YouTube videos don’t normally have a download button, but users can still save them to their computer with a special downloading tool. Third-party software grants you access to program features and allows you to download several videos simultaneously. If it’s what you’re looking for, check the DVDVideoSoft app Free YouTube Download. Its primary feature is to download YouTube to MP4 format. What else? Users can save single videos and complete playlists and channels, 4k and even 8k YouTube video content, and convert YouTube to file formats like MOV, AVI, and MP3.
In case you like online tools more, check the free YoutubeToMp4.Org converter.
Why download in MP4 format? When the YouTube video is saved to MP4, users can play it on their phone or another device because MP4 is extensively used, much more so than FLV. A file with the MP4 file extension is an abbreviation for a MPEG-4 Video file, which is a compressed file format that can contain not only video but also audio and subtitles.
How do users convert YouTube videos in MP4
If users want to download a YouTube video to MP4 with VLC, users have to take what might seem similar to a few somewhat strange steps, but they’re actually in fact straightforward and simple to understand. Download VLC if you don’t have it yet, and then follow these steps:
- Copy the URL to the YouTube video.
- Leave to Media > Open Network Stream in VLC.
- Paste the YouTube video’s URL in the text box provided in the Network tab.
- Get on Play to stream the YouTube video during VLC.
- Go to Tools > Codec Information.
- Copy the URL located in the Location text box at the bottom of the window.
- Paste the URL into your web browser’s address bar.
- Right-click the video and decide to Save the video as, or whatever option users browser gives to save the video to their computer.
- Change the name to something recognizable and pick a folder to save it to.
- Click Save to download the YouTube video to your computer.
How to convert FLV to MP4
If users already have a YouTube video saved to their computer but it’s not in the MP4 format, then it’s most likely saved as an FLV file. The users can use VLC to convert FLV to MP4.
- Go to Media > Convert / keep in VLC.
- Click Add during the File tab.
- Locate and choose the FLV file users want to convert to MP4, and click Open.
- Click Convert / Save.
- Select Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4) from the drop-down menu next to Profile. If the users want to make advanced changes to the profile, click the small wrench next to it.
- Click Browse to decide a folder to save the MP4 video and then click Save to place the video in that folder.
- Click Start.
You’ll know the conversion is completed when the progress bar at the bottom of VLC reaches the very end. The users may miss it if the video is really short, but for longer YouTube videos, it should be obvious how long it will take to complete if users watch the movement of the progress bar. Alternatively, you may use a free MP4 editor for saving your clips in any format you need.
