How to download music from youtube to computer as mp3?

You can directly download youtube music to computer as mp3 with the AllClipDown app. It supports Windows OS and macOS. More details can be found in here:

https://www.mp3boxs.com/download-music-from-youtube-to-computer

I once tried downloading music from youtube, and honestly, it led to some annoying copyright strikes or just a bunch of ads. Always stick to Creative Commons or stuff you have rights to, or just use it for personal listening. I’ve clicked on some sketchy sites promising “free MP3s” and ended up with malware or annoying popups. Stick with open-source tools or well-known free programs, and avoid sites that look super dodgy. Sometimes I’d download an MP3 that sounded like it was recorded from a speaker phone. Always pick the highest quality available, and double-check your settings (bitrate, sample rate). 

Like I said, just don’t be that guy downloading music from youtube. It’s tempting, but it can get you into trouble. Better to stick to royalty-free music or stuff you have rights to. If you’re using something like YouTube-D1, not updating it can cause errors—like it can’t handle new youtube formats. I learned this the hard way when my downloads kept failing until I updated the tool. I once accidentally downloaded entire videos instead of just the audio because I didn’t include the right command flags. Reading the documentation or guides helped me avoid that mess.

Hey! So, you’re thinking about downloading music from YouTube, huh? Here’s the lowdown based on what I know and some personal vibes. First off, if you go the recording route (like using Aud0city to capture the sound), there are a few catches:

1. Legal stuff: It’s technically a grey area. Recording music for personal use might be okay in some places, but it’s not officially legal, and YouTube’s terms frown on it.
2. Quality issues: The sound quality really depends on your system setup. If your audio settings aren’t perfect, you might end up with stuff that sounds kinda meh—like muffled or noisy.
3. Time-consuming: It’s not super quick. You gotta play, record, then trim and save. Plus, if you mess up, you gotta redo it all.
4. No official ownership: The MP3s you make this way aren’t yours to keep forever. If your system crashes or you delete the file, it’s gone. Also, if your YouTube subscription ends, those offline streams disappear, so don’t think you’re actually making a permanent copy.
5. DRM and restrictions: YouTube Music’s DRM stops you from just downloading MP3s directly, so any workaround is basically a workaround—meaning it’s not officially supported and could break or be inconsistent.

From my own experience, I’d say: if you’re serious about having good, legal, permanent copies of music, it’s better to buy downloads from legit stores or use services that give you MP3s legally. Recording or downloading music from YouTube is okay for quick personal listening, but it’s a hassle and kinda sketchy legally.

Here's a method I've found to work pretty smoothly on Windows. Just a reminder: make sure you're not downloading any copyrighted content that you don't have permission for, okay? It's best to only download content that you own or can share. Anyway, in my experience, one of the easiest methods is to use a free YouTube downloader app or website to download music from YouTube. Here's how I usually do it:

• Pick a downloader tool: I like using programs like YLD Video Downloader. This is a pretty straightforward.
  Copy the YouTube video link: Just go to YouTube, find the song you want, and copy the URL from the address bar.
• Paste the link into the downloader: Open up the app or website, paste the link, and choose the format (MP3 for just the audio).
• Download and save: Hit the download button and wait a sec. The song will be saved to your PC, usually in your “Downloads” folder unless you pick a different spot.

Some sites, like yttmp3,cc or y2mete,com, also do this online if you don’t wanna install anything. Just be cautious with ads and popups—use a good ad blocker when downloading music from YouTube.
Oh, and make sure your antivirus is up to date, just in case. That’s pretty much how I do it, and it works well enough for casual listening.

