Easy Way to Convert a YouTube Video to MP4

July 21, 2023
If you think about an online video you’d be probably thinking of using such content on a platform such as YouTube. Since the early development of the internet web lines, audiovisual content is associated with this page since it gathered together any sort of product you desired to watch on your devices.
YouTube completely changed the way we face and perceive the use and interaction with videos and audiovisual content since it made it possible to carry your favorite clips anywhere and at any time just by a click.
If you sit and start to think, the YouTube company really challenged video sectors such as cinema or television.
What’s more, it gave the opportunity to thousands of people to create their own career path since creating and producing videos online became a very profitable job to aim for. In fact, have you ever thought about becoming a YouTuber?
When YouTube came to life
This Online video platform was launched in February 2005 by a small group of independent producers in California (USA), and since that day, it completely changed the habits and trends of the actual world. The ingenious idea was promptly noticed by the empress of the internet, Google, the enterprise which decided to buy the project for the astronomical figure of $1.65 billion.
YouTube was the platform where to get in touch with music videos, comment and share opinions about them and, in fact, its main use was that of reproduction of music. Soon, a lot of different content began to widespread all over the world allowing the YouTube library to have a limitless and differentiated supply. Indeed, in nowadays scenario, it is possible to watch tutorials about make-up or how to change a tire, listen to a political debate, see the news, see a recipe on how to cook a carrot cake and much more.
Advertising
Since its early beginning, YouTube was created as an advertisement-free platform whose income was just based on visuals. As a result, the company has always avoided giving users the ability to download videos. In addition, in January 2009, YouTube accepted the introduction of advertising message clips inserted at the beginning or in the middle of video content.
This certainly affected the usability of the platform but never harmed the viewing numbers. In fact, unlike traditional advertising (television, for example), YouTube’s advertising is customized to the user’s tastes and needs thanks to the data exchange that the Internet imposes making it perceived as less invasive or annoying
Conversion of a video
How many times have you had no internet connection and needed to kill some time? Such as when you are on a short flight
In those moments you surely also dreamt of having your favorite music videos available, or an interesting video or short documentary to distract yourself with while waiting for time to pass.
YouTube allows downloads of its videos and the cancellation of advertising only through a YouTube Premium subscription (about $119.99 per year). By the way, did you know YouTube even created its own “television” channel?
However, there are still several alternatives that allow you to have your favorite videos into always-on content directly on your phone.
In fact, since YouTube began its production, several sites began to spring up online in parallel which allowed the conversion of YouTube videos into downloadable products (in different formats too). We clearly do not encourage you to make use of this technique as it falls under piracy practices and, above all, it represents no support and or contribution to the merit of the artists and content creators who work on this platform. Our article merely shows one of the features found on the web
Having said that, below you can find the steps on how to easily convert a YouTube video to MP4 (or the format which suits you the most)
STEPS TO EASILY CONVERT A YOUTUBE VIDEO TO MP4
As aforementioned, being able to download or convert videos from YouTube is really very easy and is possible thanks to a few simple steps.
Online you can encounter hundreds of websites that allow this function and, in addition, each of them presents a wide range of formats in which to convert your favorite clips. In fact, it is necessary to first evaluate which file best suits your needs. The format you choose will clearly depend on the use you want to make of the desired product.
Below is a list of the main conversion formats and their function:
- MP3: If you want, for example, to download an audio track so that you can listen to it whenever you want or, perhaps, use it as a ringtone for your phone, you will then have to opt for an MP3 format that will allow the conversion (and thus download) only of the sound base of the video you have chosen.
- MP4: The MP4 format, on the other hand, includes both the audio and video data of the selected video. Converting a video to MP4 means, precisely, converting (and if you wish, downloading) the entire product complete with sound and images so that you can watch and rewatch your favorite video without any limitations or interruptions caused by the connection or advertisements.
- M4A: is a format people usually use for audio by the Apple company that allows for different types of audio content including songs, audiobooks, and even podcasts.
- Flash Video Format (FLV): is a file format to deliver digital video content (as for instance TV shows, movies, etc.)
Having clarified the various formats to convert the video, we can now move on to the actual steps for converting the file
STEP 1 – LINK FROM YOUTUBE
The first step (which is also the most obvious) is to choose the video you want to convert. If you do the option from a PC you will simply copy the link you find at the top of your browser. If you perform the operation from a smartphone, you will simply click on the “Share” button and then “Copy link”
STEP 2 – CONVERTER
This is probably the “hardest” step in this guide: choosing the conversion site or application. The web is full of web pages and software dedicated to converting and downloading YouTube content, and each of them has special features (quantity and quality of download formats, speed of conversion, advertisements and pop-up banners).
The perfect site does not exist, but with experience and more or less satisfying attempts, you will come to choose the conversion site that best suits your needs.
We recommend, therefore, you to simply search online for “YouTube converter” and start doing some trials until you find the perfect site (at least for you).
STEP 3 – PASTE THE URL
Although the websites all differ from each other, normally the mechanism of the software is the same: you will need to place the link of the chosen video and select the desired conversion format and then click “Convert”
STEP 4 – SIMPLY DOWNLOAD YOUR CONVERTED VIDEO
In most cases, the site will begin downloading your device automatically, otherwise, you will simply click on a download button. Please pay attention to your personal browser settings as, often, it could block a download since it presents an “unsafe” origin.
Congratulations! Right now you should own of your favorite YouTube video converted so that you can watch and watch over and over again or use it as a ringtone on your phone!