Many downloaded programs found online come with a set rules and regulations, called terms of service, to which you must agree to be allowed access. YouTube (YT) is no different and by checking the agreement box you’re promising them you’ll abide by their rules. Most people do this automatically, often without even reading the terms, but it doesn’t matter — rules are rules. One of YT’s rules is, “no downloading allowed.” So, if you want to , the first thing you must do is decide that it’s okay to break the rules.
How many people actually read the lengthy terms of service anyway? Not many, for sure. Yes, clicking the agree box says you’ve read and understood the terms, but no one is looking over your shoulder to make sure you’ve done what you said. It’s become an accepted white lie, kind of like the old 55 mile-per-hour speed limit that was a law that just about every motorist broke.
How many times have your heard, “rules were made to be broken, ” or, “what they don’t know won’t hurt them?” Maybe those adages apply here. But still, that being said, if you copy music or video from YT you’re breaking the rules and subject to the penalties. They include no longer being able to use the service.
There is, however, an exception to the rule. YouTube allows the original poster of a video to download it in the form of an MP4. They’ll only let you do this two or three times before the option disappears, but it comes back eventually and then you can do it again. But if you’re the one who did the upload, you probably already have a copy, so it’s kind of redundant. And it doesn’t make it possible to download someone else’s content.
If you do a search of this article’s keywords you’ll find many ways to download from YT to your computer. These downloading sites are generally free of charge, although a few do charge a fee. Some are so easy to use, all you have to do is put in the URL for the video you’re interested in and click ‘download’. Once the transfer is made, the file just needs to be saved and it’s ready to be played.
Other programs are somewhat more involved, with the requirement that you change the name of the file you’ve downloaded and add an extension to the file name. Some of these sites are full of banner ads and pop-ups, which can be distracting to the task at hand. Others are free of ads and seem much easier to navigate.
After testing several of these download sites, the one that was easiest and most hassle free (no pop-ups, etc.)seemed to work best. Just type in (or copy and paste) the URL, click download, save and play your new vid. No problems were encountered and the copy was just a good as the original.
If you can download YouTube videos or music it’s a great way to fill up an MP4 player or your computer hared-drive with your favorite stuff. If your intention is just to enjoy and share the videos with friends it shouldn’t be a big deal. If your purpose is geared towards somehow profiting financially from these downloads… Well, that’s a different story. Let your conscience by your guide.
If you are interested in downloading YouTube videos, you can find information on as well as other tools, tips, resources and best practices for online video marketing at ReelSEO.com – the
When hosting videos on your own site, keep your videos one per page and put all the pages with videos into one directory. This combined with a video sitemap will help search engines find and index all of your important videos.
