Gone are the days of the good old vinyl and cassettes. Well, many like them and use them still but now we are always on the go! Vinyl or cassettes don’t really make a mark in this age of technology. YouTube is the Holy Grail which helps us sail through our days while commuting or doing daily chores or even while working and studying.
All is well with YouTube but it doesn’t really allow us to download videos. Forget converting them to MP3 audio files directly from YouTube. Salt on the bruise, if there’s no internet then there is no way on Earth (thanks to YouTube) that you can enjoy YouTube unless you have a premium subscription that allows offline viewing.
Honestly, it is always easy to tune into the music that you love from a favorite playlist on iPod or from an MP3 player, or perhaps your phone where you store all your favorite music files.
So, if you are looking for a way out, converting YouTube videos to MP3 format and put them in your favorite device, you need third-party tools. There are many such services that you access easily. One of the easiest ways of doing that is to go online, ask Google and it will give you an assortment of websites that will allow you to rip the MP3 version of the audio file from your favorite YouTube video.
One downside of using websites is that you can only convert one video at a time and it is kind of annoying to see dozens of unsolicited ads on those web pages. Thus, I will skip them from this list. Rather, I will speak of tools or programs that you can install on your PC or Mac and get the job done with absolute ease!
Shall we start?
1. iTube Go Youtube Converter
iTube Go is a very powerful video and audio downloader. It lets you download HD, 8K, 4K, 2K, 1080p, 720p, 480p videos from multiple sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Facebook, Dailymotion, TikTok, etc. It provides multiple speed options like 128 kbps, 256 kbps, 2 Mbps, 6 Mbps, etc. which you can choose depending on your computer’s performance. There is a Turbo-fast mode which allows you to download a video of over 2 hours in just few minutes.
You can also download multiple videos in bulk. You can download as many videos as you want and even download a whole playlist! It has a built-in web browser that makes searching for videos sites easy for you. You can directly download videos within this browser.
It also helps you convert the audio formats to the formats that are suitable for various devices like iPod, iPad, iPhone, etc. It provides a private video space and a password-protected folder. You can save the videos and keep others from watching them. Apart from MP3, other formats available are MP4, MOV, WMV, HEVC MKV, Android Phone, iPhone, etc.
Once you install the application, the first thing you will see is this:
On the right-hand side, you can see the ‘Register’ button. If you have a license or if you want to try the premium version for 30 days, you can register. It is needless to say, you will get more features in the premium version.
If you want to go for the free version, then you can proceed to paste any URL and start downloading. Here you get the choice of choosing the format that you want to save the video/audio in. In the free version, you just get the MP3 format. But if you want more, you can always go for the paid version.
Then you click on the ‘Paste URL’ button and add any URL of your choice and then click on download.
The video will download and you can see the downloaded video under the Downloaded icon.
It is to be noted that it downloads and converts the video/audio files to MP3 format by default.
Under the ‘Online’ icon, you can see the various sites that are supported by iTube Go.
Here, you can go to any site from the built-in browser and search and download the videos.
Once you click on the video that you want to download, the application gives a download button. It also allows you to cut the video to your preferred length.
Once you click on the download button, the video starts getting downloaded and by default gets converted to MP3.
If you want to store any audio/video privately, you can just right click on the file and click on ‘Move to Private List’ option. 
It will first ask for a password to be set. Once you type the password, the file will be moved to ‘Private’ folder and when you want to open the private folder, it will look something like this.
Once you enter the password, you can view the folder.
It is super easy to use and it has tons of features. The price is also minimal when compared to other sites.
Features of iTube Go
- Compatible with over 10,000 sites like YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, etc.
- Option of turbo-fast speed.
- Built-in browser.
- YouTube cutter.
- Multiple video and audio formats available.
- Supports 8K videos and audios.
- No drop in video quality.
Pricing of iTube Go
It is a freemium tool. It has a free version and a paid version. The paid version has four plans.
- Lifetime Plan: For a single pc, you need to pay $29.95.
- 1-Month Plan: For a single pc, 1-Month plan costs you $9.95.
- 1-Year Plan: For a pc, you need to shell out $19.95 every year (billed annually).
- Family Plan: For 2 to 5 desktops, you need to pay $39.95 for lifetime.
