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Download YouTube Videos to Mac with Airy

YouTube helped shaped the internet into what it is today as the original site for streaming video. As convenient and comprehensive as YouTube is, streaming video will always come second to the quality and playback of offline videos. You can watch your favorite videos in high quality whenever you want by using a YouTube downloader for Mac. You can choose audio or video file formats, whole playlists, and even captions with the Airy app.

How to save YouTube videos on Mac with Airy

How to Download YouTube Videos to Mac with a Desktop App

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Airy
Requirements: OS X 10.10+. 25.32MB free space. Version 3.29.395. (11 Mar, 2024). 4.9 Rank based on 812+ users, Reviews(889)
Category: Utilities

Airy makes it easy to download YouTube videos on Mac. For third-party apps, you want functionality, comfort, and security. Well, you’ll be glad to hear that Airy brings all of that–and more–to the table when you save a YouTube video to Mac! Airy saves the videos on Mac in your desired format, whether video or audio. Airy can even fetch entire playlists with no hassle for users to enjoy regardless of internet connection.

Airy- Best solution to save a YouTube video to Mac

How to Save a YouTube Video to Your Mac with Airy

Downloading videos from YouTube to a Mac is straightforward and convenient with Airy–just four simple steps.

1.

Download Airy from its official website to your Mac

2.

Install and launch Airy as you would any other app

3.

Copy the video URL from YouTube, paste it into Airy’s search field, and press "Enter"

Step 1 on how to save a YouTube video on Mac
4.

Select your desired file format and resolution

Step 2 on how to save videos from YouTube on Mac with Airy
5.To get audio separately, find MP3 in the list of formats
6.Click Download. The video will save to the “Downloads/Airy” folder.
Step 3 on how to download videos from YouTube on Mac
7.To change the download destination path, go to Airy Preferences.

Airy YouTube video downloader for Mac offers a free trial version to users before they encounter a paywall. The app lets you download videos from YouTube to Mac twice for free to experience the ease and convenience of the interface. The full version provides unlimited downloads from YouTube to Mac, plus a complete package of features. If you still have questions, the Airy website offers help on how to save a YouTube video to Mac.

How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac with Browser Extensions

Browser extensions (or add-ons) are like small apps that extend the functionality of your web browser. Extensions display in various ways; some add buttons directly to a webpage, whereas others show up as a button on your toolbar.

When compared to desktop programs, extensions don’t pack as much of a punch. They may offer fewer features. You can say the same about using Airy’s browser add-on to save a YouTube video to Mac. Let us present some popular YouTube downloader Mac add-ons:

How to Save YouTube Videos on Mac with Chrome Extension

Chrome is unusual for downloading YouTube videos to Mac. Google disapproves of downloading YouTube content (see their Terms & Conditions), so they’ve blocked apps on the Chrome Web Store that know how to save YouTube videos to Mac.

However, there is a workaround: CrossPilot (available on the Google Chrome Web Store) provides the capability to install add-ons from outside the Web Store. The add-on we recommend is Addoncrop YouTube Video Downloader.

How to download a YouTube video on a Mac with Chrome browser extension

How to Save YouTube Videos to Mac using Crosspilot

Start by navigating to the Google Chrome Web Store to install Crosspilot. Once the workaround extension is on your web browser, you can find the correct extension for downloading YouTube videos to Mac.

  1. Navigate to Addoncrop’s website where you’ll find the YouTube Downloader
  2. Download and install the extension
  3. Grant required permissions
  4. Anytime you’re on a YouTube page, you can use the “Download” button on the video - right next to "Subscribe"

While it may take a little extra time and additional downloads, it’s possible to download videos from YouTube onto Mac for free with Addoncrop.

How to Save a YouTube Video to Your Mac with Firefox Extension

As for Firefox, some plugins will show you how to save YouTube videos on Mac. One of those plugins is the Easy YouTube Video Downloader Express. And it’s simple to get started.

