While watching YouTube, sometimes you discover something worth listening offline. It could be anything from music to a tutorial or an interview. So, you try to save it. Unfortunately, the video-sharing platform doesn’t offer much of a help for later offline listening.
However, there are alternate ways to record audio from YouTube. In fact, there are at least five of them.
In this blog, we will walk you through each one, and you can pick the one that best fits your needs.
How to Record Audio from YouTube with SaveMP3 Converter
One of the apps worth trying for this purpose is SaveMP3. There is no software download involved and it's free to use. All you need is the link to the video whose audio you want to record, and the app will convert it to an MP3 file.
The web app also has an intuitive user interface, but here is how to use it.
STEP 1 - Paste the link to the video
For this tutorial, we are going to use this MKBHD video.
First, copy the YouTube link by right-clicking and selecting Copy Video URL from the options.
Then, visit SaveMP3 and paste the link in the URL box. Press Go when it’s done.
STEP 2 - Convert and Download
The website will read the link, showing the name and duration of the video.
Press the dropdown button to choose the file format you want. Options include w4a, WebM, and MP3.
It is also possible to choose between low, medium, and high audio quality, especially if the file size matters to you.
Once you’ve made your choice, click Convert.
When the conversion is complete, press the download button to transfer the audio to your device.
This method works best if you are only interested in the full audio information in the video.
Suppose you only want the background music or a part of the audio. In that case, you will need additional editing tools, like the next app.
How to Record Audio from YouTube with Audacity
If you only want to record a portion of the audio or only the background music without the speaker’s voice, Audacity can help.
The free, open-source tool is a simple audio editing program with a built-in recorder. It is one of the most cost-effective ways to record audio from YouTube.
However, extracting audio with Audacity is a little more technical though still straightforward.
STEP 1 - Launch Audacity and check your settings
If you don’t have Audacity on your device, download it from here. It works on Mac and Windows computers. Install and launch the program.
Choose the Stereo Mix option in the box highlighted in red.
If the option is not available, it is likely disabled by default. To fix this, quickly do this.
- Go to Sound under Settings in your computer
- Click Manage Sound Devices
- Select Stereo Mix and click Enable
Now, restart the Audacity program. The Stereo Mix option will be there now.
STEP 2 - Play the YouTube video and record
Once that adjustment is final, play the YouTube audio and hit the record button in Audacity.
Make sure the YouTube audio is the only sound playing on your computer. The program will record every internal sound.
Also, ensure your internet connection is fast. If YouTube buffers or stops for any reason, it will affect the smoothness of your recording.
When you capture the part you need, hit the stop button on Audacity.
STEP 3 - Export the File
To save and export, go to File in the menu bar and choose Export from the options.
Then select Export as MP3. If you prefer another file format, choose Export Audio.
Complete your preferred settings in the dialog box. You can set the name, the bit rate, and audio quality.
Press Save to complete the export.
If the audio contains background music you wish to extract, here is a guide on doing just that.
How to Record Audio from YouTube on Android
So far, we have discussed solutions that work for laptops and desktop computers. For Android users, the search for a functional internal audio recorder has lasted years. Until Android 10.
Google finally introduced a way for apps to capture audio, including a native screen recorder. So, while you can download any app, the in-built option works just fine.
However, this is only possible if you have Android 10 on your phone, or use a phone made by Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus, or Samsung.
Without any of those, you will have to jailbreak your phone because older versions of Android do not allow screen recording apps to access internal audio.
Now that you know what is possible, here is how to record internal audio with your screen recorder with the in-built screen recorder.
Change your settings
The Google screen recorder, and by extension, the audio recording app, is accessible by swiping down from the top of the screen.
If you can’t find it on the first screen, swipe right. It will be there.
Toggle the Record audio button to activate audio recording. Then press the dropdown button to choose the audio source.
Options include Microphone, Device Audio, and Device audio and Microphone. Select Device Audio.
Press start if the audio is already playing in the background.
Play the YouTube audio
If the audio hasn’t started playing, you will have to change the Screen Recorder’s settings again. Don’t worry. You can do this while you are on the YouTube app.
When the video and settings are ready, press Start.
After capturing the audio clip you need, open the quick access buttons by swiping down. Tap the screen recording notification to save the recording.
The tool will save the recording to your gallery.
Convert to MP3 (optional)
Since it is primarily a screen recorder, your recording is saved in video format. Now, this is fine if it doesn’t affect how you intend to use the audio.
