Top 8 Best YouTube Audio Downloaders for Windows (Free & Pro)
YouTube, the largest media platform globally, offers not only captivating videos but also miscellaneous music, audiobooks, podcasts and more. Want to enjoy your favorite YouTube audio offline and on repeat, regardless of location or time? You need to find a way to download and store it locally.
We've put together a roundup of the top 8 best YouTube audio downloaders for Windows, ranked after testing, to help you download audio from YouTube to your computer safely and quickly.
Why You Need a Pro YouTube Audio Downloader?
There are several different ways you can download YouTube audio on PC, such as using converter sites, downloader apps, browser extensions or command-line program youtube-dl. Of all the methods, dedicated YouTube audio downloader software proves to be the most reliable and effective way to download YouTube audio without hassle. Here are some reasons why:
- Extract audio from YouTube videos with the original quality and provide bitrate options.
- Batch processing, so you can easily download multiple tracks at once and even download entire playlists with one click.
- Easy to use and much safer than online tools, with no annoying pop-ups or viruses.
- Convert YouTube audio to other desired formats. YouTube encodes audio in M4A and WebM (OPUS), a professional downloader allows you to save the original audio stream and also convert to popular audio formats such as MP3, OGG.
- Download audio from private content, such as YouTube Mix, "Like Videos" and premium-only content.
If you have the above needs and requirements, do not miss our curated list of top YouTube audio downloaders below!
8 Best YouTube Audio Downloaders for Windows
#1. Cisdem Video Converter
Best all-in-one tool to download, convert, and edit video from YouTube or other 1000+ sites. Support batch process and keep original quality. Safe and easy to use.
Latest version: 2.12.0, released in March 2024
Official download link: https://download.cisdem.com/cisdem-videoconverter.exe
Cisdem Video Converter is a preeminent YouTube audio downloader for Windows 10/11 that you should consider. It provides an easy way to download audio from YouTube on PC so that you can enjoy the sound without restrictions.
Just enter the URL of an individual YouTube video, playlist, channel, short, or podcast into the software. It also allows you to batch download music from YouTube by adding multiple URLs at once.
Whether it is a 1080p, 4k, 5k, or 8k YouTube video, Cisdem Video Converter can extract audio from it and keep Hi-Res audio kbps, giving you high-quality sound entertainment.
The app enables you to bulk download YouTube music to M4A (mp4a) and WebM (opus), or convert YouTube audio to MP3, FLAC, ALAC, OGG, AIFF and more popular audio formats according to your purpose.
You can access advanced audio settings to change its parameters. There are more customization features to edit the downloaded audio, such as merging and trimming audio, increase or decrease the volume, etc.
Not only is Cisdem Video Converter a YouTube audio downloader for PC, but also a YouTube video downloader. It's able to download YouTube videos to MP4, 3GP, WebM, MOV, MKV, AVI or any video format you want.
Don't be overwhelmed by this powerful and versatile program. Instead, it provides a clear and intuitive interface, so that anyone can master it immediately.
Compatibility:
Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7; 64-bit
Advantages:
- Extract audio from any YouTube clip, and convert YouTube audio and video files to 600+ formats
- Also download music and videos from Vimeo, Facebook, SoundCloud, Instagram, and 1000+ websites
- Multithreaded download with 30X faster speed, saving your precious time
- Multiple output quality options are available, including the original
- Offer rich editing functions to customize the files
- Can also rip DVD discs, both encrypted and homemade ones
- Super easy to use and no ads
Disadvantages:
- Not support OS before Windows 7
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
#2. 4K Video Downloader+
Best for download private media from YouTube with its inbuilt browser.
Latest version: 1.6.0., released in May 2024
Official website: https://www.4kdownload.com/products/videodownloader-42
4K Video Downloader+ is a popular YouTube audio downloader for Windows. It can save YouTube videos, playlists and channels as M4A, MP3, and OGG files. It offers a Smart Mode feature for you to download audio from YouTube on Windows 10/11 simpler and faster.
The app is the successor of 4K Video Downloader. It has completely refactored its code to add an in-app browser. With the new version, you can access and download videos and audios from various websites like Bilibili, Navar, Facebook, Twitch, and others, all within the app. It also allows you to log in to your account to access and download private & premium content with the browser.
If you only need to download audio, another product 4K YouTube to MP3 is also a good option, more lightweight without the video download feature.
