Is this YouTube downloader free?

Yes. There is no account, no app, no install and no watermark. The only limit is the prepared on request mode described below.

Is there a faster way than pasting the link?

Yes. In the address bar, change youtube.com in the link to toohottopost.com and press enter (for example youtube.com/… becomes toohottopost.com/…). You land on this page with the post already read. Putting toohottopost.com/ in front of a full link works too.

What is the best quality I can download?

Whatever the uploader published, up to 4K. 1080p comes as H.264 MP4, which plays everywhere. 1440p and 4K come as AV1 MP4, because that is the only way YouTube serves them.

Does joining picture and sound lower the quality?

No. Above 360p YouTube sends the picture and sound as two separate files. The page puts them in one MP4 on your device without re-encoding either one, so nothing is recompressed.

Why does it sometimes say the video is being prepared?

Now and then YouTube asks our network to prove it is not a bot. When that happens we prepare the video on request instead: up to 720p, it takes roughly as long as the video itself, and the tab has to stay open until it finishes. Because this uses much more of our capacity, each visitor gets 6 prepared videos per day. Most of the time it is not needed at all.

How do I download a YouTube video on iPhone?

Copy the link with Share → Copy link, paste it here in Safari and tap the save button. The file goes to Files → Downloads. From there you can share it to Photos with Save Video.

Can I convert YouTube to MP3?

Yes. Pick Sound only, MP3. The MP3 is encoded on your device at 192 kbps from the video's audio track, so it sounds the way the video does.

Can I download private or age restricted videos?

No. Private, members only and age restricted videos need a signed in account, and we never ask for yours. Public videos and Shorts work.

Can I download a whole playlist?

Paste the playlist link and the list appears, up to 200 videos. You then save each video you want, one at a time. There is no single button that downloads the whole list as a ZIP.

Is it legal to download YouTube videos?

It depends on the video and where you live. Saving your own uploads, videos you have permission for, or content its owner offers for reuse (for example under a Creative Commons license) is the safe case. Re-uploading someone else's video needs their permission, and YouTube's terms apply to how you use the site. This is general information, not legal advice.

YouTube Downloader: Save Videos as MP4 or MP3

Paste a YouTube link, see the video, and save it to your phone or computer. Free, no sign-up, nothing to install, up to 4K.

Faster: in any link, change youtube.com to toohottopost.com and press enter.

Save what you have the right to keep: your own posts, work you have permission for, or content its owner shares for reuse.

This YouTube video downloader takes a link to a video or a Short and shows the video with its title and channel within a few seconds. One button saves the recommended file: a 1080p MP4 in H.264, which plays on every phone, laptop and editor. Other sizes sit under it, including 1440p and 4K as AV1 MP4 for recent devices, and a sound only MP3.

Above 360p, YouTube serves the picture and the sound as two separate streams. The page joins them on your own device without re-encoding, so the file keeps exactly the quality YouTube sent. It is free, it needs no account, and we add no watermark. Public videos only: private, members only and age restricted videos cannot be read.

How to download a YouTube video

Copy the link
In the YouTube app tap Share → Copy link. On a computer, copy the address from the browser bar. Video, Short and playlist links all work.
Paste it here
The video appears in a few seconds with its thumbnail, title and channel, so you can check it is the right one before saving anything.
Save the file
The big button saves 1080p MP4. Open Other sizes for 720p, 1440p or 4K, or pick Sound only, MP3.
Find it on your device
On iPhone the file lands in Files → Downloads. On Android it goes to the Downloads folder. On a computer, wherever your browser saves downloads.

What it can and cannot save

Regular videos and Shorts
Any public video, from 144p up to the highest quality the uploader provided, 4K included.
Sound only as MP3
Made on your device at 192 kbps from the video's own audio track.
Playlists, one video at a time
Paste a playlist link and the list appears (up to 200 videos). You pick which ones to save; there is no one click download of the whole list.
Live streams after they end
Once the replay is published it saves like any other video. A stream that is still live cannot be saved.
Not private, members only or age restricted videos
These need a signed in YouTube account, and the tool never asks for yours.

Formats and quality

Format

Recommended: MP4 (H.264 + AAC)
High resolution: MP4 (AV1 + AAC)
Smaller file: MP4 (H.264)
Sound only: MP3
Prepared on request: MP4

Quality

Recommended: Up to 1080p
High resolution: 1440p and 4K
Smaller file: 720p, 480p, 360p
Sound only: 192 kbps
Prepared on request: Up to 720p

Quality can never exceed what the uploader published. A video uploaded in 720p has no 1080p file to save.

When to pick AV1
YouTube only offers 1440p and 4K in the AV1 format. AV1 keeps more detail per megabyte than H.264, but older phones and some editing apps cannot play it. If your device is from the last few years (iPhone 15 Pro or newer, recent Android flagships, current Windows and Mac computers), AV1 is fine. If the file will not play or your editor refuses it, save the 1080p H.264 file instead: it opens everywhere.

YouTube Downloader: Save Videos as MP4 or MP3

How to download a YouTube video

What it can and cannot save

Formats and quality

Questions about downloading from YouTube

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