How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP4

Getting an MP4 from YouTube can mean three different tasks: downloading a video you uploaded yourself, saving someone else's video that you have permission to keep, or changing a file you already have into MP4. The right method depends on which one applies, and on whether the work happens on your own computer or on someone else's server.

Before you start

Check your rights first. YouTube's terms generally do not allow downloading videos except through features YouTube provides or with permission from the rights holder. Read the current terms before you save anything. Your own uploads, videos with a licence that allows reuse, and videos the owner has agreed to share are the clear cases. Copyright still applies to any file you save, whichever tool you use.

Know where the processing happens, because that decides who handles your data:

• YouTube Studio and Google Takeout are Google's own services, and you sign in to your Google account to use them.
• Online converters are third-party services. You give them a link, their servers fetch and process the video, and you download the result from them. Check each service's privacy policy and how long it keeps files instead of assuming files are deleted.
• Desktop download tools, local video converters and screen recorders run on your computer. Your files stay local unless the software sends data elsewhere, so check this in its documentation.

You will also need enough free storage and a media player that can show codec and resolution details, so you can check the output later.

Step-by-step instructions

Your own uploads: YouTube Studio

• Sign in to YouTube Studio with the account that owns the channel.
• Open the Content section to see your uploaded videos.
• Find the video, open its options menu and choose Download. If you don't see the option, check whether your account role on the channel allows downloads.
• Save the MP4 file and check its resolution, because it may be lower than the file you originally uploaded.

If you still have the original file you uploaded, use that instead. It is the highest-quality copy you have, since YouTube re-encodes everything it processes.

Many of your videos at once: Google Takeout

• Open Google Takeout while signed in to the account that owns the channel.
• Deselect everything, then select only the YouTube data.
• In the YouTube options, include videos and review the format settings shown for them before you continue.
• Choose how the export is delivered and how large each archive can be, then create the export.
• When it is ready, download and unpack the archive, then check the file types inside.

Videos you have permission to save

For someone else's video, first check whether the creator offers a download in the description, on their own channels, or on request. If they don't, and you have permission, a downloader or online converter can save the video from its link. When you use one, keep these points in mind:

• Choose MP4 as the output and pick a resolution you actually need.
• On converter pages, ignore extra download buttons, pop-ups and prompts to install extensions or programs. They often belong to ads rather than the service.
• Never enter your Google account password into a third-party converter.
• These tools often stop working after YouTube changes its site. Desktop tools usually need updating to keep working, and online services may simply fail without warning.
• At higher resolutions, YouTube often delivers video and audio as separate streams. Some tools need an extra component, such as FFmpeg, to combine them into one MP4.

YouTube Premium downloads are a different thing. They are made for offline viewing inside YouTube's apps and do not give you a standalone MP4 file that you can copy or edit.

Recording playback

If downloading is not possible but you have permission to keep a copy, screen recording software can record the playback. Set the capture source to the browser window or the whole display, and choose MP4 as the recording format if the software offers it. Set a frame rate that matches the video, such as 30 or 60, and use a bitrate high enough to keep detail. Make sure the software records system audio, not just your microphone. Because the video is compressed twice, the recording will look worse than the source.

Converting a file you already have to MP4

If your saved file is WebM, MKV or another format, a local converter such as HandBrake or FFmpeg can produce an MP4. You can often just remux the file, which means copying the existing video and audio streams into an MP4 container without re-encoding. With FFmpeg, the stream copy option (-c copy) does this, and quality stays exactly the same. If the codecs are not supported in MP4, or your player or editor cannot handle them, re-encode instead. H.264 video with AAC audio is the most widely compatible choice. Re-encoding costs some quality, so convert from the best copy you have and keep the original until you have checked the result.

Check the output

• Play the file from start to finish, or at least jump to several points, and confirm that the length matches the source.
• Open the codec or media information view in your player and check the container, video codec, audio codec, resolution and frame rate.
• Make sure the file has an audio track. A file that plays silently is often a video-only stream.
• Open the file on the device or in the editor where you plan to use it. A file can end in .mp4 and still use a codec that the device doesn't support.
• Compare quality with expectations. A conversion cannot add detail the source never had, and choosing a higher resolution or bitrate at export only makes the file bigger.

Common problems and next steps

The MP4 has no sound: the tool probably saved only the video stream. Use a tool that combines video and audio, make sure any extra component it needs is installed, or choose a lower resolution where video and audio come as a single stream.

The file won't play on a phone, TV or in an editor: the MP4 may contain a newer codec such as AV1 or VP9. Re-encode it to H.264 with AAC audio using a local converter.

The resolution is lower than expected: some download options, including YouTube Studio, may not give you the original upload resolution. For your own videos, use your original source file. For other videos, check which resolutions the tool actually offered.

A converter suddenly fails or returns errors: update the desktop tool. If it is an online service, don't keep retrying the same link. Instead, check whether there is a supported route, such as your own Studio account or asking the creator for the file.

Saving Instagram videos as MP4: the same rules about rights and privacy apply. To get copies of your own posts, use the data download option in your Instagram or Accounts Center settings, then check what file formats the export contains. For other people's content, ask the owner for the file.