You can download YouTube playlists for free using various online converters and desktop applications. The most popular options are 4K Video Downloader, Y2Mate, ClipGrab, and aTube Catcher. These allow you to input a YouTube playlist URL and download the videos in different formats like MP4, MP3, etc. Some additional features offered include ability to download captions, playlists with 100s of videos, and playlists marked private. However, you must be cautious of ads, malware, quality loss, and ensure legality per YouTube’s terms of service.
Online converters
Online converters or web-based tools are the easiest way to download YouTube playlists. They require no installation and offer a simple interface. Here are some recommended online converters:
Y2Mate
Y2Mate.com is a popular online video downloader that supports playlist downloads. Just paste the playlist URL and select MP4 or MP3 format. It can download playlists with up to 100 videos. Y2Mate is free but has ads and quality is limited to 720p HD. Be cautious of fake download buttons.
ClipGrab
ClipGrab.org is an open source downloader that can extract audio or video from YouTube playlists. It offers outputs up to 4K quality. ClipGrab is completely free with no ads or malware. However, captcha solving is required after every 20 videos downloaded.
PlayTube
PlayTube.pk is a website that allows downloading YouTube playlists. It supports formats like MP4, MP3, M4A up to 720p quality. PlayTube is free but has pop-up ads and download limits unless you register for an account. Overall, it’s easy to use but caution is required.
Desktop applications
Desktop applications provide a robust tool for downloading YouTube playlists right on your computer. No web browser or internet needed. Here are some good options:
4K Video Downloader
4K Video Downloader is a popular premium downloader for Windows and Mac. The free version supports playlist downloads up to 24 videos. Paid versions unlock higher limits and speeds. Playlists can be saved in MP4, MKV, M4A formats up to 4K quality. It’s easy to use with no ads or malware.
aTube Catcher
aTube Catcher is a completely free desktop app for Windows. It can download unlimited YouTube playlists in MP4 and MP3 formats up to 1080p quality. Additional features include ability to convert videos, burn DVDs, and edit metadata. The interface contains ads so caution is required.
Free YouTube Download
Free YouTube Download is an open source downloader for Windows and Mac. It can extract audio and video from YouTube playlists in multiple formats and quality levels. The software is free, frequently updated, and contains no ads or malware. However, downloading entire playlists requires a paid subscription.
Other methods
In addition to online converters and desktop applications, there are some creative alternative ways to download YouTube playlists for free:
YouTube-DL
This open-source command-line utility is one of the most powerful tools for downloading YouTube videos and playlists. YouTube-DL is completely free and frequently updated. It can grab multi-hour playlists in a wide range of formats (MP4, MP3, MKV, etc.) and quality levels up to 4K. YouTube-DL has no ads or malware.
However, using it requires installing Python and dealing with the command line interface which may be intimidating for some users. But overall, YouTube-DL provides unmatched performance and customization for downloading playlists.
VLC Media Player
The free VLC desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux has a handy built-in YouTube playlist downloader. It can grab up to 500 videos from a playlist and save them as .MP4 files at 720p resolution. Just install VLC, copy the YouTube playlist URL, click Media > Open Network Stream, paste the link, and adjust download options.
The process is quick and simple with no ads. However, quality is limited to 720p and playlists over 500 videos require downloading in batches.
Online YouTube Playlist Downloaders
Sites like PlaylistGrabber, PlayListDownloader, Playlist-converter and others offer a straightforward web interface to download entire YouTube playlists. Most support output formats like MP3 and MP4 up to 720p quality. These tools are easy to use with no installation required. However, quality options are limited compared to desktop apps.
Caution is also required as some sites have misleading ads or fake download buttons.
Smartphone Apps
Mobile apps like Snaptube, Videoder, and Free Video Downloader allow downloading YouTube playlists directly on Android and iOS devices.
They offer high quality up to 4K formats and background downloading features. However, ads and subscriptions are present in the free versions of these apps which limit some functionality. Downloaded files may also have watermarks.
YouTube Premium Workarounds
Using a VPN to access regional versions of YouTube and signing up for Premium there (e.g. India) can unlock playlist downloading for much cheaper.
However, the process involves manually changing App Store/Google Play locations and countries which is tedious. The legality is also questionable. Overall, tricky to implement for marginal savings.
Third-Party YouTube API Apps
Developers can theoretically build playlist downloader apps by leveraging the official YouTube Data API.
But Google strictly limits usage to comply with Terms of Service, usually allowing only a few playlists downloads per day. Most third-party apps with robust downloading features either get banned or violate YouTube’s rules.
Important tips
When downloading YouTube playlists for free, keep these important tips in mind:
- Be cautious of ads, fake download buttons, and malware on shady websites.
- Check the video/audio quality and format options to ensure they meet your needs.
- Make sure to download playlists marked standard YouTube license, not private or copyrighted.
- YouTube terms of service allow downloads only for personal use, not commercial redistribution.
- Playlists with 100s of videos may require software capable of batch downloading.
