But for a list of the best sites, here you go:
Here is our awesome full guide on how to download ‘Royalty Free’ music. Where can I download ‘royalty free’ music? ‘You are not allowed to: access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise use any part of the Service or any Content except: (a) as specifically permitted by the Service (b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicable, the respective rights holders or (c) as permitted by applicable law ’ Here’s what YouTube has to say on the matter: ✘ Converting a copyrighted podcast into an MP3
✘ Converting (part of) a copyrighted movie into an MP3 ✘ Converting a copyrighted music video into an MP3 ✔ Using these MP3s on your own site, with reference to the original YouTube videos ✔ Downloading music sound effects from your own video or somebody else’s (with permission) ✔ Converting somebody else’s YouTube video to MP3, after getting their permission ✔ Converting your own personal YouTube videos (with copyright-free audio you have recorded) into an MP3 Here are a few examples that will hopefully clear this up: from a music video), then that is breaking the YouTube terms of service. However, if you are downloading copyrighted material (eg. So, the answer is - it depends.įor example, if you are converting your own YouTube videos with only non-copyrighted material, that should be fine. Sometimes downloading (or ‘ripping’) audio content breaks YouTube’s terms of service.
How to download music from YouTube on desktopĪlthough there are lots of websites that let you convert YouTube videos to MP3 format, many either don’t work or contain dubious ads and malware-infected links.įor your safety and convenience, we recommend using the reliable free desktop program 4K YouTube to MP3 (opens in new tab), which extracts the audio from YouTube videos in one click. With the above caveats in mind, here's how to download music from YouTube. Obviously in that case one of the below methods will be fine to use, without the risk of you violating any terms or breaking the law.
Note, however, that YouTube's own Audio Library (opens in new tab) of no-copyright music states that: "You can NOT use third-party software to download the video/track, always use our download links."Īnother reason that you might want to know how to download music from YouTube is to access music that you created and uploaded to YouTube previously, for instance if you no longer have access to the original file.
To prevent piracy and copyright infringement, this option isn’t offered on the YouTube Music website or in the free version of the service.Īlthough YouTube features millions of tracks, by every artist you can think of, most of which have been uploaded by its users rather than record companies, it also offers lots of royalty- and copyright-free content, and songs covered by a Creative Commons license (opens in new tab).ĭownloading audio from these videos won't violate the site's terms of service or break the law, which means you can use their music in your own creative projects.
You can download and play ad-free songs and playlists through the YouTube Music app for Android and iOS, but only if you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium (opens in new tab) for $9.99 a month. Is it legal to download music from YouTube?Īs with downloading videos, YouTube's Terms of Service (opens in new tab) state that you’re not allowed to download any audio content, unless “specifically permitted by the Service,” or you have prior written permission from YouTube or the respective rights holder.