Save video from the web

Finding free music online and saving it on your Mac it is not as easy as it should be. While there are plenty of artists who’d love you to hear their music and who are happy for you to download it for free, the process of finding and then downloading it can be a bit of a pain.

Even if you know where to go looking (and we’ll help you with that in a minute), saving lots of individual tracks in a web browser one by one can be a slow and frustrating process. That’s where a smart music downloader can help.

Best music downloaders for Mac

Get a huge set of top music download apps for macOS. Best utilities in one pack, give it a go!

Where to get free music to download

Regardless of how basic your Mac is, you get to download YouTube videos at 8K quality using VideoDuke. What’s more, you can even choose an appropriate video format while doing so. The extra speed comes in handy in this sector. Free YouTube Downloader. This is a highly recommended tool to download YouTube videos.

There are of course, lots of places on the internet where you can find free music to download. But many of those places link to tracks which included cracked files or music the copyright owner hasn’t given permission to share.

It’s important that when you go looking for free mp3, you only use sources that have permission to share that music.

Here are a few places where you can find free music to download legally:

• Jamendo. All the music on Jamendo has been made available by the artists on a Creative Commons licence. That means that, while they retain the rights to the music, they’ve agreed to allow it to be saved to your Mac for free.

• Soundcloud. It's a hugely popular site where amateur and professional musicians, and some well-known names, share music. Not all of it is available to download for free, and you’ll need to create an account. But there are some real gems to be found.

• Last.fm. It's another hugely popular site that, among its discovery and sharing features, also allows you to save music tracks for free.

How to download music online

Is it legal to download music for free? Yes, as long as the copyright owner consents. On all of the sites listed above, the rights owner has consented to allow their music to be downloaded.

There is a number of both paid and free tools that help download free music. Based on your requirements, decide on the functionality of a downloader you’re searching: Should it cover video and torrent as well? Batch downloads? Scheduling?

Here are the key features of music downloader we recommend you pay attention to:

1. Control the speed of downloads. For instance, Folx splits large files into multiple threads, so they download more quickly.
2. Schedule downloads so they only take place at times they won’t place too many demands on your computer.
3. Video and torrents covered. You can get a one-stop downloader for capturing different types of media on your Mac.
4. Tag downloads to easily find them later.

Get the best music downloader

Setapp offers a number of music and video downloaders in one package – so you can toggle between different features and interfaces or pick one tool that perfectly covers your needs. Once you install Setapp, click on its icon in the menu bar and search for downloaders there. You’ll be suggested Elmedia Player, AnyTrans, Folx, and Downie. On the selected app, click Install and wait for it to travel to your Mac. Double-click to launch the app.

Here’s the quick overview of each of them:

• Folx: Combines functionality of a download manager and torrent client. This is the best option for capturing large media files, while the app splits downloads in up to 20 streams.
• Elmedia Player: A great alternative to Apple’s native media player – QuickTime, with a convenient audio playback feature.
• Downie: Video and audio downloader that’s based on superb drag and drop functionality.
• AnyTrans: A file transferring solution and a media downloader that works with iOS and macOS devices.
• Pulltube: A universal media downloader that lets you instantly adjust the length of your video and music tracks.

Add the link to the track you want

Once you’ve found a track you want to save, copy the link. To do that, you’ll need to identify the download link on the site – it will usually be an icon with a downward arrow in it. Don’t click it, instead right-click or Control-click it. From the menu that appears, click Copy Link.

If you use Folx, paste the link with ⌘+V keyboard shortcut. Or the main Folx window, press the ‘+’ button next to the text bar at the top of the window. You should see that the box at the top of the window that opens already has the URL you copied in it. If not, paste it where it says ‘Add URL here.’ To download music from YouTube, select Audio in Quality.

It’s pretty similar with Downie – with the exception that you have to drag the link onto the app icon. To extract music from video, navigate to Settings > Extract Audio Only. From there, you can also customize the quality of output files, convert videos, or send to Permute – a universal media converter.

Choose where your music are stored

Once you’ve added the link, choose where you want to save it to. If you’re happy to leave the destination at its default, great. If not, you can change it as you like in any app. In Downie, open Preferences > General > Put new downloads in/Save files to folder. For those using Folx, you can also customize app’s behavior upon completing a download – quit, sleep, shutdown, or do nothing.

In case you want to move your audio collections across devices, you can do so with AnyTrans for iOS. A handy file transferring app with an in-built media downloader, it helps you flexibly manage downloads – transfer from iPhone to Mac, integrate with iTunes, or copy to any iOS device.

Choose when to download tracks

Downie and Folx have scheduling features, so you can choose when the downloads should take place.

To activate delayed queue start in Downie, go to File > Delayed start and select a custom time slot.

