YouTube to MP3: Take Your Favorite Sounds Anywhere
Paste a link, pick a bitrate, and keep the song, talk or podcast you love on your own device.
- Five MP3 bitrates
- Free, no sign-up
- Phones and computers
How to save YouTube audio as MP3
It takes three quick steps and no account.
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Copy the video link
In the YouTube app tap Share and then Copy link, or copy the address from your browser bar.
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Paste and look it up
Paste the link into the box at the top of this page and tap the button to see the title, length and MP3 options.
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Choose a bitrate and save
Tap 320, 256, 192, 128 or 64 kbps. When the file opens in a new tab, use Download or Save as to keep it on your device.
Turning a YouTube video into an MP3
Sometimes you don't need the picture at all. Maybe it's a song you keep replaying, a cooking show you mostly listen to, or a recording of your grandpa telling a story at a family reunion. This YouTube downloader lets you grab just the sound as an MP3, so it fits on your phone, plays in the car and doesn't eat up your storage like a full video would.
Paste the link into the box above and tap the button. The tool looks the video up right away and shows you its title, its length and the audio options. Regular watch links, short youtu.be links, Shorts, mobile links and YouTube Music links all work, so you can copy from whichever app or browser you happen to be using.
Pick a bitrate and the MP3 opens in a new tab. On a phone it may simply start playing; that's normal. Open the browser menu or long-press and choose Download or Save. On a computer, it either downloads straight away or plays, and then a right-click and Save as keeps it for good.
What each MP3 bitrate means for you
A higher number means richer sound and a bigger file, so it comes down to what you're listening to and where.
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320 kbps
The fullest sound of the five and the largest file. Nice for music you'll play on good headphones or a home speaker.
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256 kbps
Very close to 320 for most ears, with a slightly smaller file. A comfortable middle ground for a music library.
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192 kbps
Clear, pleasant sound for everyday listening on earbuds or in the car. Files stay a medium size.
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128 kbps
Small files that still sound fine for casual music, podcasts and interviews. Handy when your phone is nearly full.
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64 kbps
The smallest option, made for spoken word. Lectures, sermons and long talks stay easy to understand while taking up very little space.
Not sure? Try one and listen. You can always come back and save another bitrate.
Sharing and playing your MP3 files
MP3 is the format almost everything understands, which makes it easy to pass along.
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Send it to family
A short clip of a song from a wedding playlist or a recorded birthday message travels well in most chat apps and email, especially at a lower bitrate.
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Play it in the car
Copy your MP3s to a USB stick or play them from your phone over Bluetooth for road trips without spotty signal.
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Keep it with your music
Most music players on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac can add MP3 files to a library or playlist alongside the songs you already have.
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Listen while you do other things
Because it's just audio, your phone can keep playing while the screen is off, which is great for walks, workouts and chores.
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Respect the creator
Save audio you own, that's in the public domain, that's licensed for reuse, or that you have permission to keep, and keep it for personal use.
YouTube to MP3 questions
Will 320 kbps make the song sound better than it does on YouTube?
Not really. The MP3 can only be as good as the audio the video was uploaded with. A higher bitrate keeps more of that original sound, but it can't add detail that was never there.
Which bitrate works well for podcasts and talks?
Speech doesn't need much, so 64 or 128 kbps usually sounds perfectly clear. You'll save a lot of space, which matters if you're storing long episodes or a whole lecture series.
Can I convert a long video, like a two-hour podcast, to MP3?
Yes. There's no length limit, so long episodes, concerts and audiobooks work just like short clips. Picking a lower bitrate keeps the file smaller.
Does this YouTube downloader work with YouTube Music links?
It does. Copy the share link of a song from YouTube Music and paste it in. If the link points to a playlist, only the one track in that link is saved.
Why did the MP3 start playing instead of downloading?
Many phone browsers play audio files as soon as they open. Tap the three-dot menu and choose Download, or long-press the player and pick Download or Save. If you opened this page inside an app like Instagram or Facebook, switch to Chrome or Safari first.
Can I trim the MP3 to keep just one part of a song?
The tool saves the full audio of the video. If you only want a chorus or a short snippet, for example for a ringtone, open the saved MP3 in any audio editor or trimming app on your device.
Ready to take your sounds with you?
Paste a YouTube link above, pick the bitrate that fits, and your MP3 is ready to play or share.