This article explains how to download YouTube videos on a Mac, so that you can watch them without using the internet connection. If you have no problem staying in front of the screen while a video is playing, you can use QuickTime to record what appears on your Mac screen. If you don't have time and don't mind installing a third-party program, you can download videos from YouTube using VLC Media Player or ClipGrab. In both cases, these are completely free applications.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using QuickTime
Step 1. Go to the YouTube video page you want to record
Don't start playing the video, just open the corresponding YouTube page.
Step 2. Launch QuickTime on the Mac
It features a gray and blue icon of the letter "Q" located in the Launchpad or in the "Applications" folder.
Step 3. Click on the File menu
It is located in the upper left corner of the screen.
Step 4. Click on the New Screen Recording option
The "Screen Recording" dialog box will be displayed.
Depending on the version of macOS you are using, a toolbar will appear instead of a dialog box
Step 5. Select the Internal Microphone option from the menu
To access the latter, click on the arrow-shaped icon facing down on the right of the central red circular button. This way you can be sure that the audio track of the video will also be recorded.
If the indicated menu is not present, click on the button Options.
Step 6. Click on the red circular button
The instructions to follow in order to select the screen area to record will be displayed.
Step 7. Drag the mouse cursor on the screen to select the video to record
This will instruct QuickTime to record only the portion of the screen where the video is playing and not the entire desktop.
Step 8. Click the Record button and start playing the video
If the sound doesn't play, turn it on now.
Step 9. Click the "Stop Recording" icon when the video has finished playing
It is located in the menu displayed at the top of the screen and is characterized by a black circle with a small square inside. QuickTime will stop recording and the corresponding file will be automatically saved in the folder Video clips.
If you need to delete part of the recording from the beginning or the end of the file, click on the menu Edit and choose the option Cut. At this point you can drag the yellow sliders (called "handles") on the crop bar to select the part of the video you want to keep. At the end of the selection, click on the button Cut to save the changes.
Method 2 of 3: Using VLC Media Player
Step 1. Install VLC Media Player on the Mac
If you don't already have this popular media player installed on your computer, you can do it now by downloading it from this URL. To download follow these instructions:
- Click on the button Download VLC, then save the installation file in DMG format on the Mac;
- Double click on the DMG file you just downloaded and found in the "Download" folder;
- Drag the VLC program icon (characterized by an orange and white traffic cone) into the "Applications" folder.
Step 2. Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to download
If you haven't already, visit the video page using the browser of your choice, then copy the corresponding URL by selecting it from the browser's address bar and pressing the key combination ⌘ Command + C.
Step 3. Launch VLC Media Player
The corresponding icon is stored in the "Applications" folder.
At the first launch of the program, you may need to authorize some specific features
Step 4. Click on the File menu
It is located in the upper left corner of the screen.
Step 5. Click on the Open Network option
The "Open Source" dialog will be displayed.
Step 6. Click on the "URL" text field and press the key combination ⌘ Command + V
The URL of the video you want to download will appear inside the indicated text field.
Step 7. Click the Open button
It is located in the lower right corner of the window. The video will be added to the program playlist.
Step 8. Click on the video name with the right mouse button and choose the Media Info option
If the video starts playing automatically, click on the image with the right mouse button and select the option Media information from the context menu that will appear.
Step 9. Highlight the contents of the "Location" text field and press the key combination ⌘ Command + C
This is the URL displayed at the bottom of the window. The address will be copied to the system clipboard.
Step 10. Paste the URL into the browser address bar and press the Enter key
Show the internet browser window again, click on the address bar, press the key combination ⌘ Command + V and press the Enter key. Playback of the video will start in the browser window.
Step 11. Click on the video tile with the right mouse button and select the option Save video as
At this point you can assign the name you want to the corresponding file. After doing this, the video will be downloaded from YouTube and stored on your computer and you can also play it offline at any time.
Method 3 of 3: Using ClipGrab
Step 1. Visit the URL and click on the button Free Download.
ClipGrab is a free program that allows you to download videos posted on YouTube to your computer. ClipGrab is a great alternative to QuickTime, as you won't need to watch the entire video to be able to record and save it on your Mac. In this case, just copy and paste the URL of the video into the app and the program will do it all. work for you.
Step 2. Run the ClipGrab installation file
You should be able to select it directly from the browser window you used to download it. If not, double-click the corresponding icon in the folder Download.
Step 3. Drag the ClipGrab icon into the "Applications" folder
Step 4. Launch ClipGrab after installation is complete
You will find the corresponding icon inside the "Applications" folder.
Step 5. Click on the ClipGrab Downloads tab
It is displayed at the top of the window.
Step 6. Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to download
If you have not yet performed this step, visit the page of the video in question using the browser of your choice, click on the address bar to select the URL, then press the key combination ⌘ Command + C to copy it.
Step 7. Paste the URL you just copied into the ClipGrab window
Display the ClipGrab app window, click on the text field present and press the key combination ⌘ Command + V.
Step 8. Select the MPEG4 option from the "Format" menu
If you need to use another format, select it from the same menu.
Step 9. Click on the Grab this clip button
It's placed under the video URL you pasted in the previous step. ClipGrab will automatically download the YouTube video to your computer in the "Download" folder.