In Folx, click on the menu and choose ‘Manual’ or ’Schedule’. If you choose manual, the download will be set up and then paused and displayed in the main Folx window. You can start it at anytime by clicking the icon to the left of its name. If you want to change a download from manual to scheduled or automatic, you can double-click it in the main window and change the setting in the menu.

If you choose to schedule, files will be downloaded according to the schedule you create in Folx Preferences.

Download a song and set it as a ringtone

If you can’t stand your default phone ringtone anymore, there’s a solution. You can grab any of your favorite songs from the web and transform it into a custom ringtone with Pulltube app.

Free Youtube Downloader Converter Mac

You can download music to Pulltube by simply dragging the link into the app window, or saving via a browser extension. After you download your file, click on the scissors button below it and enter the Trimming Mode. In the pop-up window, you’ll be able to play the audio and adjust the length of your ringtone. Once you’re ready, hit Trim and save the ringtone.

Create a download schedule

If you want to plan multiple downloads, Folx is there to help. Open Preferences from the Folx menu and click on ‘Scheduler’. Now click on the time slots where you want downloading to take place. When the box changes color, click on it twice so it turns bright green. Scheduled downloads will now take place at that time.

Continue customizing

Once you’ve scheduled, think whether there are any other settings you want to twick. If you use Folx, you can select the number of threads into which you want to split the download. The default is two and for most music files that will be fine. If the file you’re downloading is particularly large, you might want to select a higher number.

Elmedia Player has robust customization options for audio – for instance, you can select audio device and the number of playback channels.

Authenticate if it’s required

If the website needs a username and password, click Authenticate. Click ‘Saved Passwords’ and then ‘Add.’ Choose ‘HTTP or FTP password’ and type in the URL of the login page, your username and your password in the next window that opens. Click Ok.

You’re all set. You can now download free music using Folx from any website that makes it available.

Most of the music you find will be MP3 files, which can be played on your Mac. If the files are in a format that won’t run on your Mac, you can use Permute to convert media.

You’re all set. You can capture and manage free music downloads using a Mac app that suits your flow.

MP4 is one of the most common yet popular formats. As we all know MP4 is widely supported by many popular portable devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod, Xbox, etc. If we want to play YouTube on those digital players, we had better convert YouTube to MP4 on Mac at first.

As the biggest social media website in the world, YouTube offers hundreds of videos for you to watch, but it never allows you to download directly, so you feel it a little obstacle to watch your favorite YouTube videos on portable devices or players.

What’s the best YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac that can combine downloading and converting in one? This article would introduce the best video converter software as well as 7 online tools helping you convert YouTube to MP4 Mac free online.

The Most Powerful YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac

Cisdem Video Converter for Mac is a professional toolbox for video conversion, video download, DVD ripping, etc. It's equipped with an easy-to-use and user-friendly interface, enabling you to smoothly batch convert & download videos, edit videos & add special effects, preset output parameters, and get high-quality results. You can get all the features from this tool.

System requirement: support macOS 10.10 or later, including Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, and macOS Big Sur.

Best YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac

• Download videos from over 1000 popular sites, YouTube included
• Download YouTube videos in 480p, 720p, 1080p, 4k, or higher quality
• Convert YouTube to MP4, AVI, MKV, WAV, and other 300+ formats & devices
• Simultaneously download or Convert 5, 10, 20, or any numbers of YouTube videos
• Edit & enhance downloaded YouTube videos with real-time preview
• Rip DVD disc to MP4, MP3, or any digital media formats

How to Use the Safe YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac

Step 1. Run the software

Download Cisdem Video Converter for Mac. After installation, run it.

Click on the main dashboard to switch to the download interface. (as shown in the picture)

Step 2. Copy URL and start to download

Search a YouTube video you wish to download and copy its URL. Then go back to the Cisdem Video Converter, and paste the link into the media URL box at the bottom. Click to start the YouTube video download.

The software is able to perform batch YouTube downloads. So you add multiple links to the list to proceed.

Step 3. Convert YouTube to MP4 on Mac

Generally, the downloaded YouTube video should be in MP4 format. If you need to convert it to other file formats or convert the local YouTube to MP4, drag the video to the 'convert' section. You can feel free to choose out format, and trim, crop, rotate your YouTube video there.

Related: YouTubeInMP4 | YouTubeInMP3

Top 7 Tools to Convert YouTube to MP4 Mac Online

When it comes to ripping video from YouTube on Mac, there are two common ways. One way is to use professional desktop software like the one mentioned above, which is recommended due to benefits like high speed, a long list of supported websites, various output formats, support for HD content, and useful extra features. Another way is to do it online, which will be covered in this part.

Such tools share some common advantages and work in a similar, if not the same way. At the same time, they may also have their own additional features or options. Any YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac listed below is safe and easy to use for Mac users.