All the lifetime plans have free customer support and lifetime free update. It also has a 30-day money back guarantee.
2. 4K YouTube to MP3 Converter
4K YouTube to MP3 allows you to convert videos in MP3 format in just one click. The crystal-clear interface and straightforward operation are only going to make your work much easier. Just like iTube Go, you can download multiple videos, watch later videos, liked videos, playlists, and whole YouTube channels in different formats like MP3, OGG, and M4A.
Not just YouTube, you can also download videos from other sites like SoundCloud, VEVO, Instagram, Vimeo, Tumblr, Flickr, etc., and convert them to MP3. It also allows you to download audiobooks and podcasts. There is a built-in music player which save you the effort of opening a music player.
It lets you change your IP so that you can download the audios and videos that are blocked in your region. Not just that, it also helps in saving playlists and channels into subfolders (created automatically).
After you install the application, you will see something like this:
You need to copy the link that you want to download and then click on ‘Paste Link’.
The application retrieves the information and starts downloading and then converting the video in mere seconds!
You can fine tune the preferences. You can change the format to either MP3, M4A, and OGG. If you are on the free version, you cannot change the intensity i.e., you can download only 1 video/audio at a time.
You can download the videos that are banned in your region using proxy setup.
It is a no-non-sense YouTube to MP3 converter. It does what it promises. It is extremely easy to use and you get to download 30 audio/video in a day for free.
Features of 4K Download
- Option of downloading videos and audios in multiple formats.
- Built-in music player.
- Compatible with major music sites like SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, VEVO, etc.
- Smart File Organization.
- Easy Proxy Setup.
- Can download podcasts and audiobooks.
- Original video and audio quality.
Pricing of 4K Download
It is a freemium tool. It has both free and paid versions. There are three plans in paid version.
- Personal Plan: It costs $15 for a lifetime purchase.
- Business Plan: You need to pay $45 for a lifetime purchase of the business plan.
- 4K Bundle: You get 4K Video Downloader Personal license, 4K Stogram Personal license, 4K YouTube to MP3 Personal license and their future updates for $25.
All the paid plans have a 14-day money back guarantee.
3. MiniTool uTube Downloader & Converter
MiniTool uTube Downloader is completely free! You can download videos and audios from YouTube in various formats like MP3, MP4, WAV, etc. You can also download multiple video/audio files simultaneously. It supports almost all the major digital file formats and has over 1000 output formats. You can even convert video and audio files to different formats.
You can download subtitles and entire YouTube playlists at once. You can download as many videos as you want. If you think that you will be bombarded with ads and slow speed because it is free, then you are wrong. Tool allows high speed downloads and quick conversions. Best part? It doesn’t show any ads!
This is what greets you when you install and click on the start button of the MiniTool uTube Downloader:
You can search for any video of your choice and click on the download icon right next to the search bar. You will get a pop up asking for format and the resolution. It also gives the size of the files along side the resolution and the format.
Once you select the format and whether you want to download the subtitles or not, click on download. The video/audio gets downloaded. Compared to 4K YouTube to MP3, it is a little slow but nonetheless, it is decently fast.
Then you have to go to the video converter tab and add files or drag files so that it can convert to other formats. There are multiple formats to select from.
The converted file will appear in the ‘Converted tab.’ It is a little long process, but hey, it does get the job done!
Albeit, the longer process and a slower performance might not exactly be what you are looking for, but consider that it gives unlimited downloads without charging a dime! You can go for it!
Features of MiniTool uTube Downloader
- Completely free.
- Unlimited downloads.
- Supports multiple formats like WEBM, WAV, MP3, MP4, etc.
- High speed.
- Can download YouTube playlists and subtitles.
Pricing of MiniTool uTube Downloader
It is absolutely free!
4. VideoDuke Converter (only for Mac)
VideoDuke is a YouTube to MP3 converter tool made especially for Mac. You can download videos from a lot of video websites like Dailymotion, YouTube, Bandcamp, Instagram, reddit, VEVO, Facebook, etc. Similar to 4K YouTube to MP3, you can download and convert the videos/audios with a single click.