However, if you need the sound you’ve recorded to be an audio file, open your file explorer and locate the recording. It should be in your Videos folder.
When you find it, change the MP4 to MP3. Then click OK. The phone will confirm you want to make this change. Choose Rename or Yes, depending on the file explorer you use.
The file will automatically change to an audio file, and you will be able to play it with your music player.
Alternatively, you could use any of the free online tools designed for this purpose. Convertio and Free Convert are two good options.
Record Audio from YouTube on Android with Peggo
If the native Android solution seems cumbersome, especially when you need it to be an MP3 file, there are few ways around this.
One, you could do the extraction and conversion on your laptop, as explained above, then transfer the MP3 file to your Android. You can do that with a USB cord or Bluetooth.
If you want to record audio from YouTube on your Android device when you are not with your laptop, try installing Peggo.
You can get the app file from here. (make sure you enable the Unknown sources option on your device).
Once the installation is complete, follow these steps to extract audio from YouTube videos with it.
Find the video and share it with Peggo
To start, find the video whose audio you want to rip. Open your YouTube app and search for the video.
When you find it, tap the share button beneath the description and choose Peggo from the list.
Extract the Audio
The app will be ready to download the audio once the share is complete. You can choose to make additional adjustments such as checking and unchecking Remove Silence and Normalize.
However, without doing anything, the audio is ready for extraction. Just tap Record MP3. The app will start downloading.
When the download is complete, you can find the recording in the Peggo folder inside your main Music folder in your device’s storage.
That’s it.
How to Record Audio from YouTube on Mac Device
Except for Peggo, every solution we have discussed so far works on Mac, iPhone, and iPad devices.
Audacity works on Mac, and the steps are the same. All you have to do is download the software. So does SaveMP3. Visit the website via Safari or any other browser on your Mac/iPhone/iPad and follow the process.
If none of these solutions work for you, Mac has a built-in recorder that records internal audio like Audacity.
NOTE: This only applies to macOS Mojave or newer OS.
Here is where to find it and how to use it.
Open the Screenshot toolbar
To open the Screenshot Toolbar, press Command + Shift + 5 on your keyboard. You should see several icons with options appear at the bottom of the screen.
Click any option to pick the type of screen recording you want. Don’t dwell too much on this. Since you only need the audio, the captured portion does not matter.
Set the Microphone
Click the Options button to set the parameters of the recording. There are options for different categories.
Scroll to the Microphone category and select the option that captures audio from your computer. The options depend on the installed software on your Mac, so it differs for each device.
In the above screenshot, this would be iShowU Audio Capture.
Once you have selected the correct microphone, aka., audio source, play the YouTube video and click Record.
When you finish, click the stop button in the menu bar at the top of the screen. The program will save the recording to your desktop as a .mov file.
You can, however, change it to a standard audio file format by renaming the file or using a video to audio converter.
Recording with QuickTime Player
For other versions of macOS, QuickTime Player is a helpful alternative for recording audio from YouTube.
NOTE: if you are running Mojave, QuickTime won’t work. The app will return you to the Screenshot Toolbar.
Open the Player and Start New Recording
You can find QuickTime Player in your Applications folder or search for it via Spotlight search.
Once it is opened, click File in the menu bar at the top of the screen and select New Screen Recording from the options.
You can also press Command + N on your keyboard.
Record the audio
A dark-gray window will appear on your screen. If it doesn’t, you may need to give the Player permission to record your screen. In this case, a pop-up window will appear, showing you how to grant permission.
Once the gray window appears, click the arrow next to the button to enable your internal microphone.
Then play the YouTube audio you want to record and hit the red button.
When you finish, click the stop button in the menu bar at the top of the screen. The recording will open in QuickTime automatically.
Export as Audio
Unlike the Screenshot Toolbar, QuickTime gives you some options with the file format of the output file.
When the recording is playing within the app, go to File in the menu bar and select Export As.
Follow the prompt, and that’s it.
Conclusion
These are the five ways to record audio from YouTube. Some of them are straightforward. Others need a bit of a learning curve. Still, they are all efficient and, to a large degree, easy to use.
Whatever your device is, there is a solution that best aligns with your needs.
You could also try Keevi Video Editor. You can import YouTube videos with the link and export the audio file as a standalone.
Visit our learning page for more tutorials on getting the most out of video content.