How to save a YouTube video on Mac with Firefox browser extension

Download YouTube Videos to Mac with YouTube Video Downloader Express

Firefox doesn’t block downloading YouTube videos to Mac the way Chrome does, making this a much more straightforward process.

  1. Download the Easy YouTube Video Downloader Express plugin to your Firefox browser
  2. Once you’ve installed the plugin, find the “Download” button below any video on YouTube
  3. Click on "Download" and choose the format, resolution, etc. from the list of provided options
  4. The download will begin, letting you save a YouTube video to your Mac

Download YouTube Videos to Mac with Safari Using Airy’s Downloader

Safari doesn’t have any easily accessible browser-based solutions for downloading YouTube videos to Mac. Fortunately, Airy is here to save the day! Its browser integration function will act as an advanced, faster version of your average browser extension.

So, how to download YouTube videos on Mac? If you have Airy installed, go into the "Airy" menu and select "Integrate into Browser." Your default browser will open, and you’ll receive a link that you should save as a bookmark. You can save a bookmark either on the toolbar or in the menu: its location doesn’t matter.

Once that’s done, go to any YouTube page in your browser and click on the bookmark. With a single click, you can download a YouTube video to Mac through Airy.

How to save YouTube videos to Mac with Safari browser extension

How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac through Online Downloaders

Keepvid is arguably one of the most popular and reliable online YouTube video downloaders available today. It’s a comprehensive video tool that can not only download YouTube videos to Mac, but convert, extract, and consolidate.

Save YouTube videos online with KeepVid

Follow these steps to download YouTube video to Mac with Keepvid.com:

  1. Go to YouTube and copy a video link
  2. Go to Keepvid and click "Download"
  3. The app will present you with options like video quality, resolution, format, etc
  4. Choose the settings you prefer and download a YouTube video to your Mac

How to Download YouTube Videos on a Mac with VLC Media Player

Of the third-party video players on the market today, VLC may have the greatest longevity. It lets Apple users play local files and stream online video content directly from your Mac.

Save a YouTube video to Mac with VLC

Here’s how to save a YouTube video to Mac with VLC Player.

With VLC’s many capabilities and ease of use, there’s a wide range of functions you can perform with this powerful, streamlined app.

  1. Download VLC and open it on your Mac
  2. Open YouTube in your preferred browser and copy the URL of the video you want to download
  3. Go back into VLC and under "File," select "Open Network Stream"
  4. Paste the URL in the box and click "Open" to start the video
  5. Right-click on the video and choose "Media Information"
  6. Find the URL location and hit “Command+C” to copy it to your clipboard
  7. Open your browser again, paste the copied link into the address bar
  8. Hit "Enter" to play
  9. Right-click the video and "Save Video As"
  10. After saving, the video will download

These steps for downloading YouTube videos to your Mac are more involved than some other options. Still, VLC allows you to play videos from your Mac while offline.

How to download YouTube videos on Android

There aren’t any apps in the Google Play Store that make it possible to download YouTube videos. Google has strict control over downloads of streaming videos. Much like how we suggested a workaround app for a Chrome browser extension, you can still save YouTube videos to even an Android phone. Our preferred app is TubeMate, which you can install via APK files.

Save YouTube videos on Android with TubeMate

Here’s how to use TubeMate to save YouTube videos to offline Android platforms.

  1. From your Android device, download and install TubeMate. This step may require changes to your security settings
  2. Launch the TubeMate app and use it to find videos on YouTube
  3. When you’ve found a video you want to save, use the "Download" button
  4. TubeMate offers you a variety of options for download quality and format.
  5. You can find your saved video by navigating to the "Downloads List" menu. There’s an icon at the bottom of the app, or through the three-dot icon in the upper right corner.

The three-dot icon next to a video also lets you save to a new location, rename it, and perform other actions.

