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Convert YouTube videos to MP3
Pull the audio straight out of any YouTube video. No video stream is downloaded, so it finishes in seconds.
Paste a youtube.com, youtu.be or music.youtube.com link. Switch to MP4 in the format list if you want video too.
Convert YouTube videos to MP3
Most converters download the full video and strip the sound out of it afterwards. This one asks YouTube for the audio stream on its own, so nothing is wasted on pixels you are about to throw away. A ten minute track is usually done before you have finished reading this paragraph.
The MP3 is encoded from YouTube's best available audio, normally a 128 to 160 kbit Opus or AAC stream, using variable bitrate at the highest quality setting. That is the ceiling for any YouTube converter. A site advertising 320 kbit MP3 from YouTube is upsampling a lower quality source and adding file size without adding detail.
How to convert YouTube to MP3
From the address bar on desktop or the Share menu in the app.
Press Fetch. MP3 is already selected on this page.
The thumbnail and title confirm you have the right track before anything is converted.
The audio is fetched and encoded, then saved to your device.
Audio options
| Format | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Re-encoded to MP3 at the highest variable bitrate setting | Universal playback, car stereos, old devices |
| M4A | YouTube's AAC audio kept as-is where possible | Smaller files, slightly cleaner result |
| MP4 | Full video with sound if you change your mind | See the YouTube video downloader |
MP3 or M4A?
MP3 plays on absolutely everything, including car stereos and older MP3 players, which is why it is the default. M4A skips the re-encoding step and keeps YouTube's original AAC audio, so it is slightly smaller and technically a touch closer to the source. If your player handles M4A, it is the better pick.
What the file is named
The download is named after the video title, so a folder of extracted tracks stays readable. Album art and ID3 tags are not embedded, so a tagging tool is worth running if you are building a music library.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate do I get?
Variable bitrate at the highest quality setting, encoded from the best audio YouTube serves. That lands around 160 to 190 kbit for most videos.
Why not 320 kbit?
YouTube does not store audio above roughly 160 kbit. Encoding to 320 would produce a bigger file containing exactly the same information.
Is there a length limit?
No fixed limit. Long podcasts and DJ sets work, they simply take longer.
Does it add ID3 tags or cover art?
No. The filename carries the video title and the rest is left to your tagging software.
Can I convert a YouTube Music link?
Yes. music.youtube.com links resolve to the same underlying video.
More downloaders
Paste any youtube.com or youtu.be link. Pick the resolution you want, up to 4K when the uploader provided it.
Download TikTok videos without the watermarkPaste any TikTok link, including short vm.tiktok.com share links, and save a clean MP4 with no logo burned into the frame.
Download Facebook videosPaste a facebook.com/watch or fb.watch link and save the video as MP4, in HD when Facebook has an HD copy.
Guides
What bitrate a YouTube audio downloader can really deliver, why 320 kbit MP3 is a myth, when M4A beats MP3, and why audio-only downloads finish so fast.
MP4, explained: picking the right format for what you are going to doMP4 is a container, not a quality setting. Which format to choose for editing, for your phone and for archiving, plus when M4A beats MP3 and how Instagram differs.