Compatibility:
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP; both 32- and 64-bit
Advantages:
- Support YouTube and other 10 mainstream media websites
- 30 daily downloads for free users
- Offer built-In Browser
- Support 13 kinds of UI language
Disadvantages:
- Analyze the URL slowly
- Some features are only available on the pro version such as downloading YouTube Premium HQ audio
- Can't download YouTube audio in batches, even the paid version can only download files up to 7 at the same time
- A few output audio formats supported
- Ads appear when the software starts
#3. MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter
Best free YouTube to MP3 music downloader that can customize metadata and cover art image.
Latest version: 3.9.9.92, released in May 2024
Official website: https://www.mediahuman.com/youtube-to-mp3/
MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter is a great free YouTube audio downloader for Windows users, which helps you download music from a YouTube playlist or channel. It allows you to download YouTube to original M4A audio, or convert to MP3, OGG and WAV with a specified audio quality up to 320 kbps. It offers a simple interface and supports batch downloading YouTube audios to save your time. A highlight feature of it is that it offers a tracking feature to detect new content from the playlist and channel you have subscribed and download them automatically.
Compatibility:
Windows 11/10/8/7; 32bit/64bit
Advantages:
- Download multiple files simultaneously
- Offer a simple tag editor to store and archive the downloaded files in a better way
- Also download audio from Vimeo, Mixcloud, etc.
- Support exporting downloaded files to iTunes/Music app
- Support multiple languages
Disadvantages:
- Take long time to parse out the target URL
- Fail to get the file sometimes
#4. ClipGrab
Best donationware and open source audio download manager.
Latest version: 3.9.10, released in Jan. 2024
Official website: https://clipgrab.org/
ClipGrab is another user-friendly free downloader that can download audios from YouTube, Dailymotion, Facebook, etc. on Windows. Also, except for the original file formats, it allows you to convert the file to MPEG 4, WMV, OGG and MP3 formats. Unlike other YouTube audio downloaders for Windows, this App offers a search section in the app that permits people to look for desired videos without opening a browser.
Compatibility:
Windows 11, 10, 7, 8/8.1; 64 bit/32 bit
Advantages:
- Easy to use with the clear interface
- Offer clipboard monitoring to detect the copied URL automatically
- Provide a search function
Disadvantages:
- The search section only shows 12 results
- The download speed needs to improve
- Need the help of third-party plugin (youtube-dl)
- Can't recognize a playlist URL
#5. Any Video Converter
Best option for adding downloaded YouTube audio to any video.
Latest version: 8.2.6, released in March 2024
Official website: https://www.any-video-converter.com/any-video-converter-free.html
Any Video Converter is a combination of video/audio converter, downloader plus editor. It can download YouTube audio to MP3, M4A and OPUS, and also convert to all popular formats after download. Note that the freeware version only allows you to save YouTube audio at 128 kbps or lower, or you can upgrade to the Pro version to get high quality. This audio downloader also provides various tools to enhance and modify your downloaded media, such as splitting audio from video, adding audio to video as BGM, adjusting audio volume and effects, etc.
Compatibility:
Windows 11, 10, 8, 7
Advantages:
- Download YouTube audio and video for free
- Various output formats
- Offer various editing features
Disadvantages:
- May fail to read the URL
- High quality option is only available for Pro users
#6. VideoHunter
Best for downloading YouTube audio without region restrictions by setting up in-app proxy.
Latest version: 2.32.5, released in July 2023
Official website: https://www.videohunter.net/
Video Hunter is a powerful downloader that is specifically produced to grab online videos, music or sound from various media sites. It allows you to batch download YouTube videos to MP3 or MP4 to enjoy them offline, ad-free.
When using it for the first time, you must log in with your email. If you are not an upgraded user, it limits your downloads to a maximum of 3 files per day and prohibits you from downloading YouTube playlist. Even, it limits you to save a video up to 480P resolution if you use it to download YouTube videos on Windows.
Compatibility:
Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista
Advantages:
- Work with 1000+ websites
- Built-in proxy settings to bypass restrictions of YouTube clips blocked in your region
Disadvantages:
- Require registration
- Limited features for the free trail version
- No conversion and editing tools
#7. DVDVideoSoft Free YouTube to MP3 Converter
The most intuitive YouTube audio downloader for Windows.
Latest version: 4.3.117.506, released in May 2024
Official website: https://www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-youtube-to-mp3-converter
Despite its name containing "Free," it is not genuinely freeware, but contains in-app purchases to get the full version. Similar to other tools, this YouTube audio converter supports downloading separate links and playlists from YouTube in bulk. It can download YouTube audio to MP3 with different quality levels, and also convert to other formats like M4A, FLAC, AAC, OGG and WAV.
In addition, it offers a "Search" and a "Trending music" section to let you browse and download popular YouTube music within the app.
