How to download music from YouTube Music for free
YouTube Music is Google's music streaming platform. It has more songs than Spotify in many catalogs, especially regional music, covers, and remixes. The problem: you need YouTube Music Premium to download offline. In this guide I'll show you how to get your songs as MP3 without paying a subscription.
YouTube Music vs. regular YouTube
Many people get confused on this. Technical truth:
- YouTube Music is a separate app with a music-focused interface
- The songs on YouTube Music are the same as on regular YouTube
- Some are auto-generated: YouTube extracts only audio from videos to show as "songs"
- YouTube Music links (music.youtube.com) are processable just like regular YouTube
So yes, YTSavr works perfectly for downloading what you listen on YouTube Music.
How to download YouTube Music songs
1. Get the song link
From the YouTube Music app
- Tap the song you want to download
- Tap the 3 dots button next to the title
- Pick Share
- Select Copy link
From music.youtube.com (PC)
Play the song and copy the URL from the address bar.
2. Paste it in YTSavr
Go to ytsavr.com, paste the link and tap Search video. You'll see the song with album art and options.
3. Pick Audio MP3
For music, always pick Audio MP3 instead of a video format. You'll get:
- Size ~3-8 MB per song
- Quality up to 256 kbps
- Compatible with any player
4. Download
Tap Download. In 5-10 seconds the MP3 is ready.
Download full albums
On YouTube Music, each album is technically a playlist:
- Open the album on YouTube Music
- Tap Share on the album (not a single song)
- Copy the link
- Paste in YTSavr
- Pick Audio MP3 quality and download the whole playlist
Files come numbered by album order: 01_first-song.mp3, 02_second-song.mp3, etc.
Audio quality
YouTube Music has several levels:
- Standard (free): 128 kbps AAC
- Premium: 256 kbps AAC
- Some "high quality" tracks: up to 256 kbps
YTSavr downloads the max publicly available quality, generally 192-256 kbps. Plenty for most uses.
Metadata: artists, albums, covers
A drawback of downloading with YTSavr is that MP3 files come without full ID3 metadata (artist, album, year, cover). To add metadata:
MP3Tag (Windows, free)
Classic software for editing metadata. Select your MP3s, enter artist/album/year/cover and save.
Kid3 (Linux/Mac/Windows, free)
Cross-platform, does the same as MP3Tag.
iTunes / Apple Music (Mac/Windows)
Import the MP3s, right-click → "Get Info", fill in the data.
Building your offline library
A popular strategy:
- Download your favorite songs as MP3
- Organize in folders by artist/album
- Add metadata with MP3Tag
- Sync with your player (Apple Music, VLC, Foobar2000, etc.)
- Have your offline library without depending on internet or subscriptions
Comparison with paid services
| Feature | YouTube Music Premium | YTSavr |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $10/month | Free |
| No ads | Yes | Yes |
| Offline download | Yes (in-app) | Yes (real MP3 file) |
| Background play | Yes | Yes (with MP3) |
| Max quality | 256 kbps AAC | Same (downloaded) |
| Full catalog | Yes | Public only |
| Smart curation | Yes | No |
Frequently asked questions
Is YouTube Music different from regular YouTube?
Technically the same platform. YouTube Music is a separate app with a music-optimized interface, but songs live on YouTube. What you download with YTSavr works the same.
Does it work with songs only on YouTube Music?
Yes, if the song has a public accessible link. Some YouTube Music Premium exclusives with DRM can't be processed.
Can I download full albums?
Yes, if they exist as a playlist on YouTube. Paste the album playlist link and download everything as MP3 at once.
Is the quality the same as the YouTube Music app?
Yes. YouTube Music Premium serves up to 256 kbps AAC. We download that same quality and convert to MP3.