#1. SaveFrom.net

SaveFrom is one of the best online YouTube video converter tools that lets you convert YouTube to MP4 Mac. It allows you to fetch and download videos online quickly. You can convert the downloaded YouTube videos to several media formats, like MP4, 3GP, MP3, so that you can enjoy them on the MP4 or MP3 players.

Pros

1. Provide fast conversion and download
2. Support most popular media websites like Vimeo, YouTube, Dailymotion, etc.
3. Available in multiple languages
4. Available as a browser extension

Cons

1. Limited output formats for video conversion
2. No sound in downloaded 1080p (or higher) videos

#2. FLVto.biz

FLVTO is the name of music-file conversion software, developed by the Russian-based firm Hotger, the online tool is too limited in its output formats. You can only download and convert YouTube to MP4, MP3, and AVI.

One interesting thing, it offers some videos as “Most Watched Today” below, if you are interested in them, have a watch.

Note: This service also provides a desktop version. If you install it on your Mac, you will have access to more conversion formats such as WAV, AAC, MOV, WMV, and WMA.

Pros

1. Easy to use with few working steps
2. Offer an option to send a converted MP4 to Dropbox
3. Provide an official step-by-step instruction on how to use it
4. Available various languages

#3. SaveVideo.tube

Note: OnlineVideoConverter used to be third on this list. However, it stopped support for YouTube, as shown in the screenshot below. In this 2020 update, I replace it with another great YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac.

With this YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac online, your favorite video is just a click away. In addition, it can also work with a few other video sharing websites. Once it finishes analyzing the video URL you’ve entered, it will list all the formats and video resolutions available for conversion and download. It’s convenient. It will also offer brief information like video title, duration, and thumbnail.

You can save the video by clicking the Download Video button or one of the Download buttons listed below. With the latter, make sure that you right-click the button and select Save Link As.

Pros

1. Support a variety of platforms including YouTube
2. Provide multiple conversion formats like MP4 and WebM
3. Support SD and HD content, such as 720p, 1080p, and 4K

Cons

1. Limited conversion formats when compared to some other converters

#4. KeepVid

KeepVid enables you to convert YouTube to MP4 Mac free online with the minimum of hassle. It also offers a free version and commercial version app for your desktop. The Lifetime License for one Mac price is at $29. There are lots of definitions for the output you can choose. But it only supports download YouTube to MP4, M4A, 3GP, WEBM, MP3, ever Download its SRT subtitles.

Pros

1. Offer online version, free app, commercial app for downloading and conversion
2. Define output quality

#5. Clipconverter.cc

Clip Converter is an easy-to-use YouTube to MP4 HD converter for Mac. When you click the Continue button, it will start detecting media files available. When the process is finished, you will be presented with a list of available quality levels ranging from SD to HD, such as 480p, 720p, 1080p/60fps, 2K 1440p, and 4K 2160p. In addition to MP4, it also supports 3GP, AVI, MOV, and MKV as video conversion formats.

It's also worth mentioning the cutter feature. It lets you convert part of YouTube video to MP4 or another desired format.

Pros

1. Convert and save content from many popular websites
2. Support a number of conversion formats, including audio ones
3. Allow you to choose from a variety of video resolutions, high or low
4. Let you convert specific part of a YouTube video

#6. SaveTheVideo.com

Coming with a simple design, SaveTheVideo.com will help you download YouTube, Vimeo, NH Nieuws, Twitch, etc. at fast speed. In addition to converting YouTube to MP4 Mac online, it supports some other output formats, such as H.264, MKV, MP3, OGG, and more.

Pros

1. Download, convert and cut YouTube videos
2. Merge two different formats
3. Offer plenty of websites for video download

#7. oDownloader.com

oDownloader.com is an international online YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac. It supports over 20 languages on the page. The free service can handle videos from Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Vimeo, Instagram, and Soundcloud. It lets you save MP4 video, video without sound, or merely audio.

Pros

1. Show you the complete instructions
2. No prior registration required
3. Support 1080p (video) and 320 kpbs (audio)

From the above reviews, you can acquire the top 7 free tools to convert YouTube to MP4 Mac free online. They are the best of their kind. But some things are missing when compared to their desktop alternatives.

• Can’t support wider output formats
• No output preferences setting
• Lack of advanced and personalized features like edit, trim, create special effects for the downloaded videos
• No batch conversion

Conclusion

Macbook Pro Youtube Downloader

Each YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac featured above does a good job of converting YouTube videos. In my opinion, go with Cisdem Video Converter for Mac. It allows you to download YouTube videos to whatever formats (preserving the original quality) and can do others upper-level media processing. More importantly, it's safer than online tools.