“I’m looking for a way to download YouTube videos to watch offline on my Mac, as streaming them consumes a lot of data. YouTube itself doesn’t offer a download option. Do you know of any solutions for this?”

YouTube, the largest video platform globally, attracts millions of users who watch, search for, and upload videos daily. While watching and uploading videos on YouTube is easy, downloading them directly isn’t allowed. As a result, many people seek methods to download YouTube videos onto their devices. In this article, we’ve put together five effective methods to download YouTube movies on a Mac, including desktop software and online services. Read on to learn how to download YouTube videos to your Mac and choose the method that suits you best.

Part 1. Download YouTube Movie on Mac with TunesBank

TunesBank iMovieTool is a powerful video downloader that lets you download YouTube videos for Mac and Windows computer. It totally supports downloading video from 7 streaming sites, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+, YouTube, and Hulu. With this tool, you can save YouTube movies and TV shows in MP4 or MKV formats at 1080p quality, making them compatible with various devices. Furthermore, one great feature is its ability to keep original audio tracks and subtitles in multiple languages, so you can watch the movie in your preferred language. It also has hardware acceleration for fast downloads up to 50X speed, save your time and effort. Overall, through TunesBank iMovieTool, you can download and save YouTube movie on Mac for offline viewing without any limits.

Key Features of TunesBank iMovieTool

• Download video from 7 streaming sites.
• Download YouTube videos in MP4/MKV Format.
• Download YouTube videos in HD 1080P.
• Keep original multilingual audio tracks and subtitles.
• Fast download Speed up to 50X.
• Watch YouTube movie offline on any deice.
• Compatible with Windows & Mac.

Tutorial: How to Download YouTube Movies on Computer Offline

Step 1. Download, Install, and Launch TunesBank iMovieTool
Download and install the software on your computer. Once installed, launch TunesBank iMovieTool, select YouTube service, and log in to your YouTube account, whether it’s Free or Premium.

Step 2. Search for YouTube Movies
To add YouTube videos, you can either type the name or keyword of the movie or show into the search bar, and TunesBank will display related videos, or you can copy the link of the desired movie or show from the YouTube website and paste it into TunesBank.

Step 3. Output File Settings
Click the “Gear” icon in the upper-right corner to open settings. Choose MP4/MKV as the video format, set the video quality to high, select the language, and adjust other settings for your YouTube downloads.

Step 4. Start Downloading YouTube Movies
Once the setup is complete, click the “Download” icon to start downloading YouTube movies to MP4/MKV on your computer.

To access your downloaded YouTube movies, click “History.” These downloaded files can be played on any media player on your computer or transferred to other devices for offline viewing.

Part 2. Downloading YouTube Movies to Mac via Screen Recording

Ukeysoft Screen Recorder is a flexible tool for recording screens, videos, and games on Mac and Windows. On a Mac, you can record in full screen, custom area, app window, camera, or audio. It can capture videos from YouTube, Facebook, iTunes, Netflix, and more. It supports various output formats such as MP4, MOV, M4V, AVI, and FLV. Also, you can record video calls, Zoom meetings, gameplay, and tutorials, the recorded video can be customized by adjusting the frame rate, quality, and adding watermarks. After recording, you can easily share the videos or watch them offline on Mac with QuickTime Player.

Key Features of UkeySoft Screen Recorder

• Works on both Mac and Windows for recording screens and videos.
• Record live streams, online videos, gameplay, and Zoom meetings.
• Choose to record full screen, a specific area, or an app window.
• Supports formats like MP4, MOV, M4V, AVI, and FLV.
• Record videos with or without audio.
• Capture both system audio and microphone sound.
• Customize video settings like quality, frame rate, and add watermarks.

Guide: How to Record YouTube Video on Mac

First, download and install UkeySoft Screen Recorder on your Mac, then follow the steps to record the YouTube movie you want.

Step 1. Choose App Window Mode
On the home page, select from five recording options: Full Screen, Custom Area, App Window, Camera, or Audio Only. To record a YouTube movie, choose “App Window.”

