Is there a simple way to extract MP3 from YouTube on Mac

I tried quite a few YouTube audio extractors on macOS before, both online tools and desktop apps. Sometimes it really can't recognize the songs, which frustrates me.

Eventually, I stopped trying to "extract" audio and switched to recording the audio instead.

Unlike Windows, macOS blocks direct system audio capture at the OS level, which is why many recorders seem broken at first, they simply can’t hear internal audio without extra setup.

After testing different approaches, I found there are really two practical ways to make this work.

One is using QuickTime Player with a virtual audio driver like BlackHole. Once it’s set up correctly, the audio quality is solid and reliable. The downside is the initial configuration.

The other approach is to use a dedicated audio recorder like Recexperts, which is designed to handle macOS’s audio restrictions more gracefully. The setup is much simpler and more stable in day-to-day use. JUST press the REC button.

Hope it's helpful.