Quick Answer:
To download YouTube videos on Mac, you can use the online video downloader – KeepVid or YouTube video downloader for Mac – SurFast Video Downloader. Steps are:
1. Copy the video URL.
2. Paste the link into the address bar in the YouTube video downloader.
3. Click the Download button.
When you are traveling, have a slow internet connection, or want to save videos or later viewing, you may want to download YouTube videos on Mac, PC, or laptop for later use. Since the guides on how to download YouTube videos on PC and how to download YouTube in laptop have been detailed already, here I’d like to show you how to get YouTube videos on Mac using tested ways.
Table of contents
How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac for Free
When you look for the best free YouTube downloader for Mac, you can’t miss SurFast Video Downloader, which provides you with free download quotas per day. Unlike free online YouTube video downloader tools for Mac, such a desktop downloader is clean and safe to use. More specifically, it is not loaded with ads and won’t redirect you to other sites after you like the download button. Hence, if you prefer a both free and reliable way to download YouTube videos to your computer, using SurFast Video Downloader is a sincere recommendation.
When it comes to YouTube video download, there are some of its key features:
- Convert YouTube video to MP4 on Mac and PC
- Convert YouTube to MP3 in high quality
- Download YouTube videos in bulk
Moreover, it also allows YouTube audio download on Mac. That means you can download music from YouTube to Mac using this tool when needed.
To download YouTube videos on Mac:
Step 1. Copy the YouTube video link, paste it to SurFast Video Downloader, and then wait for the app to parse the link.
Step 2. Select the video output format and resolution and then click Download.
Step 3. After the YouTube video download completes, click Finished to view the video.
It’s worth mentioning that such a tool is the optimal choice to download long YouTube videos. If you want more free options, refer to the guide that shows you how to download YouTube videos on Mac for free.
Other than saving videos from YouTube to a computer, SurFast Video Downloader can save the downloaded videos to an external storage device connected to your computer directly. That’s why you can use it to download YouTube to USB flash drive easily.
How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac Via Safari
Although Safari doesn’t have a built-in video downloader, it can also work to download YouTube videos online on your MacBook or iMac with the help of a YouTube video download extension.
There are many YouTube downloader extensions for Safari. Video DownloadHelper is one of them. This YouTube video downloader for Safari enables you to download YouTube videos on Mac without any software and also supports other sites like Facebook and Twitter. While ripping YouTube videos, it makes batch download easy and helps to convert YouTube to MP3 directly.
Given that, when you are looking to download YouTube videos on Mac via Safari, Video DownloadHelper is worth trying.
To download YouTube Videos on Mac via Safari:
Step 1. Go to Safari > Safari Extension and add Video DownloadHelper to Safari.
Step 2. Pin the YouTube video downloader to the toolbar.
Step 3. Go to the YouTube website and play the video you want to download to your Mac.
Step 4. Click the extension icon in the toolbar and hover over the download option you like.
Step 5. Click the more icon and choose Quick Download or Download to start downloading the video from YouTube to your computer.
You can go to the guide – how to download YouTube videos on Mac via Safari for more tips.
How to Download YouTube Videos to Mac via Chrome
There were many also YouTube video downloader extensions for Chrome before, but Chrome has banned such extensions recently. That’s why I’d like to recommend you try an online YouTube video downloader if you want to download YouTube videos on Mac via Chrome.
As for online tools, there are many choices. KeepVid is always a useful and powerful free YouTube downloader if you don’t mind its ads and redirections.
To download YouTube videos to Mac via Chrome:
Step 1. Copy the video URL from YouTube.
Step 2. Go to KeepVid, paste the video URL into the address bar, and click GO.
Step 3. Wait for the website to load the video and then you will see all the download options.
Step 4. Click the DOWNLOAD button next to the option you prefer. When you are redirected, close the page and go back to the YouTube video downloader.
Step 5. Right-click the DOWNLOAD button again and choose Save Link as.
Step 6. Select a target folder on your computer and then click Save to start the video download process.
If you get used to using Firefox, you can also get Firefox YouTube downloader extensions to save YouTube videos to Mac.
How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac via VLC
VLC is well-known for being a media player that plays a wide range of video and audio files on Mac, PC, iPhone, Android, and more. A less-known feature of VLC is its ability to download online videos. For example, you can download videos from YouTube to a computer or mobile device. You can either follow the guide on how to download YouTube videos with VLC or the steps below:
To download YouTube videos on Mac via VLC:
Step 1. Copy the URL of the YouTube video to want to download.
Step 2. Launch VLC on your Mac and then head to File > Open Network.
Step 3. In the Open Source window, paste the video URL here and click Open.
Step 4. Right-click the video and choose Media Information.
Step 5. Copy the URL in the Location bar and paste it into the address bar. Hit Return on play the video.
Step 6. Right-click the video and select Save Video as to download the YouTube video to your Mac.
How to Download YouTube Videos on Mac Without Software
Online YouTube downloaders and YouTube video download extensions make it possible to download YouTube videos on Mac without software. Thus, if you are wondering how to download YouTube videos on Mac without software, you can follow the solutions for Safari and Chrome to get the answer.
Download YouTube Videos Mac FAQs
You may have questions below when you get videos off YouTube:
To download YouTube videos to watch offline on Mac, you can use the YouTube Premium service. After the purchase, go to YouTube to play the video you want to download, then click the Download button below to save the YouTube video to your computer.
SurFast video downloader allows you to choose the target video format while downloading YouTube videos. Therefore, if you want to download YouTube videos to MP4 on a MacBook or iMac, you can try this YouTube video downloader to get it done.
There are the best free YouTube video downloader tools for macOS:
1. 4K Video Downloader
2. Airy Video Downloader
3. iTubeGo YouTube Downloader
4. SurFast Video Downloader
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, downloading YouTube videos on an Apple computer can be done using various methods. A YouTube video download website, a YouTube downloader program, or a browser extension can download YouTube videos easily. However, you should be wary of downloading videos from untrusted sources, as they are potentially harmful to the device. With the methods outlined in this article, you can easily and safely get YouTube videos on your Mac and enjoy them offline at your convenience.