How to Listen to YouTube Music Offline: Multiple Methods

Using the in-app offline streaming functions of the YouTube Music Premium service, you can listen to YouTube music offline on designated devices, including Windows, Mac and mobile. However, to break the barrier of device dependency, time limitations, or other restrictions of YouTube Music Premium, you should try the different tools and enjoy your favorite YouTube Music forever in your offline entertainment. Here, you have the tools, along with their insights and a step-by-step guide.

How to Listen to YouTube Music Offline With YouTube Music Premium on Desktop

Using YouTube Music Web Player

Using YouTube Music Web Player

Step 1: Using your preferred web browser, search for and open the YouTube Music website.

open the YouTube Music website.

Step 2: Log in to your official YouTube Music account using authentic credentials. Then, look for YouTube Music content, such as albums, songs, music videos, and podcasts, for offline saving.

Look for YouTube Music content

Step 3: Click on the “Three Dots” sign. From the dropdown list, select the “Download” option.

Challenges

  • The downloaded content is DRM-protected
  • You have to take the premium plan
  • The download comes with an expiry date of 30 days
  • It supports maximum output quality up to 256 Kbps
  • Some downloads are restricted to a certain region
  • Some content has license restrictions

Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational use only. It supports the legal use of digital content, such as royalty-free or Creative Commons material, or content for which you have obtained permission to use. Always follow copyright laws. Ensure to respect the rights of creators. Remember that downloading or sharing copyrighted material without permission is a violation of the law. And may lead to legal consequences. Check local copyright regulations.

How to Listen to YouTube Music Offline Without Premium on a Desktop

MusicFab YouTube Music Converter

Trustpilot Ratings: 4.5/5

Best For: Flexible tool with multiple functions and customizations, download YouTube Music to computer.

Pros

  • Enjoy high-speed and ads-free downloading in 20X speed
  • Remove encryption from any content from YouTube or YouTube Music
  • Locate your desired YouTube music content inside MusicFab with built-in browser support
  • Save content permanently with ID3-tag integration with lyrics and subtitles saving option
  • Download YouTube Music content in MP3, FLAC, WAV or other formats
  • Save content from YouTube free or premium version in batches
  • Download YouTube Music World 320 Kbps high-quality with output quality selection option

Cons

  • The free version can save only 3 songs with no limits.

Working Steps With MusicFab YouTube Music Converter

Step 1: After launching the MusicFab program from the official website, navigate to the main interface of the program. Under the VIP Service Section, select the YouTube Music icon box.

select the YouTube Music icon box

Step 2: Use the built-in web player to navigate your preferred YouTube Music content, including songs, albums, playlists, etc. Go to the Download settings, and a pop-up window with “Download Option” will be opened.

Download settings

Step 3: Under “Download Option,” select the output format and quality to download the content instantly. Click the “Download” box on the right side below. For a later saving option, you can keep the content in the “Add to Queue” box. Then you can find the task process on the task manager.

 task manager

How to Listen to YouTube Music Offline For Free

SaveTube ( Online Tool)

SaveTube ( Online Tool)

Step 1: Copy the content link you want to save offline from YouTube Music and paste it into the input field in the SaveTube tool.

Copy the content link

Step 2: Hit the “Convert MP3” option > wait for a while to complete the conversion and downloading process of the pasted files.

Hit the “Convert MP3” option

Challenges

  • Only one output format, MP3, is supported
  • No batch processing is available
  • Output audio quality can't be selected
  • Pop-up ads with multiple redirects to unwanted websites

Browser Extension: Addoncrop YouTube Downloader

Addoncrop YouTube Downloader

Step 1: Open Chrome browser on your system > find https://addoncrop.com/v26/youtube-downloader/ > select “Add to Chrome.”

Step 2: After that, follow the given prompts for the Foxified extension. Then, follow the instructions again and grant permission to install the YouTube Downloader Extension.

Click the “MP3 Converter” icon

Step 3: Now, open the YouTube Music website and select the content file of your choice to save as an MP3. Click the “MP3 Converter” icon, which resembles a musical note.

select the “Download” option

Step 4: Next, expand the panel to customize the video by selecting audio bitrate and trimming the video length. Lastly, select the “Download” option to end the downloading process.

Challenges

  • You can download YouTube Music content with limited length and size
  • Users encounter risks of malware, adware, data tracking, etc
  • The output audio quality is not satisfactory
  • Annoying ads, redirections, and pop-ups disturb your downloading experience.

3. Use Audacity to Record YouTube Music

Use Audacity to Record YouTube Music

Step 1: After installing the Audacity recorder on your computer, launch the program, open it, and navigate to the “Audio Setup” option. Before initiating recording, adjust the settings.

Step 2: Click “Host” under “Audio Setup,” then select “WASAPI.” Next, select the “recording device” option and choose the “Stereo Mix” (Realtek High-Definition Audio), which refers to the virtual input device in Audacity for recording audio playing in the background.

WASAPI

Step 3: Next, click on the “Red” recording option to begin the recording process. Open the YouTube Music service > select and play the content you want to download. After a while, when the playback is over, go back to Audacity to choose the “Stop” option.

