Listening to YouTube audio on the go can be difficult without the ability to download the files directly. While YouTube doesn’t allow video downloads, there are several easy methods to extract just the audio portion from YouTube videos for use on your Mac. In this tutorial, we will outline 8 simple ways to download YouTube audio files to your Mac computer. We will cover popular video downloader software options like SSyoutube, AnyVideoConverter, and Total Video Downloader. We will also highlight 4 handy online converter websites you can use without installing any additional software. Finally, we will show you how to use QuickTime Player, already installed on every Mac, to record audio directly from YouTube videos. With all of these simple methods, you’ll be able to build up an audio library from YouTube to enjoy anywhere on your Mac. So read on to learn 8 quick and easy ways to get YouTube audio files onto your Mac computer. If you know Spanish, you can search for the key “Convertidor de you tube a mp3” in Google.
What is YouTube to MP3 Conversion?
YouTube to MP3 conversion refers to converting YouTube videos into MP3 audio files. MP3 is a common digital audio format. It allows you to play the audio portion of YouTube videos on various MP3-compatible devices. This can be advantageous to listen to YouTube music, podcasts, or other audio offline when you don’t have an internet connection. It also saves mobile device storage space.
6 YouTube to MP3 Converters for Mac
SSyoutube
Interface & usability: SSyoutube has a clean and intuitive interface that is very easy to navigate. The main workflow is simple with just a few steps to paste a URL, select output format, and convert. The software is lightweight and responsive. Useful tools like metadata tag editor, audio cutter, and volume adjustor are conveniently accessible in a well-organized layout.
Features: It can quickly download entire YouTube playlists or channels with just one click. Supports fast downloading of 4K and HD YouTube videos. Allows convenient bulk conversion and batch processing of multiple files. Downloads are very fast with stable speeds.
Available formats: MP3, M4A, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AAC
Speed: It can fully process even an hour long 4K video into MP3 in just a few minutes. Speeds remain consistent even when downloading multiple videos simultaneously in a batch.
Annoyances: There are no major annoyances or issues with the software. The only limitation is that the free version has caps on length of downloads unlike the paid pro version.
Extras: It provides additional useful audio editing tools like cutting audio segments, adjusting volume, adding effects, etc. It also has an excellent audio metadata tag editor for organizing music files.
Ease of use: Simple enough for beginners to use.It provides advanced settings for power users to tweak performance.
Overall rating: 5/5
Visit: https://ssyoutube.rip/
4K YouTube to MP3
Interface & usability: The interface is clean, minimalist and straightforward to use. Pasting YouTube links and downloading MP3s is very quick and seamless. However, customization options are relatively limited and some users may find the interface to be a bit too basic.
Features: As the name suggests, this converter truly excels at extracting high quality audio from YouTube videos even up to 4K resolution. It also conveniently downloads entire playlists or channels in one go.
Available formats: MP3
Speed: Downloading and conversion speeds are uniformly fast, owed to the 4K focused processing engine. It can comfortably handle multiple simultaneous high resolution YouTube downloads without lagging.
Annoyances: The lack of output format options beyond just MP3 is a drawback for some users. It also lacks some advanced editing functionalities.
Extras: The software’s biggest USP is its ability to retain true lossless audio output quality even when extracting audio from high resolution 4K/2K YouTube sources. There is no compromise on output quality.
Ease of use: Extremely simple one-click download process ideal for beginners.
Overall rating: ⅘
ClipGrab
Interface & usability: The interface looks quite dated and cluttered with lots of legacy settings and options. Simple downloads are easy to perform but customization requires digging through complex menus.
Features: It supports conveniently downloading entire YouTube playlists or channels. Can also extract audio from some other video sites beyond just YouTube. Has basic video conversion capabilities as well.
Available formats: MP3, M4A, WAV
Speed: Download and conversion speeds are moderately fast but noticeably slower compared to more advanced premium converters. Lacks support for quickly handling 4K or HD resolutions.
Annoyances: The interface has an overwhelming amount of technical options cluttering the workflow for basic usage. The software can be buggy and unresponsive at times.
Extras: Completely free and open source software. No hidden paid upgrades or surprise costs. Has active community support forums for help.
