It’s easy to download YouTube music videos to listen to on your iPod, MP3 player or mobile phone. There are several free YouTube downloaders and converters that will convert the YouTube music videos to MP3 files that will play on any portable device.
YouTube Downloader
YouTube Downloader is the best free software program for downloading YouTube music videos and converting them to MP3s. However, you must make sure to download and install the latest version of YouTube Downloader, especially if you receive an error when using the program. Uncheck the boxes in the installation windows is you don’t want to install other software such as the YouTube Downloader toolbar or McAfee Security Scan Plus or change your search engine to Yahoo! Start YouTube Downloader. Under “What do you want to do?” select “Download a video from YouTube or other video site.”
Open YouTube in a browser window. Search for the music video you’d like to download and convert to MP3, then open it. Copy the URL and select YouTube Downloader. Hover over the field marked “Enter the URL of the video you want to download,” then select the download quality. In most cases, “Best Available” is your best bet. If you experience slow download times, select “HQ” instead. Click “Download.”
In YouTube Downloader, click “Convert or play a video you have already downloaded.” By “Select the video file,” click “Browse.” Navigate to the music video file you just downloaded, select it and click “Open.” From the drop-down menu, select “MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3).” Click “Convert.” Then select the desired quality. “High” will create a better sounding music file, but will take up more space. “Optimal,” “Medium” and “Low” will create successively smaller files, but will decrease the sound quality. Click “OK.”
Free YouTube to MP3 Converter
Free YouTube to MP3 Converter is another freeware program that can convert YouTube music videos to MP3s. If you don’t want your browser settings changed, you must uncheck the option to install the software’s free toolbars and change to its search provider and homepage. Open YouTube in a browser window. Search for the music video you’d like to convert to MP3, then click on it. Copy the URL and paste it in the pink field in the Free YouTube to MP3 Converter window. Select “High Priority” from the drop-down list and click “Download.” When the download completes, click “OK,” then “Close.” The conversion process takes place during the download, so you can navigate to the location under “Output folder” to find your MP3 music file.
The MP3 files created by these programs will not have any Digital Rights Management (DRM) or other copy protections. You can transfer the MP3 files to your iPod, MP3 player or any other mobile device.
For more information, read Best Free YouTube Video Downloaders and Converters.
