyes open when installing it.

Step 2. Click on the Add URLs icon, open the YouTube audio you want to download, and copy and paste the video URL to the URL box on the free YouTube audio on Mac.

Step 3. Click the Start Download button to start downloading audio from YouTube on Mac.

Part 3. How to Download Audio from YouTube on Mac Online

If you want to download audio from YouTube on Mac without installing software, here’re 6 online solutions for you, including ClipGrab, yt5s, ytmp3, Dirpy, AceThinker, and ytmate.guru.

Method 1. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with ClipGrab

ClipGrab is a free video downloader for Mac that comes with an intuitive interface and is very easy to use. It can download YouTube audio and video in various formats, such as MP4, M4A, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WAV, MP4, MOV, and more. The tool also offers options to customize the output audio quality and audio formats for various uses.

The downloading process can be slow at times, especially when downloading high-quality audio files from YouTube on Mac. Some audio files may have limitations and restrictions. You may encounter errors or crashes on some YouTube audio files.

You can follow the steps below to download YouTube audio on Mac.

Step 1. Go to ClipGrab official website, download and install the YouTube audio downloader for Mac. Then launch ClipGrab on your computer.

Step 2. Open the YouTube audio file you’d like to download, copy and paste the link of the audio to the URL box on ClipGrab in the Downloads tab. Click Enter to let the YouTube audio downloader for Mac analyze the audio.

Step 3. Select the output format and quality of the YouTube audio you want to download. Select a folder where you want to save the file.

Step 4. Click the “Download” button to start downloading the YouTube audio on Mac. You should have obtained the permission from the copyright owner before download.

Method 2. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Online Tool - yt5s.com

Online YouTube audio downloader tools are good ways to download audio from YouTube on Mac via a web browser without any software installation. There are lots of online YouTube audio downloader for Mac converter services, among of which, yt5s, ytmp3.cc and y2mate.guru are highly rated. How to online convert YouTube videos to audio files in MP3, FLAC, WAV, M4A, OGG, etc. without software? Easy peasy. Here’s how to do it.

YT5s claims to help you free (and always will be) download and convert unlimited YouTube videos at the best speed up to 1GB/s (related to your network bandwidth, as well). It allows you to download and convert YouTube video to MP3, as well M4A, WMA audio formats with high quality up to 320kbps. And the most special thing is that you can directly add “5s” after the Youtube address to get YouTube MP3 audio download at most simple way and fastest speed. Give it a whirl!

Step 1. Access to YouTube to find your desired ytb video. Paste the YouTube link into the search box.

Note: if you wanna MP3, just add “5s” after the youtube address (shown below). Hit Enter key and it will automatically re-direct you to the mp3 downloader Yt5s.com. This is the most effecient yet convenient way to download ytb MP3.

Step 2. Choose the output format you need, like MP3, WMA, M4A, MP4, WebM, 3GP and quality. Tap Download then.

Step 3. Wait a few seconds for the YouTube to audio conversion and download the resulting audio file to your device with the free online YouTube audio downloader.

Method 3. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Online Tool - ytmp3.cc

Slightly inferior to yt5s.com, this online YouTube audio downloader service only enables you to download YouTube to MP3 or MP4 two formats. What’s more, it puts limits on YouTube video length, no more than 90 minutes. There is no big difference in other aspects. And the operating steps are much of a muchness. The same 3 steps are required. So it’s needless to repeat that. You can insert “ccc” after the word “youtube”or “youtu” in the YouTube video link to download YouTube audio file on Mac faster.

Step 1. Open the website of the free online YouTube audio downloader for mac. Select MP3 file format you want to download. The service will download YouTube MP3 audio file by default.

Step 2. Open, copy, and paste the YouTube video URL to the search box and click the Convert button. After loading, the search results appears and select one to download by clicking the Download button.

Step 3. Click the download button in the search box. Note whether the downloaded file is saved in .mp3 format. The download process may take some time to complete.

Method 4. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Online Tool - Dirpy

Dirpy is a good site to download YouTube audio file on Mac into MP3 format. When downloading, you can set the start and end time. YouTube audio files are saved for offline by recording. You’d better keep an eye on the download button on the website. If clicked, you will be taken to adware download. AdBlock or such tools are recommended to help get rid of virus problems, redirects, and safety issues. After trial, it is billed $9.99 monthly and ads supported, allowing 10 files/12 hours download.