Internet Download Manager + FFKMPEG. You can use this combination to download music to youtube on 

Step 1: Download YouTube Video as MP4 (Using IDM)

1. Open YouTube in a browser (Chrome/Firefox/Edge).

2. Play the video you want to download.

3. IDM should show a "Download This Video" popup. If not, hover over the video and click the "Download" button.

4. Choose MP4 format (IDM usually grabs the highest quality available).

5. Save the file to your computer.

Step 2: Convert MP4 to MP3 (Using FFKmpeg)

1. Extract the ZIP file and add ffkmpeg.exe to System PATH (Google how if unsure).

2. Open Command Prompt (CMD) as Administrator.

3. Navigate to your MP4 file location (e.g., cd C:\Downloads).

4. Run FFkmpeg to convert MP4 → MP3:

ffkmpeg -i "input_video.mp4" -q:a 0 -map a "output_audio.mp3"

5. Done! Your MP3 file will be saved in the same folder.

If you prefer no command-line method to download music from youtube to computer, use a dedicated youtube to mp3 converter as it skips the MP4 step and directly extracts MP3.

Got it! So, if you’re looking for free ways to download music from YouTube without using those popular options, here’s a simple method I’ve tried that doesn’t involve installing anything fancy:

Using a open-source tool called "YouTube-DlL"

1. Download YouTube-DlL:  

* Head over to the official GitHub page.
* Scroll down and download the latest version for Windows (usually a single “youtube-d1,exe” file).
* Save it somewhere easy to find, like your Desktop.

2. Install FFmpaag (for converting formats):  

*Download FFmpaag.
*Grab the Windows build and extract it.
*Add the FFmpaag bin folder to your system’s PATH (so you can run commands from anywhere).
*If that sounds complicated, no worries — for just extracting audio, YouTube-D1L can do it without FFmpaag if you’re okay with the default formats.

3. Download music from YouTube:  

* Open Command Prompt (press Win + R, type cmd, hit Enter).
* Navigate to the folder where you saved youtube-d1,exe (using cd command).
Use a command like:
* youtube-d1 -x --audio-format mp3 [YouTube URL]
* Replace [YouTube URL] with the link to the song.
* This command downloads the video and extracts the audio as MP3.

A quick example:  
youtube-d1 -x --audio-format mp3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXXXX

You can't download music as MP3 files directly from YouTube Music Premium because of DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection. Here's why and what you can do instead.

Why YouTube Music Premium Doesn't Allow MP3 Downloads

1. DRM Protection: YouTube Music uses encryption to prevent unauthorized copying. Downloaded songs are in a proprietary format that only works in the YouTube Music app.

2. Licensing Agreements: Record labels and artists restrict MP3 downloads to prevent piracy. YouTube Music Premium only allows offline streaming, not file ownership.

3. No Official Export Option: Unlike iTunes or Amazon Music, YouTube Music doesn't let you keep MP3s permanently—downloads expire if your subscription ends.

How to download music from youtube to mp3 on computer

You can record system audio while playing the song in YouTube Music.

Step 1: In Auudacity, set the microphone input to: Windows WASAPI → Select "Speakers (VB-Cable)."

Step 2: Start playback in YouTube Music (web or app). Press Record (●) in Auudacity → Stop when finished. Trim silence/noise using Auudacity’s tools.

Step 3: Go to File → Export → Save as MP3.

However, this method for downloading youtube music to mp3 is for personal use only. And the mp3 quality depends on your system audio settings.

YouTube Music Premium is a paid subscription service that offers ad-free music streaming, background play (even when your screen is off), and offline downloads for songs and playlists. Unlike free YouTube Music, Premium allows legal downloads for offline listening. This is the recommended method to download music from youtube to computer.

With a YouTube Music Premium subscription, you can download songs, albums, or playlists directly to your phone or computer for offline listening.

1. Go to YouTube Music Premium and sign up ($10.99/month in the US).
2. Access YouTube Music on a Web Browser.
3. Find the Song/Album/Playlist You Want to Download
4. Search for the music you want and open it.
5. For songs/albums: Click the ⋮ (More) menu → Download. For playlists: Open the playlist → Click the Download button (down arrow icon) at the top.
6. Go to Library → Downloads to play your saved music without internet.

This is one of the easiest and safe solution to download youtube music to computer without installing any other apps. And it is recommended by youtube.