Converting your favorite YouTube video into an audio or video file is easy if you have the right tools.
Have you ever heard wondered what the numbers at the end of a YouTube URL are for exactly? They’re the key to finding a video on YouTube’s system, and that’s how a conversion tool can find where the video is stored and download it. Once it’s located, it can be downloaded as a Flash video and converted to any format you want.However, if you don’t have the technical skills to extract the files yourself, there are countless sites that will do the conversion for you. All you need to do is copy and paste the video URL in the text box on your chosen site, select the format you wish to convert the video into, and in moments the site does all the work. You’ll get a download of your file to play as you please.
Most sites follow the same format of a text box for inputing the link, and various options for finished format types. Sites that will do the trick include Convert2Mp3, VidToMp3, and even browsers add-ons like the Firefox option that makes the conversion as simple as clicking one button while watching a video. There’s a seemingly endless supply of these programs out there, some of which live on the Web and allow one-off use, like ClipConverter and VideoGrabby. Others exist as downloadable programs on your computer, like YouTube dl and Video Downloader Pro. These programs can also go beyond YouTube, ripping content from other sites like Vimeo, Daily Motion, and more.Just be wary of what you’re downloading and for what purpose. It’s illegal to rip copyrighted material from YouTube and use it for commercial purposes. Legal uses are those that fall into the domain of “fair use,” which can include providing educational context and producing transformative works of original content for criticism or commentary. You can also download anything that is public domain video or audio and save your own uploaded videos as audio or video content for personal use. These are all bound by the same copyright law that applies to all forms of copying technology, from writing by hand to using a scanner.
The ability to convert YouTube clips to standard video, along with the legal ins and out of video copying, come together to create some of the most iconic YouTube moments, like Double Rainbow Guy. But even if you’re not out there to become the next Gregory Brothers, with the right tools you can now download video and audio from YouTube, and keep your favorite clips safe on your own computer.