While the official YouTube app and website only offer downloads for a few videos in select locations, there's a way to retrieve content so you can consume it anytime, anywhere. Several ways, in fact. Also: My 9 must-have gadgets for creating quality YouTube videos In this tutorial, we'll show you how to download your favorite videos using three approaches: Using a free Mac, Windows, or Linux application Paying for YouTube Premium Using an obscure and complex (yet very powerful) Linux command line tool Your free option (and my preferred way) to download YouTube videos: ClipGrab I have to give ZDNET's managing editor props for introducing me to this program a few years ago.
I've been using it ever since. ClipGrab is a free program available for Mac, Windows, and Linux users. The developer says it's open source, but the source code is only available for Linux.
In any case, ClipGrab rocks. How to use ClipGrab to download YouTube videos for free 1. Go to ClipGrab.
org Point your browser to ClipGrab.org and click the Show All Download Options link. You'll see download links for Mac, Windows, and Linux there.
I'll show you the Mac version in this article, but the interface is virtually identical on all three. During the install process, ClipGrab is likely to request permission to download a helper app. This is usually a tool to help it do some of the video processing that it performs.
You should allow this to happen. It is part of the download package, it's just not packaged within C.