How do you download music from YouTube?
Well, rather easily if you know what you’re doing!
Don’t worry if you don’t know, we’ll show you.
Even though there is no official way of downloading music from YouTube, workarounds exist, both for mobile devices and desktop PCs, and we are going to show them to you here.
How to Download Music from YouTube in 2025 (Desktop Version)
While it is not hard to find a service that offers YouTube music download services, most of these are either infected with malware or bogged-down in throngs of inappropriate ads.
And these are just the functioning ones, out of many that outright don’t work.
If you wish to stick with the safe option, without unnecessary hazards and with a properly working music download service, we recommend a reliable and free desktop app called 4K YouTube to MP3.
With this neat little service, you can save the audio from any YouTube video in a single click.
Let’s guide you through the whole process, shall we?
- Go to 4K Download’s homepage, navigate to the “Download” near the top of the page and select “4K YouTube to MP3”. A window will pop up and you should then click the “Download” button next to the banner with the version of the app that you want to set up: Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), Ubuntu, or macOS.
- Once the download of the app finishes, you should run the installer and launch the Setup Wizard. The process will launch the installation during which you need to check the box which says “Launch 4K YouTube to MP3”. Once that is done, press the Finish button.
- When you open the app, it will show a message that says “Not Activated”. You should not worry about it, though. It just says that you do not have access to the premium features. The free version of 4K YouTube to MP3 lets you download up to 30 audio files in one day, which is more than enough for an average user.
- For the price of $15, which is how much the premium license costs, you can download unlimited number of times, and up to three downloads at the same time (unlike the free option which allows for a single download at a time). To obtain the license, navigate towards the “Tools” menu, click on “Manage License”, and choose “Get License”.
- In any case, choose a video on YouTube that you want to download and copy its URL. You can do this by copying the web address from the browser’s navigation bar or by clicking the “Share” button below the video and pressing “Copy” next to the link.
- Press “Paste Link” in the top-left corner of the app’s window and the video will automatically begin to convert into an MP3 format and start downloading. Once this step is done, a notification should pop up on your desktop.
- You can also search for the YouTube video from within the 4K YouTube to MP3 application. Just click on the search button in the bottom-right corner of the window then select “YouTube”. A YouTube window will open in which you can search for a video and click the “Download” button in order to save it in an MP3 format.
- You can listen to the converted audio file from within the 4K YouTube to MP3 app just by double-clicking on it in the downloads list. Click “Show in folder” to navigate to a folder from which you can listen via other apps or move the file to another location.
- This software converts YouTube videos and downloads audio tracks at what it deems to be the best quality and, naturally, MP3 format. In case you want a specific quality and format, you can go to the “Tools” menu and select “Preferences”, or go to the Control Panel icon in the top-right and select “Preferences” over there.
- In the “General” tab you can change the default audio quality to 320kbps (High), 256kbps (Medium), or 128kbps (Low). The offered formats include MP3, MP4, and OGG.
Downloading Music from YouTube on Mobile Devices
As you probably already know, both Apple and Google have banned audio downloaders from their respective app stores.
In other words, no officially sanctioned apps that can do the trick. Do not fall into despair, however! We have a solution.
You can perform a jailbreak procedure to allow apps from “unknown sources” to be installed on your mobile device, but we have a simpler solution.
The best solution for downloading music from YouTube on your mobile device is YouTube to MP3 Converter.
It is a website which operates on both iOS and Android, as well as desktop PCs (Windows and macOS).
No registration is required, no daily download limit exists, and it is free to use.
Sounds like your thing? Here’s how to use it to download music from YouTube.
- Open the YouTube video that you want to save the audio from, either in browser or in the mobile app. Tap “Share” below the video and select “Copy link”. Just like in the step for desktop versions!
- Open YouTube to MP3 Downloader in your browser. Press on the search box and paste the address, then tap “Go”.
- In a short while the website will load the given video. Bring the drop menu down and select the preferred format and quality for the audio. The most common and optimal combination is MP3 for format and 320kbps for quality.
- Press “Convert” and YouTube to MP3 Downloader will proceed with conversion of the video to MP3. If a pop-up ad appears, close it and return to the website. Once the procedure is done, tap Download to transfer the audio track to your phone. After that you can open and play it in your preferred media player just like any other sound file. Alternatively, make a QR code for the audio file which can be scanned and opened on another device, or save the track on Dropbox to preserve internal storage space.
Is it Legal for Me to Download Music From YouTube?
Just as with downloading videos, downloading music is prohibited in YouTube’s Terms of Service, unless it is “specifically permitted by the Service” to do so.
Of course, if you have the permission from the respective copyright holder you can also download it without repercussions.
Conversely, the YouTube Music app for iOS and Android does allow you to download and play songs from the service, offline and without apps.
This requires the aforementioned subscription ($9.99 per month) and is not allowed on its website or in the free version of the app.
In spite of the general tough attitude towards downloading of its content, many tracks by artists of all kinds have been uploaded copyright-free and without royalties, e.g. songs covered by a Creative Commons license.
Downloading content such as that is perfectly legal, does not violate YouTube’s terms of service, and is quite a regular procedure.
Even in these cases, though, YouTube does not sanction third-party software use for download if there is YouTube’s Audio Library download link.
The final case scenario of legally downloading audio tracks is if you have uploaded a video by yourself and have since lost access to the content.
You can freely download the audio from your videos since you hold the copyright, naturally. No terms will be violated and no law will be broken.
Every other case is technically illegal. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Use the services of previously mentioned apps responsively and at your own risk.
Final Words
That said, now you know how to download music from YouTube in 2025. Safely, quickly, easily, with zero malwares and unintended consequences.
With these solutions you no longer have to suffer an array of ads that break your immersion when listening to your favorite album or performer.
No Internet connection required so you can listen to your favorite music even on an airplane!
We wish you quick conversions and an enjoyable offline listening experience!