How to download YouTube videos on Mac’s iPhone and iPad

Subscribe to YouTube Premium

Every time you navigate to YouTube, you’re offered the Premium subscription service. For $16 per month, you can download videos from YouTube to Mac iPhone for offline playback–even if the creator removes the original from YouTube. Despite the paywall, the quality of the videos can be unpredictable and sometimes low resolution-360p-acceptable for iPhones but blurry if played on a larger screen.

YouTube Premium offers a one-month free trial, either through the website or the iOS YouTube app, so you can experience the convenience before paying the cost.

Use a third-party app to download YouTube videos to Mac devices

Developers who aren’t associated with Apple create third-party apps. Some let you download YouTube videos onto Mac computers, which users can then transfer to their iPhone and iPad. It’s not the same straight-to-device convenience as a YouTube Premium subscription. Still, with various free options to choose from, third-party apps can be the more cost-effective option.

ClipGrab is one of the most popular options available, but using any third-party app works similarly.

Here’s how to use a third-party app, like ClipGrab, to save YouTube videos to Mac devices.

  1. Downloading and launch ClipGrab to your iPhone
  2. Use the app’s search tab to enter keywords to find videos
  3. Choose a video from the results
  4. Click on the pull-down menu and convert it to MPEG4 to view it on your iPhone or iPad
  5. Make your selection and click "Grab This Clip"
  6. The app saves an MPEG4 version of the video to your desktop

Because ClipGrab doesn’t save YouTube videos directly to iPhone or iPad, you can use the built-in system resources on iOS to transfer the downloaded video to your preferred device. Just use the same process as you do for pictures or music.

Our Conclusion:

The Airy downloader is the best option for downloading YouTube videos to Mac

Our comprehensive list of ways to download videos from YouTube to Mac offers a variety of both paid and free options. The Airy downloader combines affordability with convenience with a simple user interface, powerful download speeds, and high-quality video and audio file formats. Users get two free downloads to try the app and then a one-time activation fee for a lifetime of offline video playback of your favorite YouTube videos.

Airy lets you download YouTube videos to Mac for easy transfer to iPhone and iPad. The best YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac offers a range of resolutions, plus MP3 downloads for music only.

Try all the suggestions on this list. We’re confident you’ll find that Airy combines powerful conversion software to save YouTube videos to Mac with an intuitive user interface and affordable cost. Our pick for the best YouTube downloader to save your favorite streaming videos and music is the Airy YouTube to MP4 converter.

FAQ

Our article covered the best methods to download YouTube videos to Mac. However, if you’re a Windows user with a PC, you can still save streaming content for offline playback. We recommend using a third-party app such as 4K Video Downloader.

While the operating system may be different, the process for locating, downloading, and running the app is still the same. You can follow the steps we outlined in this article to save YouTube videos to your PC.

Simply choose any of the methods we have just introduced above and use the one that is the most suitable for you.

For example, follow the easy steps with Airy:

  • Step 1. Download and launch Airy.
  • Step 2. Open YouTube and copy the link to it to paste it into Airy.
  • Step 3. Select the video format to save to and click the "Download" button.
  • Step 4. Wait for the download to finish and enjoy your favorite videos endlessly without annoying ads.

Keep in mind that you can even download the soundtracks instead of the whole videos. Simply choose MP3 from the list of formats and you can get your favorite songs in MP3 and without the videos.

Unless you change the location, all downloaded files will be stored in the Downloads folder.

If you don’t want to download the files on your computer but rather record them directly from YouTube, we have a solution for that as well. You can use QuickTime Player to record YouTube, download Mac files, and save them on your hard drive.

Here’s how:

  1. Run QuickTime on your Mac [use Finder to locate it or access /Applications].
  2. Go to "File" and select "New Movie Recording".
  3. You will see the FaceTime webcam activating and displaying a square on the screen.
  4. Click on the red record button to start recording.
Airy
Requirements: OS X 10.10+ , 25.32MB size
Version 3.29.395 (11 Mar, 2024) Release notes
Category: Utilities
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Save a YouTube video to Mac with Airy