Step 4: For further customization, play the audio and cut the unrequired part of the recordings > move to the menu bar at the upper side > select “File” and then “Export Audio.” Next, a pop-up box will appear, allowing you to select the file name, output format, and destination folder.

Step 5: You can further customize the settings by adjusting various factors, such as bitrate, sample rate, and channels. Finally, choose “Export” to convert the selected file to your desired format and download the converted file to your computer.

Challenges

  • Metadata integration is not possible
  • Cloud-saving option Or real-time collaboration is not available
  • It doesn't support any professional or advanced features like VST3 plug-in, spectral editing, etc
  • Users have found difficulty while handling large files or multiple files
  • It delivers recorded output with background noise and distortion
  • It needs manual adjustments to balance the loudness

How to Listen to YouTube Music Offline With a Premium on Mobile

Use the Smart Download Option on Mobile

Step 1: Launch and open the YouTube Music app on your mobile device. Click on the “Profile icon,” then select “Download.” Next, click “Settings” located at the top.

Use the Smart Download Option on Mobile

Step 2: Once you “Toggle On” the smart download option, immediately the download process will be started. Under the “Download” option, you will locate and manage all of your downloads.

Challenges

  • It consumes lots of device storage while automatically downloading up to 500 videos.
  • It often downloads random and irrelevant content depending on your previous history.
  • You can't control the output video quality, which is often of lower quality.
  • It requires an expensive YouTube Music premium option
  • It works only on mobile, and downloads get deleted once you cancel the premium subscription
  • It can't download any playlists

2. Use Manual Download on Mobile

Step 1: After subscribing to YouTube Music on your mobile, open the app and locate the song, playlists, and albums of your choice for offline saving by browsing through categories or using the search bar.

Use Manual Download on Mobile

Step 2: After selecting your desired YouTube Music content, click on the “Three Dots” Menu sign next to your selected content. A dropdown menu will be shown > select “Download” from there.

Step 3: Your selected Music file will be saved on your mobile device. You will find all your downloads under the “Library” option in your YouTube Music app.

Challenges

  • There is no batch download or auto-download option
  • You can't select output audio quality
  • You have to take the premium plan to avail of this function
  • To free up device storage space, you have to delete downloads manually

Compact Comparison Table with Multiple Methods

To gain a better understanding of these methods according to your needs, review the quick highlights of the comparison table. The various facts and factors in this table will help you determine the best-suited tool to meet your specific downloading requirements.

Get a Quick Result

  • For streaming and downloading music easily on a desktop without installing third-party apps: YouTube Music Web Player
  • For downloading and converting YouTube Music tracks losslessly in multiple formats for offline use: MusicFab YouTube Music Converter
  • For quickly downloading YouTube Music online without installing software: SaveTube ( Online Tool)
  • For downloading YouTube Music directly from your browser quickly: Addoncrop YouTube Downloader (Browser Extension)
  • For recording and editing audio tracks with professional features: Audacity
  • For automatically downloading recommended YouTube music for offline listening on mobile: Smart Download Option on Mobile
  • For choosing and downloading specific songs for offline mobile listening: Manual Download on Mobile

 

Method Name DRM Protection Remover

Permanent Downloads

Audio Quality Speed Format Region Restrictions
YouTube Music Web Player

 

No

No (Only In-app Downloads)

 

256 kbps 10x AAC/Opus Yes
MusicFab YouTube Music Converter Yes Yes 320 kbps 20x MP3/M4A/FLAC/WAV/OPUS No
Audacity No Yes 128 kbps 10x WAV/AIFF/MP3 No
SaveTube No Yes 128 kbps 2X MP3 No
Addoncrop YouTube Downloader (Browser Extension) No Yes 128 kbps 2X AVI/FLV/WebM/MP4/MP3 No
Smart Download Option No No (Only In-app Downloads) 256 kbps 10x AAC/Opus Yes
Manual Download No No (Only In-app Downloads) 256 kbps 10x AAC/Opus Yes

Conclusion

Now, you have multiple answers to the most asked questions, can you listen to YouTube Music offline? Different methods, tools, and options come with their own set of challenges. Therefore, you must opt for one that serves multiple purposes for offline streaming, such as high-quality output, permanent download with all device compatibility, ad-free listening, and encryption-free listening, among others. In that case, MusicFab YouTube Music Converter is the best option.

FAQs

  1. What is The Difference Between YouTube Music and YouTube Premium?

YouTube Music is a dedicated service that streams only music content, including music, songs, podcasts, music videos, albums, and more. However, the YouTube Premium service comes with a subscription at $13.99 per month. It includes YouTube and YouTube Music, along with some exclusive features such as offline downloads, background play, and others.

  1. Can I Listen to YouTube Music Offline on Multiple Devices?

Yes, with the YouTube Music Premium plan, can you listen to YouTube Music offline on multiple devices, provided you are logged in to these devices with the same account. YouTube Music lets you listen to your favorite content offline on up to 10 devices.