Compatibility:
Windows 11/10/8/7/XP SP3
Advantages:
- Batch download YouTube videos and playlists to audio
- Download the original stream and convert to various lossy and lossless formats
Disadvantages:
- Can only download from YouTube
- Download YouTube playlist or channel is a paid service
- Download speed of free version is super slow
- Pop up ads from time to time
#8. aTube Catcher
Best free YT audio downloader to download/record YT audio and burn it to CD.
Latest version: 3.8.9991, released in August 2022
Official website: https://www.atube.me/
If you are looking for a free YouTube audio downloader for Windows, aTube Cather, a versatile freeware, is a viable choice. This free tool can download music from YouTube, Spike, RTVE and 1000+ media sharing websites. It also enables people to download YouTube music to MP3 or other popular audio formats, like VOB, OGG, etc.
However, it does not always analyze the URL successfully. In this case, you can utilize the screen capture tool or audio recorder function to record and save the audio file you want.
Compatibility:
XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
Advantages:
- Multifunctional tool
- Support a wealth of websites and output formats
- Can also handle DVD and Blu-ray discs
Disadvantages:
- Tricky installation, come with unwanted software and need long time to install
- Take a long time to analyze the pasted link
- Only work on Windows system
- Cannot download YouTube playlist
How to Download YouTube Audio to Windows with the Best Computer App
By comparing these 8 YouTube audio downloaders for Windows in terms of ease of use, download speed, quality, supported websites, output formats and additional features, we found that Cisdem Video Converter should be an ideal option for most users. Now, let's take it as an example and see how it works.
Step 1. Download and install the app.
Get the latest version of Cisdem Video Converter on your PC.
Run it, it shows you the conversion interface with 3 tabs. Switch to the "download" interface by clicking 
.
Step 2. Copy the URL of a YouTube video.
Visit YouTube website through a browser on your computer, find any video, music or playlist you want to rip audio from, and right-click on it to copy the URL by selecting "Copy video URL".
Step 3. Paste the URL.
Go back to Cisdem, paste the copied URL into the bottom address bar, and hit the "+" icon to parse out the URL. To add multiple links at once, click the hamburger button in the top right corner and select "Add URLs".
Step 4. Choose an output format.
Click the drop-down icon of the Format box. Choose an audio format such as "m4a(mp4a)", and higher bitrate, better quality.
Step 5. Click the "Download" icon.
Hit the "Download" icon at the bottom right corner to start downloading audio from YouTube on PC simultaneously.
Tips to convert YouTube to MP3 or other audio format:
After downloading, click to the tick icon to find the just downloaded YouTube audios on your computer. Then, drag them to the first interface of Cisdem, which is for converting. You can choose any output format from the expanding format list according to your need. Finally, click "convert" icon to make the conversion.
Summary
YouTube audio download is mainly about extracting audio from videos and saving songs from YouTube Music. With these 8 best YouTube audio downloaders for Windows, you should now be able to save YouTube audio to your hard drive effortlessly and enjoy them anytime, especially when you have no internet connection.
What's more, if you're a content creator, YouTube provides a free audio library of over 600 music tracks and sound effects, all available for free download in MP3 320 kbps. Visit youtube.com/audiolibrary to explore if you're interested.
Finally, downloading copyrighted content from YouTube is generally not legal. To ensure fair use, please keep the downloaded audio for personal listening and archival purposes only and do not use it for profit.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What's the NO.1 pro YouTube music downloader for Windows?
Cisdem Video Converter. It lets you batch download audio from YouTube on Windows in high quality. Plus, it supports downloading videos from diverse websites, freeing you up from downloading extra programs when you meet desired videos or audios from other sites.
2. What's the NO.1 free YouTube audio downloader for PC?
MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter. Many programs claim to be able to download YouTube to sound for free, but actually, they only allow you to download limited content. As for Mediahuman, it does save budgets.
3. Can I download YouTube audio on PC with online tools?
Yes, you can use keepvid.to and y2mate.com to save YouTube to MP3, no installation is required. But be careful of pop-up ads and do not click on redirect pages.
4. Can I download audio from YouTube on PC using Chrome and Firefox extension?
Yes. Though YouTube has changed its policy to restrict Chrome extensions from downloading YouTube media in recent years, there are still third-party YouTube music downloaders, like Addoncrop and Tampermonkey, available.
5. What's the safest way to download audio from YouTube to computer?
Using a pro app like Cisdem Video Converter and 4K Video Downloader.
Megan has an impressive deal of experience with Mac software and has the ability to explain tech stuff in a simplified, straightforward and easy to understand way.