Step 2. Set Input Audio
Choose your audio input from these options: “System Audio,” “Microphone,” “System & Mic,” or “None.” For recording YouTube movies, select “System Audio.”

Step 3. Select Output Quality
Click the “Gear” icon for advanced settings to select “MP4” as the format and adjust other options like Mouse, Shortcuts, Watermark, Camera, and Sound.

Step 4. Start Recording YouTube Movie
Once your settings are configured, click the red “REC” button to begin recording the YouTube video.

Step 5. Access Your Recording
After recording, the video file will appear in your file list and be saved automatically on your Mac computer. You can then play the recorded video offline with any media player.

Part 3. Free Online Methods to Download YouTube Movies on Mac

Don’t want to install any software? You might prefer using online YouTube video downloaders instead of desktop programs. Although online downloaders are more convenient, they can sometimes be problematic. Based on my experience, here are some common issues with online tools for saving YouTube videos:

• Pop-up ads
• Redirects to shopping sites
• Difficulty finding the video using the link

Fortunately, not all online YouTube downloaders have these problems. One reliable option is Keepvid, which works well for downloading YouTube videos to your Mac. Keepvid is a well-known online video downloader that allows you to download YouTube videos by pasting the video link into the address bar. It’s great for downloading videos in different formats and qualities. Additionally, it can extract audio from YouTube videos, serving as an audio converter. Here are the steps.

Step 1. Go to YouTube and copy the video URL.

Step 2. Visit Keepvid on your Mac and click the “Download” button.

Step 3. Once the video has been analyzed, you’ll see various download options, including different video qualities and audio formats. Select your preferred format and click “Download” to begin saving the YouTube video to your Mac.

Part 4. Downloading YouTube Movies on Mac with Firefox

Want to download a YouTube video directly from your browser? If so, you should check out Firefox, which lets you save YouTube videos on a Mac using for free.

To download a YouTube movie on your Mac using a Firefox extension:

Step 1. Install the “Easy YouTube Video Downloader Express” extension in Firefox.

Step 2. Restart Firefox.

Step 3. Open YouTube and play the video you wish to download.

Step 4. Click the “Download” button below the video and select your preferred format (e.g., MP4 360p, MP4 720p, MP4 1080p, MP3) to begin the download.

Part 5. Using VLC Media Player to Download YouTube Movies to Mac

Another effective method to download YouTube movies on your Mac for free is to use VLC media player. VLC is a free, open-source media player that works across different platforms and also lets you download YouTube videos to your Mac, PC, or laptop.

Step 1. Download and install VLC media player on your Mac, then launch the program.

Step 2. Visit YouTube and copy the URL of the video you wish to download.

Step 3. In VLC, go to “File” > “Open Network”. In the “Open Source” window, paste the video URL into the address field and click “Open.”

Step 4. Right-click on the video and select “Media Information”.

Step 5. Copy the URL from the “Location” bar, paste it into your browser’s address bar, and press “Return” to start playing the video.

Step 6. Right-click on the video in your browser and choose “Save Video As…” to download the YouTube video to your Mac.

Part 6. FAQs on Downloading YouTube Video

Q1. How can I download YouTube videos to my Mac at no cost?
Many of the methods outlined in this guide enable you to download YouTube videos to your Mac for free.

Q2. Can I download YouTube videos using YouTube Premium?
A YouTube Premium subscription lets you download videos, but this feature is limited to mobile devices such as phones and tablets. It does not support saving videos directly to a Mac.

Q3. Why can’t I download YouTube videos?
You might have trouble downloading private videos or videos with music due to copyright issues.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve discovered 5 effective ways to download YouTube on a Mac, the top recommendation is TunesBank iMovieTool. This tool lets you download YouTube movies on a MacBook or iMac to watch offline, even with an ad-supported plan. The downloaded YouTube movies are DRM-free and can be kept on your Mac permanently. Start your free trial and download YouTube movies on your Mac today!