There's a good chance you've used -- and uploaded content to -- YouTube. According to research from the digital marketing firm Global Media Insight, over 2.7 billion people use the online video platform every month. YouTube says over 20 billion total videos have been uploaded to its platform, with over 20 million videos uploaded every day.
If you're going somewhere with limited internet or trying to conserve data -- like hopping on a plane -- you might want to download some YouTube videos to entertain yourself. Subscribing to YouTube Premium ($14 a month) is the easiest and most legitimate way to download videos to your device. However, this method can limit how you access and watch those videos, restricting you to a single device and browser or app. So, depending on your needs, you might have to resort to a different technique.
There are other ways to watch YouTube videos offline, but you should be concerned about the legal ramifications of using these methods. Downloading and using copyrighted material can be illegal, like when you're directly profiting off the video. But there are some cases where using a video could be legal, like using a video for non-profit, educational purposes under fair use. If you're downloading a video of your own from YouTube -- maybe you deleted the original copy and need to edit a section, then re-upload -- you'd want a version of the video that you could freely transfer.
What YouTube's Terms of Service say about downloading videos
YouTube's terms of service sound harsh. According to the terms of service, you're not allowed to "access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise use any … Content except: (a) as expressly authorized by the Service; or (b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicable, the respective rights holders."
In other words, don't steal videos from YouTube. Or anywhere else, for that matter. You don't want to tango with YouTube and Google's lawyers, and the legal repercussions can be severe.
Here's how to download YouTube videos to view offline.
YouTube Premium is the easiest, most legit way to save videos for offline viewing
YouTube Premium is more than just an ad-free way to watch your favorite content creators. For $14 a month, you can access YouTube Music, play videos in the background on mobile while using other apps and download videos to watch later, even while offline.
There is a YouTube Premium Lite subscription plan that costs $8 a month, but that tier only lets you watch videos ad-free, so you can't download videos for offline viewing.
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