You can use a free third-party app to download 4K and 8K YouTube videos to your PC.
We're rapidly entering the era of 4K as the standard resolution, and there's new 4K content available on YouTube every day. Unfortunately, you can't watch these videos offline in full resolution using YouTube's standard options.
Youtube Premium members ($12/month) can save videos and music to play offline on their phones, but only at a maximum 1080p resolution. YouTube creators can download MP4 versions of their uploaded videos, but only at 720p resolution, max.
That doesn't mean it's impossible to download 4K YouTube videos for offline viewing, though. There are many third-party apps that let you download YouTube videos in full at their highest possible resolution—including 4K and 8K.
It's free to download for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and is verified virus-free. All versions can download videos at 8K resolution (depending on the video's native resolution, of course), and extract subtitles for closed-captioned videos. You can also queue up entire playlists to download.
However, there are some limitations to the free version to be aware of. You can download only 30 videos per day, only five videos per day from a single channel, and only 10 videos per playlist. It is also ad supported. Ads aren't a deterrent, but you'll see frequent banners for other products in the app.
Premium users unlock the ad-free app with unlimited daily downloads and can download up to three videos at once for $15/month. There's also a "Pro" tier for $45/month that raises the limit for simultaneous downloads to seven and adds in a number of other features tailored to businesses. However, unless you need the increased daily perks, I would suggest sticking with the free version of the app.
Is it legal to download YouTube videos?
Before we tell you how the app works, we have to mention the legality of ripping YouTube videos. Although YouTube cannot tell whether someone is downloading a video, doing so is technically against YouTube's Terms of Service.
However, if you're just creating an offline backup for private viewing, you probably won't have trouble. YouTube and Google have cracked down on YouTube downloader apps and websites so far, and have never threatened or threatened legal action against users of the apps.
Transmitting or re-uploading downloaded videos without proper consent or proper credit, or stealing copyrighted material could get you in trouble. The severity depends on the license of the video.
Most YouTube content is uploaded under the standard YouTube license, which means that videos are only allowed to be viewed on YouTube via the website or mobile app. You are not allowed to download, re-upload or rebroadcast the vast majority of YouTube Content without the uploader's consent. This applies to most content on YouTube. However, using a short clip as footage of your video for someone else's upload may fall within the limits of fair use. It's best to ask permission first, and at the very least, give them full credit. The original creator can still legally ask you to remove the video, though, especially if you're monetizing a video that contains their footage.
Some YouTube channels upload their videos under a Creative Commons license which allows people to freely access, broadcast and reproduce their content without crediting the original uploader. These videos are the safest to download. YouTube's search filters include a Creative Commons option if you need help finding videos.
This guide has even more explanation of YouTube's standard license, Creative Commons, and the differences between them.
Lastly, there is a selection of premium content available on YouTube. It is illegal to download paid copyrighted material that you have purchased, such as music, movies, or even YouTube premium content—and it is highly illegal to re-upload or broadcast this material. In fact, many of these videos cannot be downloaded by third-party apps in the first place.
So, the bottom line: Downloading YouTube videos for private viewing is technically against the rules, but so long as you're not re-uploading or sharing content without consent—and you're stealing premium videos and music. Not doing—you're probably in the clear. Well, with complete details, here is how to use 4K Video Downloader.
How to Download YouTube Videos with 4K Video Downloader
- Firstly, download and install 4K Video Downloader on your computer.
- Open YouTube in a browser.
- Find the video you want to download.
- Copy the link to the video from the URL bar, or from the Share button on the video player control.
- Open 4K Video Downloader, download the link given above and click on “Paste Link”.
- The app will parse the data of the video. This usually takes a few seconds, but may take longer depending on the size of the video.
- Select “Download Video” from the first drop-down box. You can also select “Extract Audio” to download only the audio from the video.
- Select the video format and quality you want (available video quality options depend on the native resolution of the video).
- Use the "Download Subtitles" drop-down box to select the subtitles you want.
- Click on "Download".
- Wait for the download to complete. Just as the data is being parsed in Step 6, the download time will vary depending on the size of the video and your Internet speed. Most 1080p videos will only take a few minutes to download (depending on length), but 4K videos may require 30 minutes or longer.
Once a video is downloaded, you can click through the download history feed to view it. If you want to find and transfer the file yourself, 4K Video Downloader's downloads folder is located in This My PC > Videos by default.