List of best ways to save YouTube videos on Mac 2017

Internet is full of videos, just over the top. So much to see and enjoy! And when you find something you want to enjoy even beyond Internet and even when the video gets removed from the web for whatever reason, there is a point in looking for the top ways to save videos from YouTube and other video resources.

We've looked into this and chose the top methods to save YouTube videos on Mac that will certainly prolong the pleasure of watching the favorite content because now you'll have the videos on your computer and will be able to watch them whenever you want.

Save YouTube videos on Mac with Airy

So here is why we think Airy is the top way to save YouTube videos on Mac. Not only can it download YouTube videos, it can also extract MP3 file from a YouTube video and download multiple videos (or extracted MP3s) at a time. It can download complete playlists and channels from YouTube too. Any interrupted or paused download can be resumed whenever Internet connection is up again or simply when you have the possibility to proceed.

How to save YouTube video on Mac with Airy:

1. Download Airy and install it. Free Airy allows 2 downloads and you can activate its full version for an unlimited number of downloads.
2. Open the YouTube video in web browser, or a playlist or channel that you are going to download, copy and paste the link to Airy.
3. Choose the file format to save the files. Select MP3 format to extract soundtrack. Give Airy some time if you are downloading a large number of files at once.
4. Click the Download button.

By default the files will be saved in Downloads folder. Go to Airy's Preferences to set a different destination.

Elmedia Player

Another one of the best ways to save videos from YouTube on Mac. Elmedia has its own unique features in is a worthy runner-up for Airy in saving videos from YouTube. First of all it is a great media player with an enormous number of supported formats, so it can easily replace many other players. Elmedia Player PRO offers downloading of online video and audio from YouTube and other video resources like Metacafe, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Yahoo, etc.

When downloading from YouTube with Elmedia Player PRO, you can download playlists and channels as well. Subtitles (if present) can be downloaded along with the videos as .srt files.

How to save YouTube video on Mac with Elmedia Player PRO:

1. Download Elmedia and install it on your Mac. You'll need a registration code to activate PRO version, which can be purchased from the developers' website.
2. Switch the player to the browser mode from the Main menu -> Window.
3. Paste the link to a YouTube video, channel, playlist and click Enter.
4. Select the file to download from the list under the video and click Download.
5. You can save the video as MP4, 3GP, WebM, FLV, etc.). Choose MP3 and you'll get the sound file only.
6. The default destination for saved files is "Downloads" folder, you can set any other in Preferences.

Save YouTube videos on Mac in web browsers

Chrome

The best ways to save videos from YouTube on Mac in web browsers are some great add-ons for Chrome. FastestTube downloads videos on Mac quickly.This extension allows to save videos as MP4 or FLV, in 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p resolutions.

Save YouTube videos on Mac with FastestTube:

1. Install the extension.
2. Open any YouTube video in Chrome.
3. Find the Download button under the video player.
4. Choose the video format and quality to save as. The download will begin now.

Safari

YouTube5 extension lets you download streaming videos from YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo. Unfortunately this extension is not going to have any updates, however if the current version works for you, try it out. When saving a YouTube video, you can select a video format and resolution - 360p, 720p or 1080p – in Safari >Preferences > Extensions > YouTube.

To save a YouTube video to your Mac, right click on any of the formats available and click “Download linked file”.

Firefox

Several options are available for this browser. The most known and popular is ‘Download YouTube videos as MP4’. It is easy to use - once installed, will display its "Download" button under YouTube player. Click it and select the file format.

Popular online service KeepVid

KeepVid has some advanced YouTube downloading options to offer. It is free and easy to use! Your videos can be converted to many popular formats like WMA, WAV, MP3, AIFF, AVI, MP4, FLV, MOV and MPEG. The process is similar to described above, upon clicking the Download button KeepVid will fetch the download links provided by the video website.

Catchvideo service

The catchvideo.net service is a little less popular, however quite efficient. It supports YouTube downloading and some other popular videos hostings. It allows selecting video resolution when downloading.

Save YouTube videos on Mac with Catchvideo:

Paste the link from YouTube and click the ’Catch!' button. The possible download links will be displayed (webm, mp4, flv, 3gp, m4a). The download process can take a few minutes to complete.

All of the above apps and services are the top ways to save videos from YouTube and enjoy them even offline. Every solution has its own unique features. Try them out and choose the best one for you.