YouTube to MP3 on Mac

In Safari, Chrome or Firefox

1. On the YouTube video, copy the address (⌘L, then ⌘C).
2. Open audiofetcher.com and paste the link (⌘V).
3. Choose a format and click Fetch, then Download. The first time, Safari asks whether to allow downloads from audiofetcher.com; click Allow.

One click from YouTube: the bookmark

Show the bookmarks bar (⇧⌘B in Safari and Chrome), then drag the Send to AudioFetcher button from the shortcuts page onto it. On any YouTube video, click it and AudioFetcher opens in a new tab with the video ready. Or replace youtube.com with audiofetcher.com in the address bar.

A button on YouTube: the userscript

Install a userscript manager (Tampermonkey or Violentmonkey in Chrome, Firefox or Edge; for Safari, a userscript app from the Mac App Store such as Userscripts or Tampermonkey). Then install the AudioFetcher script, here or from Greasy Fork. It adds an MP3 · AudioFetcher button to every video and Short, with MP3, MP4, FLAC and M4A in its menu.

Using Firefox?

There is also the AudioFetcher add-on for Firefox, for converting and queueing straight from YouTube.

The quick version

1. 1
   Send the video

   Paste its link on audiofetcher.com, or use the bookmark, the userscript button or the Firefox add-on.

2. 2
   Pick a format

   M4A or MP3 for the Music app, MP4 for QuickTime, iMovie or Final Cut.

3. 3
   Download

   The file goes to your Downloads folder.

4. 4
   Import it

   Drag it into Music, or File › Import.

Where the file goes on a Mac

Downloads land in your Downloads folder (Finder › Go › Downloads, or ⌥⌘L). In Safari you can change the folder under Settings › General › File download location; in Chrome, under Settings › Downloads.

Safari also opens "safe" files after downloading, so ZIPs, such as split chapters or a song with its lyrics file, are unpacked into a folder automatically. To keep the ZIP itself, turn off Open "safe" files after downloading in Safari's General settings.

Add it to the Music app and your iPhone

• Import: in Music, choose File › Import (⇧⌘O) or drag the file into the window. Music takes MP3 and M4A; it doesn't take Opus or FLAC.
• Opus or FLAC? For Music, convert again as M4A (YouTube's original AAC, no re-encoding) or turn a FLAC into ALAC with the FLAC to ALAC tool.
• To your iPhone: connect it, select it in Finder's sidebar, open the Music tab and sync.
• Ringtone: make an .m4r with the Ringtone Maker and drag it onto your iPhone in Finder. See the ringtone guide.
• Video: MP4 files use H.264 and AAC, so QuickTime Player, iMovie and Final Cut Pro open them directly.

Common problems on a Mac

• Music won't import the file. It's Opus or FLAC. Use M4A or MP3, or convert FLAC to ALAC.
• The ZIP disappeared. Safari unpacked it; look for a folder with the same name in Downloads.
• The bookmark does nothing. Click it on a YouTube video page. Clicked on the shortcuts page, it only shows a reminder.
• A video fails to convert. Private, age-restricted, region-restricted, removed and live videos can't be converted. See the help page.

Related AudioFetcher tools