Four ways to save a YouTube video as MP4
| Method | Install needed | Speed | Quality | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online downloader (this page) | Nothing | Seconds to a few minutes | Same as YouTube's stream | Anyone, on any device |
| Desktop app | Yes, on each computer | Fast | Same as YouTube's stream | Heavy users on one PC |
| Browser extension | Yes, per browser | Fast | Same as YouTube's stream | Desktop only; often broken by browser updates |
| Screen recording | Sometimes | Real time | Lower — re-encoded | Last resort |
For most people, an online downloader is the simplest choice: it works on a phone, a borrowed laptop or a work computer where you can't install anything.
How this downloader works
When you press Convert to MP4, our server asks YouTube for the video and audio streams at the quality you chose. Anything above 360p arrives from YouTube as two separate streams, so the server joins them into one MP4 without re-compressing — the picture you download is exactly what YouTube streams. The finished file goes straight to your browser and is not stored.
Getting the best result
- Pick 1080p unless you have a reason not to. It uses the H.264 codec, which plays on every phone, PC, TV and video editor.
- Choose 4K only for 4K screens. 1440p and 4K files use AV1, which some older devices can't play.
- Long videos take longer. A two-minute clip is ready almost instantly; a long lecture at 1080p can take a minute or two. Keep the tab open until the download button appears.
- The limit is 60 minutes per video.
What a downloader can't do
No downloader can save private videos, members-only videos, paid films or live streams that are still running. If a video fails, the message under the box tells you why. You can also save the audio only — switch to MP3 or WAV in the tool above.
Prefer short links? The YT to MP4 page lists every link format that works. Back to the YouTube video to MP4 converter.