What’s your best YouTube to WAV converter for PC?

How much do you know about YTDLGUI? This is a bit of a "cheat" answer, but as a YouTube to WAV converter for PC, it's worth mentioning because it completely eliminates the command-line complexity you want to avoid. It uses the yt-d11p engine under the hood but provides a simple Windows interface for it.

Why it's great:
All the power, none of the typing: You get the legendary reliability and quality of the best download engine without ever opening a command prompt.
Direct WAV conversion: Easily select WAV as your output format.
Batch downloads: Excellent for processing multiple videos.

How does the YouTube to WAV converter work:
Search for and download "yt-d1g" (yt-d11p GUI) from its GitHub page.
You will also need to download FFmppeeg (as a separate ffmppeeg.exe file) and point the program to it in the settings. This is a one-time setup.
After setup, you just paste URLs, select "wav" from the format dropdown, and click download.

Using a browser extension in Microsoft Edge or Chrome is a very convenient and popular method if you are looking for a best YouTube to WAV converter for PC. It can be a great choice. Extensions add a small button directly to your browser (usually near the address bar). When you're on a YouTube video page, you click that button, and it gives you options to download the audio, often in various formats including WAV.

Pros:

• Extremely Convenient: The download button appears right on the YouTube page. No copying and pasting URLs into a separate website or program.
• Fast: It's often just one or two clicks to start the download.
• Integrated: Works seamlessly within your browsing workflow.

Major Cautions:

• Sketchy Extensions are Common: This is the biggest risk. Many free downloader extensions are packed with ads, track your browsing data, or can even contain malware.
• They Break Frequently: Like other YouTube to WAV converters for PC (third-party). YouTube frequently changes its code to block these downloaders. An extension that works perfectly today might stop working tomorrow until the developer issues an update.
• Unreliable Quality: You often don't get a choice for the audio bitrate, so you might not be getting the true "high-quality" WAV you're looking for.

Based on popularity and longevity (as of late 2023), here are two types you can investigate. Always check the most recent reviews before installing.

• "Vide0 Downloader Prime" / "Audi0 Downloader Prime": These are popular examples that have been around for a while and often support multiple formats.
• "YouTube Audi0 Downloader" / "YT Audio Downloader": Extensions with names like this are specifically designed for audio and are more likely to have a WAV option.

Windows Video Editor is a creative and 100% Microsoft-native workaround. It doesn't download from YouTube directly, but it can convert any video file on your PC to an audio file. This method gives you a clean, GUI-based application, perfectly aligning with your request for a simple, non-technical, and safe solution that avoids the more complex YouTube to WAV converter for PC.

The Workflow:

1. Get the video file: First, you need to download the video as an MP, 4 file on your computer. You can use one of the App Store apps mentioned above to download it as a video, which is a very common feature.

2. Convert with Video Editor:

• Open the "Video Editor" app (pre-installed on Windows 10/11, search for it in the Start Menu).
• Create a "New video project".
• Drag your downloaded MP4 file into the project.
• Click "Finish video" in the top-right corner.
• In the export window, you will see an option for "Audio-only" and can potentially select quality settings. While it may default to M4A, this method uses the built-in Windows codecs to create a high-quality audio file from your video.

Media Downloader & Converter -- This is likely your best bet if you are looking for a best YouTube to WAV converter for PC. Several apps in the official Microsoft Store are designed for this exact purpose and are certified by Microsoft for Windows.

How to use YouTube to WAV converter for PC:

1. Open the Microsoft Store on Windows PC.
2. Search for "Media Downloader".
3. Look for highly-rated, free apps like:
   "Video to MP3 Converter & Media Downloader"
   "Media Downloader - Video & Music"
   "Free Video Downloader"
4. Install your chosen app.
5. Inside the app, you will typically find:
   A field to paste the YouTube URL.
   A format selection menu where you can choose WAV.
   A download button.

Why this is a good choice:

• Microsoft-verified: Downloaded from the official Microsoft Store, reducing the risk of malware.
• User-friendly: Graphical interface—no command line needed.
• Fits your workflow: Directly integrates with your Windows desktop.

Many free YouTube to WAV converter for PC on the Microsoft Store or elsewhere for audio extraction are designed to work as part of a two-step process:

1. Download the YouTube video using a separate downloader.
2. Extract the audio as WAV using an audio conversion or extraction tool.

Most dedicated YouTube to WAV converters are either paid or may come with ads or limitations. Free options tend to be simpler and often require combining a downloader with an audio converter for best results.
If you're specifically seeking a single, all-in-one YouTube to WAV converter, those are quite rare and often limited or potentially unsafe. The most reliable approach is to:

• Download the video with a trusted YouTube downloader (e.g., Cl1ipGrab)
• Use a free YouTube to WAV converter like Aud0city or ffmmppeg to convert the downloaded video to WAV