Ease of use: Steep learning curve for absolute beginners. But veteran advanced users will appreciate the expansive customization options.
Overall rating: ⅗
MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter
Interface & usability: The interface is clean, minimalist and very straightforward and intuitive to use. The main workflow is simple with just paste URL, select format, and convert options conveniently accessible. Avoids clutter by only keeping essentials.
Features: Fast batch conversion capability allows easily queueing up unlimited downloads for sequential processing. Automatically tags output MP3s with useful metadata like title, artist, album etc.
Available formats: MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC
Speed: Downloading and conversion speeds are blazing fast, making batch processing quick. Leverages multi-threading for optimized performance.
Annoyances: The installer tries to sneakily bundle various unnecessary 3rd party apps unless careful attention is paid. Too many annoying ads and popups.
Extras: Convenient option to automatically split album tracks in output files based on YouTube video metadata. Can embed album cover art into the output MP3 files.
Ease of use: Extremely straightforward workflow perfect for beginners.
Overall rating: ⅘
aTube Catcher
Interface & usability: aTube Catcher has a clean and visually appealing interface design. The workflow is intuitive and features are neatly organized into clear menus and tabs for easy navigation. Convenient buttons allow quick access to core functions.
Features: It has built-in media playback capability along with the ability to burn audio CDs. Also provides some basic video conversion and editing functionalities beyond just audio extraction. Supports downloading from a range of sites beyond only YouTube as well.
Available formats: MP3, M4A
Speed: The download and conversion speeds are noticeably slow compared to more optimized competitors. Lacks support for true batch processing of queued downloads.
Annoyances: The installer tries to bundle various unrelated third party apps during setup unless carefully unchecked. The interface also contains a high volume of intrusive ads.
Extras: Diverse multimedia capabilities make this more than just an YouTube downloader. Other features include screen recording, ISO burning, basic video editing trims and cuts, slideshow creation etc.
Ease of use: The straightforward interface and workflow is ideal for first-time users. Very little learning curve involved.
Overall rating: ⅗
iSkysoft iTube Studio
Interface & usability: Modern and minimalist interface design provides an aesthetically pleasing user experience. Features are well-categorized into intuitive tabs and menus for easy workflow. Convenient even for beginners.
Features: Advanced editing capabilities allow trimming, effects, audio normalization, metadata tagging. Can download up to 8K ultra HD YouTube videos.
Available formats: MP3, M4A, FLAC, WAV and more
Speed: Extremely fast download and conversion speeds leveraging multi-core CPU and GPU processing. Easily handles 4K and 8K videos.
Annoyances: Uses an expensive subscription model rather than one-time pricing, limiting features in free version.
Extras: Downloaded audio retains true lossless quality even from high resolution 4K/8K YouTube sources. Ideal for audiophiles seeking top quality.
Ease of use: Slight learning curve for absolute beginners but smooth workflow overall. Extensive help documentation provided.
Overall rating: 4/5
Legal Considerations for YouTube to MP3 Conversion
Converting Copyrighted Content to MP3
It is generally recommended to avoid converting copyrighted YouTube videos to MP3 audio without explicit permission from the copyright holder. Doing so without authorization constitutes copyright infringement in most countries. It is safest to only convert YouTube videos that you have complete rights to repurpose.
Mobile Friendliness of YouTube Converters
Most desktop YouTube to MP3 converter software is built to work seamlessly on Windows and Mac computers. However, there are a few decent mobile apps as well (like Videoder, Snaptube etc) that allow similar YouTube to MP3 conversions. But their availability varies across different mobile app stores and countries.
Terms of Service of Converter Apps
When using any YouTube converter, it is advisable to be mindful of their Terms of Service and usage guidelines. In particular, some free converter apps place limits on the number or length of videos you can convert in the free versions.
Local Laws on Format Shifting
Lastly, be aware of the copyright and digital media laws in your specific country with regards to format shifting. Some jurisdictions have allowances while others impose prohibitions when it comes to YouTube to MP3 conversion.
In summary, while YouTube to MP3 converters provide a convenient way to listen to YouTube audio offline, caution should be exercised when handling copyrighted content without clear authorization. There are several excellent converter options for Mac users that offer fast speeds, quality output and abundant features.
