Ultimate Tricks & Techniques: How to Securely Harvest Vimeo Content Onto Your Apple Computer Without Spending a Dime

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How to Download Vimeo Videos to Mac - Top 7 Free and Easiest Ways

By Bertha Miller ｜Last updated on April 11, 2023

A report from Gigaom suggests that Vimeo offers 4K lovers a new avenue for getting the super-crisp videos on the new 16-inch Macbook, for instance. That means registered users can download Vimeo videos in 4K on Mac based computers via its own download service. But basic members are restricted to 5 video downloads on Mac/PC per day. And most of videos on Vimeo are unavailable for download actually. Given more and more people beef about this, here we’ve gathered top 7 effective ways that lead you to save Vimeo videos offline on Mac successfully.

Free Download Vimeo Videos on Mac - 100% Safe and Clean

From time to time, saving Vimeo private videos on Mac brings about virus infection, quality degrading and more if an improper way is done. Here MacX Video Converter Pro is highly recommended, a 100% safe and clean way. Specially tailored for Mac users, it is the safest and best way to download embeded Vimeo videos on Mac while ensuring the maximum quality preservation and no virus transmission. Also download videos from youtube, facebook, Ins, etc. 1000+ sites.

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Part 1. Download Vimeo Videos with Mac Desktop Vimeo Downloader

Download & convert tool, bulk downloads with 1000+ sites supported

A desktop dowloader is recommended for its ease of use, high quality output, and safety. Here MacX Vimeo Video Downloader is our top pick. It lets you download Vimeo videos on Mac in batch quickly with quality options, 720p, 1080p, 4K UHD, and 8K. It also supports YouTube, Instagram, Whatsapp, Facebook, 1000+ sites.

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Pros:

Free download Vimeo private videos, 4K movies, music…

Convert Vimeo videos to MP4 , MOV, AVI, HEVC, etc.

Screen record Vimeo videos in high quality 1080p/4K.

Trim, crop, merge, add subtitles, adjust parameters, etc.

Cons:

No online downloader version.

Only edit Vimeo videos with basic features.

Step 1. Add Target Vimeo Video URL

Install and launch the vimeo video downloader on your Mac or PC, tap YouTube button. Search the video you want to download on Vimeo. Copy and paste its URL to address bar.

Step 2. Analyze Video

Tap Analyze for getting video info, varying from format, resolution, size and codec. Check one version (1280x720 MP4 in this example) and click OK.

Step 3. Start Vimeo Video Download on Mac

Tap Browse button to set target folder and click Download button to free download streaming video on Mac.

Note: if the vimeo video is not what you want for your device, manually tick “Auto add to convert list” next to “Download Now” before you go.

Part 2. Download Vimeo Videos on Mac Using its Download Button

Download Vimeo videos within Vimeo website

If you are a Vimeo buff, you will notice that some videos on Vimeo come with a download button at the bottom of the video. You can directly click the Download button to save the Vimeo video for offline viewing, no extra add-on or program needed. It’s legal to download Vimeo videos for personal use via its download buttons.

Certainly, this also has its limit. It doesn’t open to all the Vimeo videos. As for private videos, movies or TV shows, most of them need premium plan to free access to. For free Vimeo videos, follow the 3 specific steps to save Vimeo embeded videos on Mac without any third-party helper.

Pros:

Directly download on Vimeo website, nothing else needed.

Simple, free and fast!

Cons:

Only available for certain videos, not all of Vimeo videos.

Quality and formats are limited, FLV & MP4 up to 1080p.

Step 1. Activate “Enable resource tracking” in Google Chrome.

Step 2. Search for the video on Vimeo. Find the Download button, if available, in the tool bar. Hit it and choose the video format, resolution and size as you wish. The downloaded Vimeo video format depends on the resource. And you can download the video in MOV, FLV or MP4.

Step 3. Start downloading the video. Right click the video and choose the “download linked file”, then it will be downloaded in the background.

Note: Viewers without a Vimeo account cannot download the source files. For a basic user, you can download 5 Vimeo private videos per 24 hours. For Vimeo Plus and Pro members, they can store the original untranscoded source files on Vimeo and make their original file downloadable by others, too.

Part 3. How to Download Videos from Vimeo to Mac using Safari

The most simple way for Safari users to save Vimeo videos on Mac

Besides the desktop software that enables tocapture streaming videos on Mac , there is another method that gives better-quality result - take advantages of Safari’s little tool called Activity Window to save streaming videos for offline use on your Mac. Without further ado, here are the steps provided to capture web videos, say Vimeo private videos, to Mac.

Pros:

Simple to use.

No software or add-on installation needed.

Cons:

No bulk download feature.

No extra functions like convert, edit, record.

Step 1. Launch the Safari window with the Vimeo video to be downloaded on your Mac.

Step 2. Press Command+Option+A, or go to Windows > Activity (shortcut: alt+apple+a) in Safari.

Step 3. Look through the activity for “Video Name”. If you wanna download the true video file, choose the largest file size.

Step 4. Here we go, double click to download the video from Vimeo etc to Mac.

Please note that the file saved from Safari is usually in FLV that is incompatible with Mac’s QuickTime player. And you’ll need avideo converter for Mac that helps to convert Vimeo FLV video to MP4, MOV or M4V format readable on your Mac computer.

Part 4. How to Download Vimeo Videos on Mac using Firefox

Free download Vimeo videos in bulk on Firefox

Firefox browser is equipped with many useful add-ons. One popular Firefox extension is the free DownloadHelper that works well with many popular video streaming sites, including Vimeo, Facebook, Myspace, etc.

