Video Editing

How to save YouTube audio  

Updated May 22, 2023
Clipchamp is a free online video editorTry for free
Share this post

Want to add exclusive YouTube background music and voiceovers to your videos or listen to your favorite tunes, podcasts, and YouTubers without needing internet connection? Just download YouTube audio files in MP3 format for free.

Explore how to download sound from YouTube videos to your computer, iPhone, Android, Mac, Chromebook, and Google Drive.  

How to save YouTube audio with YouTube Premium

Users can legally download YouTube audio and videos without limitations with YouTube Premium. YouTube Premium is a monthly subscription letting users watch and listen to videos offline, without ads, and play in the background.  

To sign up for YouTube Premium, follow the steps below.  

  1. On YouTube desktop, click on the YouTube Premium tab on the left toolbar under the ‘More from YouTube’ section.  

  2. Click on the get YouTube Premium button on the YouTube Premium page. 

  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to sign up.  

 To download a video directly from YouTube, follow these steps.  

  1. Open the YouTube video you would like to download. 

  2. Click or tap on the download button found under the video.  

  3. Your video will automatically start downloading to your device. 

How to save YouTube audio to your computer

You can save YouTube audio files to your computer without having to pay for a premium subscription through an online downloader. But make sure not to breach YouTube’s copyright policy when converting YouTube videos to MP3 online. Be cautious of unwanted pop-ups and external links opening in new tabs as well when using online YouTube downloaders. 

All you must do is copy and paste the YouTube video URL into the search bar, then save the YouTube MP3 file to your computer. We recommend downloading YouTube audio to your computer using any of these online tools:  

How to save YouTube audio to your iPhone

If you don’t have access to a computer, easily download YouTube audio to iPhone using safari or your preferred search engine. Just head over to Videosolo on the web or download the app for Windows or iOS. Paste the link to your YouTube video and download the audio file to your iPhone for free. YouTube Premium also downloads directly to your smartphone by clicking on the download button under a video inside the YouTube app.  

How to save YouTube audio to your Android

If you’re an Android user, simply download YouTube audio to your device using the VideoHunter app. The Android app lets you download audio or video from YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and more social media platforms in minutes. Using the search bar, type in the name of your video, direct link, or search keywords to download audio in MP3. YouTube Premium subscriptions are also available to Android users via the YouTube app. 

How to save YouTube audio to your Mac and iTunes

Using YouTube Premium via the YouTube app is the fastest and easiest way to download YouTube audio to your Mac. Once the audio file has been downloaded to your computer, just drag, and drop the file into iTunes. You can also download and use the YouTube Music app to exclusively save music from YouTube to listen offline or select from a wide range of royalty-free audio tracks to add to videos.  

How to save audio from YouTube on Chromebook

To download YouTube video audio to your Chromebook, make sure the YouTube app is downloaded from the Google Play Store. Inside the YouTube app, click on the download button under the YouTube video. The downloaded YouTube video and audio will appear in your gallery. You can also use a free online YouTube to MP3 converter for Chromebook if you don’t have the YouTube app. 

How to save audio from YouTube to Google Drive

Saving YouTube audio to Google Drive is easy. Just download the YouTube video audio using YouTube Premium or a YouTube downloader, then drag and drop the audio MP3 file into your Google Drive. The MP3 file will automatically save to your Google Drive.  

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to download audio from YouTube?

It is legal to download audio from YouTube videos if you are a YouTube Premium subscriber. Royalty-free music is also available to download from YouTube Studio. Downloading audio files from YouTube isn’t illegal, but users can breach YouTube’s rules when adding copyrighted music to videos.

How can I split audio from a YouTube video?

If you have downloaded a video from YouTube and want to split the audio from your video, just use the detach audio feature in Clipchamp YouTube video maker

Can I save audio from YouTube Shorts?

To download YouTube Shorts, click on the share button next to the YouTube Short, then copy the URL. Using an online downloader, copy and paste the URL into the search bar then download as an MP3 file. You can also download your own YouTube Shorts via YouTube Studio.

How long can you keep downloaded audio with YouTube Premium?

YouTube Premium downloads let you listen for up to 48hrs after downloading the audio or video. If you would like to listen to the audio for longer, download the MP3 file to your smartphone or computer using the suggested method above.

Can I make TikTok sounds with downloaded YouTube audio?

YouTube audio files can be transformed into TikTok sounds using Clipchamp.

Download YouTube audio as MP3 files to listen to on the go, or to add to your video creations with Clipchamp. If you’re looking for more ways to enhance your YouTube videos, check out 10 audio editing hacks

More from the Clipchamp blog

How to make a gaming highlight video

May 29, 2023
Want to roundup the greatest wins or hilarious fails in your gameplay? Capture the…

How to create a branded gaming intro video

May 25, 2023
With over 443,000 gaming channels on YouTube, gaming is an extremely popular video…

How to make gaming reaction videos

May 25, 2023
Gaming reaction videos are one of the most watched videos on YouTube. Anyone can…

Start creating free videos with Clipchamp