Download YouTube Music songs as MP3
Save YouTube Music tracks, albums and playlists as MP3 or lossless audio straight from the desktop app — no converter websites, no browser extensions.
Converter websites are slow, covered in ads, and cap you at 128 kbps. The desktop app’s Downloader plugin does the same job locally: it pulls the source audio, hands it to FFmpeg, and writes a tagged file to a folder you choose.
This takes about two minutes to set up and then works for single tracks, whole albums and entire playlists.
Steps
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Install the desktop app
Download YouTube Music Desktop App for Windows, macOS or Linux and launch it.
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Enable the Downloader plugin
Open the menu, go to Plugins, and switch on Downloader. The app reloads with a download button added to the interface.
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Choose your format and quality
In the Downloader plugin options, pick a container — MP3 at 320 kbps for maximum compatibility, or Opus / M4A to keep the original audio without re-encoding — and set the folder downloads should go to.
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Download a track, album or playlist
Play or open what you want, then use the download button. On an album or playlist page the same button queues every track, each one tagged with title, artist and cover art.
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Check the output folder
Files land in the folder you configured, with playlists in their own subfolder. They play in any music app and copy to a phone or DAP like any other file.
Tips
- Choosing Opus or M4A avoids a re-encode, so the file is a bit-for-bit copy of what YouTube served — better quality than MP3 at the same size.
- If FFmpeg is missing on your system, the plugin will tell you; installing it once fixes every format.
- Large playlists download sequentially. Leave the app open until the queue drains.
Frequently asked questions
Is downloading from YouTube Music legal?
It depends on your jurisdiction and on the licence of the material. Downloading public-domain works, Creative Commons releases or your own uploads is generally fine; redistributing copyrighted music is not. YouTube’s Terms of Service also restrict downloading without permission, so use it accordingly.
What audio quality can I get?
The plugin can save the source stream untouched (typically Opus around 128–256 kbps, which is what YouTube Music actually serves), or transcode to MP3 up to 320 kbps. Transcoding never adds quality that was not in the source.
Can I download a whole playlist at once?
Yes. Open the playlist and use the download action in its header — every track is queued with tags and artwork.
Do downloads work without a Premium subscription?
The plugin does not use the Premium offline feature; it saves the stream the player receives, so it does not require a subscription.