Better still, this Firefox video downloader add-on also supports you to bulk download videos from Vimeo. Of course, you’d better turn off other webpages and exit other compute-intensive software on your Mac to free up network connection for bulk downloads. Or it might cause Firefox to hang if multiple videos are simultaneously queued for download.

If you have no further doubts about Firefox DownloadHelper, it’s high time to save Vimeo embeded videos on Mac Now:

Pros:

User-friendly, no software needed.

Support vimeo video downloads in MPEG, AVI, RM, WMV, MOV, FLV, RAM, MOVIE, DIVX, MPEG4, MP4…

Cons:

Freeze now and then, esp. for large-size video download.

Single-function tool, no other additional features.

Step 1. Install the extension and then the DownloadHelper icon appears at the bottom of the browser.

Step 2. Open the Vimeo in Firefox and find the Vimeo video you’d like to download.

Step 3. start playing the video and click on the icon after which you can see one or more listings for the video in Flash format or others in MPEG4 format.

Step 4. Choose one of the MPEG4 and it downloads to your Mac.

Part 5. How to Grab Vimeo Videos on Mac using Google Chrome

Most simple way for Chrome users to download Vimeo videos

Google Chrome offers the option to get vimeo videos offline on Mac. Since Chrome only provides you with such an option, there is no more other impressive features or bonuses worth a mention. It’s just a single-feature widget. Just Follow the instructions below to get the Vimeo download process on your Mac using Chrome.

Pros:

Easy to use.

100% free, clean and safe.

Cons:

Auto download Vimeo videos in FLV format.

No more formats/quality options offered.

Step 1. Activate “Enable resource tracking” in Google Chrome.

Step 2. Sort the resources based on size.

Step 3. Go to the Vimeo with the video you like.

Step 4. Pick the highest quality video available.

Step 5. Copy the URL of the video with the largest size.

Step 6. “Paste and Go” to the copied URL. Then the Chrome will download the video in FLV automatically. If the video is saved in MP4, just right-click the MP4 video to “Save Video As…”

Step 7. Check whether the downloaded video is the one you need.

Part 6. Download Videos from Vimeo to Mac Online

Online free save Vimeo for offline watching, with many formats to choose from

Perhaps the fastest and easiest way to grab any video from Web like Vimeo, Facebook, etc is to make use of an online video downloader service to handle the task. There are many smiliar services available for your needs, like SaveVideo.me, Video Grabber, Downloadvimeo.net, Clipconverter.cc, Videoripper.me, and so on. All you need to do is to go the Vimeo video address, place the URL and hit the download button. Some online Vimeo video downloaders are even allow you to save Vimeo video to MP4 , AVI, MOV and 3GP format.

Please bear in mind, the web services are great for capturing web videos. But you may know that such websites may not function properly. Or sometimes, they may be incorporated with adware, spyware or malware or temporarily unavailable. So you’ll need an anti-virus program or a desktop software to copy with the Vimeo video download on macOS.

Pros:

Free online download Vimeo videos, no software needed.

A wide range of output formats offered.

Cons:

Potential risks on adware, spyware or malware.

The webpage might be awash with commercial ads.

Part 7. Download Videos from Vimeo to Mac using Screen Recorder

Screen capture any Vimeo videos, even protected videos

There is another way that is generally thought as a brute force - using a screen recorder to grab Vimeo videos on Mac in real time. This is especially suitable for grabbing those protected Vimeo videos. In other words, you aren’t allowed to directly download those videos from Vimeo. Thus, you can try the screen recorder to capture Vimeo videos.

Here we take the well-received MacX Video Converter Pro’s built-in screen recorder for Mac feature as an example. Meanwhile, the videos you’ve captured from Vimeo are only for personal legal use, not for any illegal or commercial uage. Please abide by your country or your local copyright protection law.

Pros:

Any Vimeo videos can be captured, even protected ones.

Convert recorded video format after recording.

Further customize video with editing features.

Cons:

Comparatively more complicated than downloading.

Audio might be missing if something is wrong with audio recording devices or audio driver.

Step 1. Download the Mac screen recorder, install and run it. Open the video on Vimeo you’d like to record and then press the “Screen Recorder” button on the main interface.

Step 2. Customize the screen recording area by choosing “Keep Full Screen” or “Crop Region”. Select the quality of Vimeo video to be recorded, tweak the video frame rate, add sound effect to your video, and alike.

Step 3. Click “Browse” button in output setting area and select a destination folder to save your recorded Vimeo video.

Step 4. Hit “Start Record” button, the program will start to record screen on Mac.

Part 8. FAQs about How to Download Vimeo Videos on Mac

Can I download a video from Vimeo?

Yes, you have several ways to download videos from Vimeo. There are lots of desktop Vimeo video downloader and free limited online services. Vimeo also offers a download button for some public videos. Select a way based on your needs.

What is the best Vimeo downloader for Mac?

MacX Video Converter Pro. The best Vimeo downloader for Mac should be easy to use, clean and safe, and output high-quality video. MacX Video Converter Pro is our top pick. It can download Vimeo videos on Mac in batch with a single click. It supports 1080p HD, 4K UHD, and even 8K. It has no adware, no redirects and no limits on the Vimeo video you can download.

How to download Vimeo videos not available for download?

Some Vimeo videos are not available for download. The download option requires Starters and higher plans. The download option is not available for Basic and free membership. If you want to download private Vimeo videos, you can use aVimeo downloader desktop tools, online services, Firefox/Chrome extensions, etc. All the detailed guides are shared above.

Is Vimeo compatible with Mac?

Vimeo app is only available for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

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Ultimate Tricks & Techniques: How to Securely Harvest Vimeo Content Onto Your Apple Computer Without Spending a Dime