YouTube Video Downloader: Save Videos and Shorts as MP4

Marukit's YouTube Video Downloader is a free web tool that saves public YouTube videos and Shorts as MP4 files, with no app or sign-up. Paste a youtube.com or youtu.be link and pick a quality.

Works with public posts from TikTok, Facebook, X, Pinterest and YouTube.

We fetch the video from the platform when you press Download and delete our copy as soon as it has been sent to you. We don't keep a record of the links you paste.

About this tool

It works with youtube.com watch links, youtube.com/shorts/ links, short youtu.be links from the share menu, and m.youtube.com links. Choose MP4 (best quality) or one of up to four sizes between 2160p and 360p that the video has. YouTube downloads are video only: there is no MP3 option. Playlists, channels, live streams that are still running, and age-restricted, private or members-only videos can't be downloaded.

Only download videos you own or have permission to use, and respect the creator's copyright. Private posts can't be downloaded.

How to use the YouTube Video Downloader

Open the post in the YouTube app or website and tap Share, then Copy link.
Paste the link into the box above and press Download.
Pick MP4 in the quality you want.
The file saves to your Downloads folder. On iPhone, open Files > Downloads.

How to download YouTube videos on iPhone

In the YouTube app, tap Share under the video (on a Short, the Share arrow on the right), then Copy link.
Open Safari and go to marukit.com/tools/youtube-video-downloader.
Tap Paste (or tap the box and choose Paste). The video is found automatically.
Tap MP4 and confirm the download in Safari.
Open the Files app, then Downloads. To put a video in Photos, open it, tap Share, then Save Video.

How to download YouTube videos on Android

In the YouTube app, tap Share under the video (on a Short, the Share arrow on the right), then Copy link.
Open Chrome and go to marukit.com/tools/youtube-video-downloader.
Tap Paste, or long-press the box and choose Paste.
Choose MP4. The file saves to Downloads and shows up in your Files or Gallery app.

How to download YouTube videos on a PC or Mac

Open the post on the YouTube website and copy the address from the address bar, or use Share and Copy link.
Paste it into the box at the top of this page with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on Mac). It starts by itself.
Click MP4. The file goes to your Downloads folder.

Tips for YouTube

Links that look like youtube.com/watch?v=…, youtu.be/…, youtube.com/shorts/… and m.youtube.com work.
A link copied from a playlist or mix has '&list=' in it. That's fine: only the video you were watching is downloaded.
Choose 'MP4 (best quality)' for a file that plays on any phone. Pick 720p or 480p for a smaller file to send on WhatsApp.
A live stream can be downloaded once it has ended and YouTube has saved it as a normal video, if it's under the length limit.
Only save videos you made or have the creator's permission to use. Want the picture YouTube shows before the video plays? Use the YouTube Thumbnail Downloader.

Download not working? Quick fixes

Make sure the post is public: open the link in a private browser window. If it asks you to log in, it can't be downloaded.
Copy the link to a single post, not a profile or a search page.
Wait a minute and try again: platforms sometimes slow down requests for a short time.

Supported formats

Input: Links to public YouTube videos and Shorts (youtube.com, youtu.be)
Output: MP4 (H.264 where available)
Processing: Fetched by our server, deleted as soon as it is sent to you

Limitations

Only public videos and Shorts work. Age-restricted, private, members-only and deleted videos can't be fetched.
One video per link: playlists and channels aren't supported. Live streams can be downloaded only after they have ended.
Video only (MP4): YouTube videos can't be saved as MP3.
YouTube changes often. If YouTube changes something, downloads may fail for a while until we update.
Videos longer than 60 minutes or larger than 300 MB are refused, to keep the service fast for everyone.

Frequently asked questions

Can I download YouTube videos as MP3?

No. The YouTube downloader saves video only, as MP4. There is no MP3 or audio-only option for YouTube links.

Can I download YouTube Shorts?

Yes. Paste a youtube.com/shorts/ link, or the link from Share > Copy link in the app. The Short downloads as a vertical MP4.

What quality will the video be?

You choose from the sizes YouTube has for that video, up to four between 2160p and 360p. MP4 (best quality) picks the sharpest version in H.264, which plays everywhere; on YouTube that is usually up to 1080p. 1440p and 2160p are usually stored in newer formats (VP9 or AV1) that some older phones and editors can't play. Nothing is upscaled.

Can I download a whole playlist or channel?

No. Paste the link to one video at a time. If you copied a video from a playlist, only that video is downloaded, not the rest of the list.

Can I download age-restricted, private or members-only videos?

No. YouTube only shows these to signed-in viewers, and Marukit never signs in, so they can't be downloaded here.

Is it free?

Yes, free with no sign-up and no app to install.

Do you store the videos I download?

No. The file is deleted from our server as soon as it has been sent to your device.

Why did my download fail?

Age-restricted, private and members-only videos need a YouTube sign-in, so they always fail here, and live streams fail until they have ended. Other common causes are listed under Quick fixes on this page.

Is downloading videos legal?

Download only videos you own or have permission to use. Re-uploading someone else's content can break copyright law and the platform's rules.