There are any number of ways to extract audio from YouTube videos, but many are cumbersome and time consuming. There is a solution thought that’s neither cumbersome, or time consuming – Free YouTube to MP3 Converter. Once the application is configured, it’s one click simple – more or less.
The interface is definitely bare bones, but self explanatory.
Getting started:
The default setup requires you to paste a YouTube URL into the application….
but, by selecting “auto-paste from clipboard” in the options menu, you can save yourself from this copy and paste process.
As well, I suggest that you choose the “accelerated download” method, which in testing, cut the download time by more than half. For example, I found that the average download time was reduced from approximately 2 minutes, to well under a minute.
Once you have pasted the YouTube URL, or it has been entered automatically, simply click “download” to start the process.
Note: You may want to specify a particular output (save) folder, rather than accept the default location – the application’s folder in My Documents.
By default, the output file name is the same as the YouTube video title. You do however, have an option to change this.
You should be aware that every time you close the application, you will be presented with the following invitation to install the search bar.
I’m certainly not an audiophile, but I found the sound quality to be quite good at the default (standard quality) setting. Optionally, you have a number of quality choices ranging from “economy” to “insane”, and beyond – WAV (lossless audio).
Fast facts – YouTube mp3 converter downloads mp3 from:
A single YouTube video;
Complete YouTube playlists and show lists;
All video from YouTube charts;
All video responses to a YouTube video;
All videos of a selected YouTube user or a channel;
All video from the user favorites.
System requirements: Windows XP, Vista, Win 7
Download at: Download.com
Note: My onboard AV applications (including Microsoft Security Essentials), did not “see” the audio download as a “download”, and consequently, did not check for malware. If your AV operates similarly, then be sure to check each download manually.
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You just need to go into the DVDVideoSoft program file and find the folder that says: TB and delete it. Then the offer disappears. If you have an upgrade offer, then you need to do it again.
It is very helpful if you like to edit existing YouTube with a better picture or AMV. All the formats are compatible with Windows Movie Maker, to start editing right away. But the copyright filters get you on the way back in to youtube. You can then put the 1976 fair usage disclaimer in your description, but the video will forever be tagged third party. So:
Do you know the specific legalities of ripping music off the net? The technology has been with us for a long time “real player” offered some sort of capturing way back when…Did you know that the Mozilla add on “Download YouTube Videos + 3.3.5 will rip into FLV format from playlist.com. Then you can convert with an FLV to MP3 converter?
Which I am pretty sure DVDVideoSoft has in their FREE STUDIO download.
DVDVideoSoft Studio has every converter you can imagine on it. They say that the toolbar is the way they get paid, but I would not feel guilty NOT to allow it. The toolbar is big and gadgety. It commandeers your search engine as well and makes it theirs and I think that is the way they get paid. I know Google has some sort of monetizing using the search engine.
I read somewhere that MP3 files are legal for 48 hours unless you have the licensing stuff…
Hey Bluezy,
Ripping music from YouTube videos is a quarrelsome question. There are those who consider anything downloaded for personal use to be legal. There are those who consider anything downloaded from a legal source to be legal. There are those who consider downloading anything that is copyrighted to be illegal, under any circumstances.
The YouTube situation presents a different set of issues though, it seems to me. I’m not sure I see the difference between saving a YouTube video to disk (which loads of people do), for later playback, and simply ripping the audio portion for later playback. Not sure where I stand on this – yet.
Thank you for all the tips in your comment. BTW, you’re site is very cool.
Bill
As you say the technology has been around, in one form or another, forever.
Hi Bill,
I don’t know if you know about Mobile Media Converter but it’s the one I use for downloading YouTube videos and converting them to other formats if I just want to listen to the audio while I’m on the computer. I’ve never had a problem with it. Very fast and incredibly easy to use.
http://www.miksoft.net/mobileMediaConverter.htm
Best Wishes
Paul
Hi Paul,
I took a quick peek at this – looks very interesting.
Thanks for passing this on.
Best,
Bill