Step 1. Go to Dirpy YouTube audio downloader website. Open the YouTube video you’d like to save, copy and pate the YouTube URL to the URL search box. The URL will be analyzed quickly and a new window pops up.

Step 2. Edit the start and End time. You can leave it by default if you want to download the YouTube audio file in full length. Edit ID3 tag data as you wish.

Step 3. Set the audio quality. The highest audio bitrate is 320 kbps. Choose an audio format.

Step 4. Click the Record Audio button to start YouTube MP33 rip on Mac.

Method 5. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Online Tool - AceThinker

AceThinker has an online free YouTube to MP4 Converter, allowing you to download YouTube audio on Mac in MP3 format. It’s also pretty easy to use, just copy and paste YouTube video URL. Sometimes, the free online YouTube audio downloader for Mac doesn’t work well, you have to retry. The tool doesn’t work for all sites, but YouTube can be handled. The free online YouTube audio downloader for Mac only allows you to rip YouTube audio in 128Kbps. For 320Kbps HQ YouTube audio files, desktop Music Downloader is required.

Step 1. Head to AceThinker Free YouTube to MP3 Converter site. Open the YouTube video you want to download in MP3 audio, copy and paste the URL into the search box.

Step 2. The YouTube video will be load quickly. All the YouTube video and audio information, including format, file size, and bitrate(quality) appear. Click the Download button next to the audio information. Not all the audio files with high quality are available for download. Don’t click the orange download button near the YouTube video URL, which will lead you to download other tools.

Step 3. Wait for the download process to complete. You have to download its music downloader for higher quality audio files.

Method 6. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with Online Tool - ytmate.guru

Unlike the disturbing ads floating everywhere, this free online YouTube video MP3 converter helps you to clear the irritating ads during YouTube watch. That’s a unique shining point. Besides, it gives you possibility to free download YouTube to MP3 audio, as well as free download online videos audio from more sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, Twitter. See, each online YouTube to MP3 audio ripper has its own merits. Check its how-to guide:

Note: The service is currently down. It’s quite common that free online YouTube audio downloaders Mac get banned.

Step 1. Find your desired YouTube video and paste the youtube link to the analysis box on ytmate.guru.

Step 2. Tap Start button to activate the YouTube to MP3 download & convert engine to start downloading ytb to MP3.

Step 3. Select the audio format and quality. Afterwards, tap Download button to download file on Mac.

Part 4. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac by Changing YouTube URL

There is a way even more simple than online YouTube audio downloader service. That is to change YouTube url. The principle is to apply an URL trick to jump straight to the online YouTube audio downloader for Mac. Meanwhile, there are couples of tricks you can utilize to fetch YouTube video, e.g. changing “youtube” to “ssyoutube”, “youtubepp” or “youpak”, adding “pwn” before “youtube”, etc. Action is more persuasive. Follow the below steps to see how to change YouTube URL to get YouTube audio downloaded easy peasy:

Step 1. Open the YouTube video in web browser.

Step 2. Tap the video URL. Usually it oughts to be like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxx .

Step 3. Insert “pp” after “youtube”: https://www.youtubepp.com/watch?v=xxxxx > tap “Enter”.

Step 4. It will then auto jump to y2mate.com that has already shown the download option of your YouTube video.

Step 5. Go to “Audio” > opt for the audio file you wish to download.

No matter which online YouTube to MP3 audio extractor service you choose, each can successfully download YouTube video and convert ytb to MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, AAC, etc. music sound at fast speed. Only thing you need to pay attention is that online service won’t remind you of any potential risks like the virus or malware in the downloading video file, the video file in the queue contains copyright protection, auto install 3rd party plug-ins without asking your permission. Thus, launch your anti-virus program and check the original YTB video twice before you go.

If you’re looking to create compelling video content on a budget, free music for videos can be a game-changer. Not only can it add an extra layer of emotion and energy to your videos, but it can also help you save money on expensive licensing fees. So, whether you’re a small business owner, a content creator, or just someone who loves making videos, consider exploring the many options available for free music for videos. With a little bit of creativity and some great tracks at your disposal, the possibilities are endless.

