5 Ways to Download YouTube Audio for Free

Quick Answer:
You can download YouTube audio for free using a stable and reliable desktop YouTube audio downloader such as SurFast Video Downloader, MediaHuman YouTube Downloader, or JDownloader, or a convenient online service like YouTube 4K Downloader and YTMP3.

With the advancement of various YouTube audio downloaders, it has become significantly easier to download audio from YouTube regardless of the device you use. Even if you prefer to download YouTube audio for free, there are numerous methods available. Therefore, whether you aim to download audio from YouTube to your Mac for free or download songs from YouTube without a Premium subscription, you can effortlessly achieve this goal. If that’s what you want.

Download Audio from YouTube to Mac for Free

Tool: SurFast Video Downloader for macOS & Windows

Whenever you need to download YouTube audio to Mac for free, you can consider using the safe and fast YouTube audio downloader, SurFast Video Downloader. It helps to extract audio from YouTube videos and download music from YouTube Music, making it easy for you to download YouTube audio to computer, be it a Mac or PC. Moreover, it will save YouTube songs or audio in MP3 and WAV format, allowing you to download YouTube audio in high quality with ease.

In addition to YouTube, SurFast Video Downloader supports many other sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Twitch, and more. That means you can also download video and audio from these sites.

Although SurFast Video Downloader is not completely free, it provides free download quotas for you, making it possible to download YouTube audio to Mac or PC for free.

To download audio from YouTube to Mac for free:

Step 1. Go to SurFast Video Downloader > General, paste the YouTube link, and then wait for the program to parse the URL.

Step 2. Select Audio (MP3), choose the audio quality, and then click Download.

Step 3. Wait for the YouTube to MP3 conversion process to finish.

You can follow the same steps to download audio from YouTube on Windows if you need to.

Download YouTube Audio for Free Safely

Tool: MediaHuman YouTube Downloader

MediaHuman YouTube Downloader offers a free download quota, allowing you to download up to 20 items at no cost. If you don’t have a large number of songs to download, this app may fulfill your needs perfectly. It enables you to download YouTube audio in various formats such as MP3, M4A, OGG, and WAV, with different bitrate options ranging from 64kbps to 320kbps. Additionally, it is compatible with all platforms and can assist you in downloading YouTube audio to both Mac and PC without any charge.

To download YouTube audio for free:

Step 1. Download and install MediaHuman YouTube Downloader on your computer.

Step 2. Open the app, toggle on audio download, and then click it to select the output audio format and quality.

Step 3. Copy the YouTube link and then go back to MediaHuman to click Paste link.

Step 4. Click Download.

Download YouTube Sounds via Freeware

Tool: JDownloader

If you prefer using freeware to download YouTube audio, the best choice for you would be JDownloader. It is a free, open-source, and cross-platform download management tool that effectively downloads audio from YouTube to your computer.

With this free YouTube audio downloader, you can easily extract audio from YouTube videos or download music from YouTube for free in formats such as M4A, AAC, and OPUS. If these formats suit your requirements, you can follow the steps below to obtain your desired audio effortlessly. However, if you specifically wish to download MP3 from YouTube on Mac or PC, which is the most popular audio format, you will need to use one of the alternative methods mentioned in this guide.

To download YouTube sounds via JDownloader:

Step 1. Prepare the YouTube link you want to extract audio from.

Step 2. Open JDownloader and click Add New Links in the lower left corner.

Step 3. Paste the link and click Continue.

Step 4. Go to the LinGrabber panel, expand the folder, and find the audio file.

Step 5. Click the triangle to choose another download option if you need to.

Step 6. Right-click the file and then choose Start Downloads.

Extract Audio from YouTube Online

Tool: YouTube 4K Downloader

Another method to extract audio from YouTube for free is by using an online YouTube audio downloader. These tools are typically free to use, but they may display ads and redirections during the download process. If you are interested in using a web-based service, I recommend trying YouTube 4K Downloader, which is a relatively user-friendly option.

To rip audio from YouTube online:

Step 1. Copy the target link from YouTube.

Step 2. Go to YouTube4KDownloader.com and paste the link.

Step 3. After the website generates download links, go to the Download Audio Only section.

Step 4. Select the audio format and quality you need and click Download next to it.

Rip Audio from YouTube on Mobile for Free

Tool: YTMP3

If you wish to download YouTube audio to your iPhone or Android device without spending any money, utilizing YTMP3 would be beneficial. YTMP3 enables you to download YouTube audio in MP3 format for free, and it works on both desktop and mobile platforms. However, unlike other tools that support various audio formats, YTMP3, as the name suggests, only allows you to save YouTube sounds in MP3 format. Nevertheless, considering that MP3 is the most popular audio format, it is sufficient to fulfill most YouTube audio download requirements.

To download audio from YouTube at no cost:

Step 1. Copy the YouTube link you want to download.

Step 2. Navigate to YTMP3, paste the URL, and then click Convert.

Step 3. After the conversion, click Download to save the audio to your device.

If you prefer to download YouTube audio on Android without app, YTMP3 is the optimal choice.

Wrapping Up

There is no doubt that using an online YouTube audio downloader is free and convenient. However, it may not be the most suitable option in the long term. Online tools are generally less stable and reliable compared to desktop applications, and they may pose potential risks to your device’s security. Therefore, it is advisable to use online YouTube audio downloaders only if you have occasional needs to download YouTube music.

For frequent downloading of online audio, opting for a desktop app is the optimal choice. Desktop applications provide better stability, reliability, and enhanced security features, ensuring a more robust and consistent downloading experience.