Today’s customers are pampered with multiple music and audio app options. YouTube still remains the number one choice, with international artists having their own dedicated channels.
If you want to extract any type of audio for personal or professional use, then audio downloader software is the best option. Also, learn about YouTube Becomes First Streaming Platform by reading this article.
For Mac users, this becomes a challenge since not many apps are compatible with it. Considering this, we tested dozens of sound applications and evaluated them based on hands-on experience.
Here is our list of the top 8 YouTube audio downloaders for Mac, covering key features, pros, and cons. Each of these options allows you to download audio from YouTube on Mac and save it as MP3 or M4A files for easy playback.
Why do we need desktop apps when there are plenty of free online downloaders, like ytmp3 and y2mate?
Well, if you often need to extract media files from YouTube, you’ll find that a downloader app is more reliable than online services.
Keeping security and convenience for long-time use in mind, we present the best apps for audio download from YouTube to Mac.
| Compatibility: | MacOS 10.12+, Windows 7+ |
| Installer size: | 89 MB |
| Free trial limit: | Download 3 tracks for free |
Cisdem Video Converter is an all-in-one software used to easily download, convert, and edit media files. It can be used as an easy-to-use and affordable software, available for both Mac and Windows.
It can extract sound from any YouTube video and save it in M4A and Opus format, or convert it to any desired format like MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, etc. Batch processing is also fully supported, allowing you to extract multiple videos, playlists, albums, and channels in one go.
Moreover, it offers simple editing tools to trim and merge your auditory file and adjust the volume, which is helpful if you only need a portion of the track or want to create your own mix for offline listening.
As a regularly updated program, Cisdem Video Converter for Mac will support downloading audio from YouTube live and private content in 2024.
| PROS | CONS |
| Simultaneous downloads without limitation | No in-app web browser |
| Preserve the original quality | |
| Support thousands of different sites such as Vimeo, Instagram, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, etc. | |
| Built-in media converter and editor | |
| Timely technical help |
| Compatibility: | MacOS 10.13+, Windows, Linux |
| Installer size: | 157 MB |
| Free trial limit: | 5 daily downloads |
4K YouTube to MP3 is a dedicated product for converting YouTube videos to audio. It supports 3 output formats – MP3, M4A and OGG. With its built-in web browser, users can visit and extract soundtracks from YouTube and other websites.
Playlists and channel downloads are also supported with a Pro license. It also offers in-app authorization for downloading private content such as Liked playlists and Watch Later.
This app is for audio-only download, if you need to extract the video as well, opt for the developer’s other product called 4K YouTube Downloader+.
| PROS | CONS |
| In-app YouTube account verification to download premium and private content | Can’t download audio with video |
| Built-in web browser | Ad banners pop up on the desktop |
| Support for 12 trendy websites |
| Compatibility: | MacOS 10.14.6+ |
| Installer size: | 45.7 MB |
| Free trial limit: | trial for 14 days |
Downie is a Mac-only app to download video and audio from YouTube and other sites. It allows you to set a sound-only transfer mode in the preferences, and pick a preferred format between MP3 or M4A for autosave.
It also offers a search function to search for the exact video you need in the app. As for the pricing, Downie offers a relatively low price for a permanent license, and you can buy it with the developer’s media converter app at a discount.
| PROS | CONS |
| Beautiful UI | Require an extra fee for major upgrades, and the older version will stop updating |
| Support for many websites | Limited output formats |
| Affordable price |
Note: A few months ago, it was reported on Reddit (r/mac) that Downie threatened a user with deleting random files due to an issue with an incorrect email address. You may want to decide when to trust the developer or not after reading the whole story.
| Compatibility: | MacOS 10.12+, Windows, Linux |
| Installer size: | 115 MB |
MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter is a competently free application for Mac. It provides various features comparable to paid programs.
Users can extract videos and playlists in the original M4A format or convert them to MP3, WAV, or OGG. This app also provides a unique feature to track specific playlists or channels and extract new uploads automatically.
| PROS | CONS |
| Free to use | Lack of editing tool |
| Resume unfinished tasks on restart | Can’t download audio with video |
| A bit of an outdated user interface |
| Compatibility: | MacOS 10.15+ |
| Installer size: | 9.5 MB |
| Free trial limit: | 3 free downloads within 24 hours |
Softorino YouTube Converter Pro is a Mac-only app to downloads audio and video from many sites. It supports two auditory output formats, MP3 and AAC(.m4a).
The preset output destination options let you quickly transfer soundtracks to Apple Music and iPhone or iPod devices connected to your computer. Users can also edit metadata including title, artist name, genre, and more to curate a beautiful media library.
It’s not as feature-rich as other competitors, suitable for casual users to extract single auditory or video tracks to Apple software or devices.
| PROS | CONS |
| Lightweight tool with a simple interface | Require e-mail registration to activate a free trial |
| Metadata support | Can’t buy a lifetime license, only an annual subscription to universal products |
| Often fail to recognize a playlist URL |
| Compatibility: | MacOS 10.12+, Windows, Linux |
| Installer size: | 107 MB |
ClipGrab is another cross-platform free software for extracting audio and video from YouTube. It is based on an open-source command-line tool called youtube-dl, which will be transferred the first time you run ClipGrab.
With this free app, you can extract sound and save it in MP3, OGG, or the original formats. It can also download videos from several major platforms like Facebook and Dailymotion.
| PROS | CONS |
| Intuitive interface | Can’t download playlists or channels at once |
| Freeware | No batch downloads |
| Automatically detect YouTube URLs from your clipboard | Not updated for a long time |
| Compatibility: | MacOS 10.15+, Windows |
| Installer size: | 230 MB |
| Free trial limit: | No high-quality options |
Any Video Converter offers a free version that allows users to download YouTube 128k audio and 720p video for free with limited quality. It can save videos as MP3, M4A, and Opus sound files and convert a playlist with a single URL.
This app also includes various tools such as an editor and media converter, but you need to upgrade to the Pro version to unlock the full functionality. If you don’t require weak auditory quality, this can be a good free option.
| PROS | CONS |
| Free version available | High quality is only available in the upgraded version |
| Support multiple websites | Slow launch |
| Compatibility: | MacOS 14.0+, Windows, Linux |
| Installer size: | 79 MB |
Media Downloader is actually a GUI (graphical user interface) front end for yt-dlp, a well-known command-line tool for extracting audio and video from many sites. It allows you to use yt-dlp CLI more easily.
It offers 3 modes – basic, batch, and playlist for different needs, and useful preset download options like “best available audio only” and “extract audio as mp3”.
But there are drawbacks, the speed is quite slow, and it can take a very long time to analyze the URL. Also, to use this on Mac, you’ll need to enable your Mac to install an app that hasn’t been notarized and is from an unidentified developer.
| PROS | CONS |
| Free and open-source app | Slow downloading |
| Support many sites besides YouTube | Rudimentary interface |
| Not compatible with older Mac versions |
If you’re still not sure which downloader is best for you, here are some relevant factors to consider.
Apps like Cisdem Video Converter and 4K YouTube to MP3 are excellent for their real performance and user-friendliness, and MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter is a good free option. Also, learn about YouTube TV vs. Hulu Live by reading this article.
If you’re interested in the command line interface, try youtube-dl/yt-dlp to extract audio in Terminal on your Mac.
Finally, ensure that you have the right to download audio or video content and use the files for personal purposes only.
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