You can save the file in multiple formats like 3GP, MP4, FLV, etc. in your preferred resolution – be it 144p or HD 720p or HD 1080p or any other. You can literally download whole YouTube playlists and even entire channels. Downloading high-resolution videos (of the resolution 2K, 4K, 5K, and 8K) is an easy-peasy task with VideoDuke. If you think downloading videos of longer duration is not possible, then you are totally wrong. You can download movies, TV shows, anime, cartoons – choose anything you want and VideoDuke is ready to download it for you.
Similar to iTube Go, you get a built-in browser where you can search and download videos directly. You can access multiple video sites from the browser. You can even bookmark your favorite pages for quick and easy access. You can even integrate VideoDuke button to the bookmarks bar.
Features of VideoDuke
- Can download from multiple video sites.
- Can download YouTube playlists and channels.
- Supports formats like 3GP, MP4, MP3, FLV, etc.
- Allows downloading high resolution videos of 2K, 4K, 5K, and 8K resolution.
- Only for Mac.
- Built-in browser.
Pricing of VideoDuke
It has both free and premium versions. The premium version has two plans.
- Personal License: For one Mac, you need to pay $19.95 for lifetime.
- Family Pack: You need to shell out $39.95 for 3 Macs for lifetime.
Additionally, if you want lifetime upgrade, you need to pay an extra $9.95 if you are going for a personal license. The amount increases to $11.99 if you choose a family pack plan. For urgent support plan, you need to pay $15 a year for both the plans. (ridiculous, I must say!)
5. WinX Video Converter
WinX Video Converter is yet another a freemium video converter tool. With this tool, you can download and convert any video to over 200 different formats and for various gadgets. Some of the formats you can download and convert are MP3, MP4, MKV, HEVC, MOV, AVI, Android, Apple TV, Xbox, and iPhone.
Similar to MiniTool uTube Downloader, it neither has any disturbing ads nor any bundleware. It is totally safe and without any viruses which makes it completely safe to download. You can download videos and audio from over a thousand video websites like Vimeo, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.
It also makes the videos/audios compatible to almost all the devices. It helps in directly transcoding videos and audios to Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, PS4, Xbox One S, etc. It also helps in editing, merging, trimming and cropping videos and audios.
You can further finetune your video by tweaking resolution, aspect ratio, video codec, etc. You also get to compress the files so that you can get high quality videos but in smaller sizes. You can also download from video camcorder, online sites, and drones!
This is the first thing that you will see the moment you install the tool. Many may think it is totally free tool but no, it is not free!
Once you buy it, you will receive the activation of license code in your email (that you provide). Use the code to activate the tool and unleash its true power.
The tool provides different options of resolutions, formats, sizes, and codec to select one of them. Once you select the preferred option, click on ‘Ok’. You can even opt for auto convert or choose not to. It is a personal choice.
After downloading the video, add the video by clicking on the +Video icon on the far left of the menu. Select the video that you want to convert and then select the preferred format in which you want to convert.
Once you select the preferred format click on RUN. That’s it! Wait until the conversion completes.
Once the process ends, the ripped audio from the video will be available in MP3 format. It directs you to the folder where the audio file has been saved.
Several other sites will claim it to be a free option. It is not! All you get is a free trial. But it is pretty powerful video converter tool with which you can do much more than you could with a free alternative you will get easily.
Features of WinX Video Converter
- Can download and convert from over 200 formats.
- Can download from over a thousand sites.
- Makes videos compatible to almost all mobile and other gadgets.
- Can download from camcorder and online stores.
- Can trim, merge, edit, crop videos.
- Can change aspect ratio, video codec, etc.
Pricing of WinX Video Converter
You need to pay $ 29.95 for a lifetime purchase of the product. Along with the video converter, you get licensed DVD Ripper.
Conclusion
Which tool you choose will depend on your needs and your choice. If you want to go for a free and hassle-free tool and happy with limited number of downloads, the best option is 4K YouTube to MP3. If you are okay with some labor but want unlimited downloads every day for free, MiniTool uTube Downloader is the perfect option for you. If you are planning to buy then, WinX Video Converter may win the race by miles. If you have more desktops and you want the application to be present on every computer, go for iTube Go or VideoDuke (if you own a Mac). As I said earlier, it totally depends on you, your requirements, and what you want to achieve.
Do keep in mind that YouTube doesn’t allow downloading videos or converting videos to MP3 audio files. That’s totally against their policy and terms of use. So, use these tools at your own risk.
