Before now, downloading videos from YouTube was a hassle and often required people to use other websites and third-party apps to download their videos. But today, the goodness is YouTube now lets you download videos on the web without any app. Continue reading to learn how to download YouTube videos.
YouTube kick-started this feature on the 22nd of September 2021 and it is expected to run until the 19th of October 2021. YouTube’s new feature for premium members allows them to download videos on the web without having to resort to the use of other websites.
What then is YouTube premium?
So what then is YouTube premium? YouTube Premium is a YouTube plan that lets its subscribers watch YouTube without the annoying ads that usually pop up from time to time while you watching a video on YouTube. You can subscribe to the YouTube premium plan for as little as $12 a month.
The plan brings other features you normally wouldn’t have access to. For instance, you can decide to open another app on your device and the video you were watching will continue to play in the background. It lets you download videos and play them back later. You’ll be able to watch YouTube originals, exclusive content featuring celebrity stars will also be made available for streaming when you subscribe to YouTube premium.
Finally, when you subscribe to YouTube premium you are also given premium access to YouTube music. YouTube Music is an app like Apple music that lets its members or subscribers stream a vast library of music, you can also create stations within the app or choose to explore new releases. The YouTube Premium and YouTube music premium work together.
In cases where you can’t find the music you are looking for within the music app, you’ll be redirected to YouTube where you can see the video of the music you are looking for. Now you understand what the YouTube premium plan is, let’s go back to how to download YouTube videos.
The test feature brings the download feature which is already available on their mobile platform to the web as part of an ongoing program that allows premium users to test out what the platform is working on. If you are already a premium user and you want to try out this new feature, then continue reading to learn how to download YouTube videos.
How to Download Youtube Videos
The feature has been rolled out for YouTube premium members worldwide but it has been confirmed for both France and India premium users.
To check whether this feature is available for you, visit youtube.com/new, login to your premium account, and then check if the Labs page to see if there is a box labeled “Download videos from your browser.” Once you can find it, it means that you are eligible.
To download a video, go to the video’s page and click the download button found on the toolbar alongside the share and save buttons beneath the title.
When you hit the button, it will start your download and a progress dialogue should now be visible at the lower-left corner of the window.
From the settings, you can select the quality you’d want your video to be downloaded in, with the maximum set at 1080p. You can also delete all of your local downloads from your cache with the click of one button in the dedicated feed.
All downloaded videos can be played back at youtube.com/feed/downloads. You can also find it on the side navigation panel. Additionally, if you visit YouTube’s website when you are offline, you will see a text showing you are offline which will take you to a new page showing the videos you have downloaded. It is available on Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS.
YouTube’s premium download feature is unique and different from the ones offered by third-party sites and apps. Rather than have the downloaded video stored in your hard drive, the user is given access to a cached version of the video which is similar to downloading a video on Netflix.
How to play Youtube Videos in Background on your Phone
How to Watch deleted YouTube Videos
How to Create YouTube Shorts- A complete Guide
The feature works on YouTube’s PWA (Progressive Web App) and downloaded videos will remain available as long as the user’s device connects to the internet once every 30 days.
There you have it. If you have subscribed to YouTube premium and you have checked to ensure you are eligible then follow the set of instructions in the manner they are outlined above and you’ll realize that you have learned how to download YouTube videos.
To this moment it’s unclear whether or not if YouTube will choose to continue this feature or whether or not it will remain as a premium feature since it is in its testing phase. We can only hope that YouTube will choose to continue this feature otherwise we’ll have to revert to using third-party sites and applications to download YouTube videos.