Part 5. Download Audio from YouTube on Mac with QuickTime

QuickTime is not only a media player. It also lets you record the audio playing from your computer, essentially capturing the YouTube video’s audio track and saving it as a separate file. Let’s see how to use QuickTime to grab that YouTube audio!

Step 1. Open YouTube and locate the video with the audio you want to download.

Step 2. Head over to your Applications folder and open QuickTime Player.

Step 3. Click on “File” in the menu bar, then select “New Audio Recording”.

Step 4. In the recording window that pops up, you can choose your microphone input (if you have one connected) and adjust the audio quality settings if desired.

Step 5. Press the red “Record” button in the QuickTime window. Then, play the YouTube video in your browser. QuickTime will capture the audio coming from your Mac’s speakers.

Step 6. Once the YouTube video is done, click the red “Record” button again to stop capturing audio.

Step 7. Go to “File” in the menu bar again, then select “Save”. Choose a name and location for your new audio file. QuickTime typically saves recordings in M4A format.

FAQs about YouTube Audio Downloader for Mac

1. Is it legal to download YouTube music or audio directly?

Technically, it is not illegal to download content or convert a Youtube video to MP3. But it is illegal to download a copyrighted music video or rip MP3 stream from a copyrighted song, and it is always against YouTube’s terms of service.

Moreover, using a file-sharing network like BitTorrent to freely download copyrighted music is illegal — unless the copyright owner (the artist, the music label, or someone else) authorizes the free use of the music. Yet, generally, it won’t happen.

2. How can I legally download YouTube music?

Get YouTube Music Premium, with official albums, playlists, singles and more, ad-free and playable offline with screen locked. 1 month free trial and then $9.99 per month.

3. Can I download YouTube videos with 5.1 Dolby Surround sound?

YouTube TV had announced that it brought Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound to its platform. Please note that it’s YouTube TV, the online video streaming service, not YouTube. And YouTube videos don’t get improved to support Dolby 5.1 surround sound, so currently you’re unable to download YouTube videos with that type of audio.

And frankly speaking, majority of YouTubers don’t get the hang of technical skills to convert stereo audio to the Dolby 5.1 surround sound system. That’s kind of rocket science stuff.

4. How do I download audio from YouTube to my Mac?

Simply use MacX Video Converter Pro, 4K Video Downloader, savefrom, snappea, keepvid to get them downloaded with simply 3 or 4 mouse clicks. One thing to note is that YouTube audio is NOT advised to download. Check its copyright property before you go.

5. How can I download audio from YouTube to my computer without software?

Easy peasy. Access to YouTube to find your desired content > copy the URL and paste it to the search box on http://www.vidtomp3.com > hit Download and patiently wait for the conversion > tap Download MP3 after you’re redirected to a new download page. Then, check your output MP3 file when it’s completed.

6. What is the best YouTube MP3 downloader for Mac?

MacX Video Converter Pro, MacX YouTube Downloader, VLC Media Player. There are also many online YouTube MP3 downloader for Mac, such as ytmate.guru, ytmp3.cc, yt5s.com. But online downloaders can shut down unexpectedly.

7. How to convert downloaded YouTube video to audio on Mac?

You can download and install MacX Video Converter Pro and then follow the steps below to convert YouTube video to audio format.

Step 1. Open MacX Video Converter Pro and click the + Video button to load the YouTube video you want to convert.

Step 2. On the Output Profile panel, click to Music and then select a desired audio format. Its supported audio formats include MP3, AAC, AC3, FLAC, iPhone ringtone, etc.

Step 3. Go back to the main interface and then click the RUN button to start converting YouTube video to audio.

8. How do I extract audio from YouTube using VLC?

To extract audio from a YouTube video using VLC Media Player on Mac:

Download and install VLC. Open VLC, copy the YouTube video’s URL. Go to “Media” > “Open Network Stream.” Paste the video URL and click “Play.” Pause the video and go to “Tools” > “Codec Information.” Copy the direct video URL from the “Location” field. Paste it into your browser, right-click the video, and select “Save Video As.” Save the video with a “.mp3” file extension.

Notice: MacXDVD Software doesn’t advocate any reproduce, distribute, transmit, broadcast or sell any content for any other purposes without prior written permission of YouTube or the respective licensors of the content. Please refer to YouTube terms of service before doing so.

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12 Effective Methods for Downloading YouTube Audio Clips on Your Mac