Choose the best YouTube to MP4 converter for You!

Here is our list of 6 of the best YouTube to MP4 Converters with descriptions for you to make choosing one easier. Most are free! Read on!

Some people love to save their own videos so they can access them at any time without a connection to the internet.

E.g. for when you don’t have a WiFi network.

Great for training videos or to carry your favorites for that big road trip or summer vacation!

The websites and applications in our list below are our pick of the best YouTube to MP4 converters. That should help you choose one.

You may want to jump direct to your desired section using the internal page links below.

List Of the Best YouTube to mp4 Converters with Reviews >>

What is the YouTube video Format?

Convert YouTube to Which File Type?

Legality, Terms and Conditions

Introduction to the Best YouTube to MP4 converters

People of all ages use Popular video streaming website YouTube for various purposes.

These  include learning, entertainment, instructional videos, self-help and more.

As TheTechMentor aims to help computer techs (and DIY’ers) learn, we often get asked “what is the best YouTube to mp4 converter?” This is because there are so many great training videos on the platform.

Note: You might want to read the section about which file type towards the end, because not all players play all file types.

You might not always have access to YouTube. You might not always be connected to the internet, such as when you have no WiFi.

It conjures up images of vacations on sandy beaches in an island paradise! Could be for almost any reason though.

Luckily, there are a few good converters to download YouTube to mp4 format.

You don’t need to search around to find these methods because they’re listed here for you.

• We can’t guarantee their performance with your computer system.
• Some of sites are free and pay for themselves with advertising.
  

Read on to find the best YouTube to mp4 conversion method for you.

Later, we cover why you can’t just copy what’s online. It’s a function of the format.

Okay so let’s get right down to it!

What are some of the best YouTube to MP4 converters?

Here is the list of the top YouTube to mp4 converters with descriptions to help you decide which one you want to try.

6 of The Best YouTube to Mp4 Converters – The List

Note that TheTechMentor.com does not receive anything for mentioning these MP4 converters.

It’s just our pick of the best.

Have you’ve tried others? Suggest them for others to look at in the comments below.

1. aTube Catcher

This is one of the most commonly used software programs if you’re looking for YouTube to mp4 converters because of its efficiency and simplicity.

After visiting the website, you can install the software which only takes a couple of minutes after which you’re all set to begin converting your favorite YouTube videos into mp4 format.

Despite being one of the older players in the field, it offers a fairly wide range of formats in addition to mp4; this includes formats such as FLV (Flash Video), MPG, and AVI.

If that’s not impressive enough, it also supports PSP format which is used for the portable game console by Sony.

After selecting your preferred format, all you need to do is drag the clip link into the window, and the video will begin downloading.

Even though the interface for this software isn’t as great when it comes to appearance, it doesn’t matter since the performance is quite amazing. …And it is FREE!

2. Any Video Converter

This superb video converter can download and convert videos from various sources not just YouTube.

Source videos can be either those stored on your computer and from online websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook.

You can even convert videos stored on CD’s or storage devices to another format using the Any Video Converter.

I guess that it is all in the name; they are targeting people who want to convert any source not just YouTube videos.

Aside from having multiple options, there’s no rocket science involved in accessing it either.

Even though it is easy enough to use, there are still in-built tips which guide you through the process.

You simply have to paste the link of the desired video in the window or simply drag the link straight from your browser (makes use very simple).

With these first two there’s no need to revisit the website each time you want to convert a video because installing the software takes only a couple of minutes.

3. DVDVideoSoft’s Free YouTube Download

I’ve used other DVDVideoSoft software products in the past.

DVDVideoSoft is quite popular among users, and their Free YouTube Download feature is a favorite among YouTube users.

The software offers users with a simple and minimalist interface which is easy to understand.

Any advanced settings that need to be accessed can be done so through the menu for extra ‘Options.’

Convert to many formats

This converter has almost 25 options when it comes to conversion formats. It converts your favorite videos are converted automatically once they’ve been downloaded first.

If the video is long, there is even an option which initiates the computer to shut down once the conversion and download are completed.

Other features include downloads through a proxy and pasting the links to the video straight from the clipboard.

The format details can be selected from the side of the video thumbnail, and this will show you many options as to where the converted video can be exported.

Once you’ve made all your preferred adjustments, select the option to download, and the process will begin.

The downside to this YouTube download to mp4 converter is that you can only convert a single video at a time.

If you want to save the time and convert more videos, you can upgrade your software to premium.

4. YTD Video Downloader

This all-rounder converter can successfully download your desired videos and convert them into the mp4 format. The main highlight is that it’s able to do so from many different websites that are popular for streaming videos such as DailyMotion, Facebook, and YouTube.

With the help of this versatile video downloader plus converter, you can access your favorite YouTube videos offline in many formats, such as MOV, AVI, and mp4.

It is an edge above the rest because it can resume downloads if an internet connection faces any problems.

There is the consideration of having to constantly upgrade it because an update always brings a cool new feature.

One unavoidable problem which keeps this converter from being topmost in our list of 6 top YouTube MP4 converters is the fact that the WebDiscover Browser has to be downloaded for it to work.

If you can deal with an extra browser lying around on your computer, then this should not be an issue and this converter potentially has all the best characteristics to be your favorite.

Like This

If you do download the WebDiscover Browser, you may want to set your default browser. You can do it like this:

1. Open Settings (and if you find that a little challenging, then just type “choose a default browser” into your Windows search bar). Settings will be the first option to come up.
2. Look under ‘Default apps’ if you just go straight to settings.
3. Here you can select WebDiscover or change your default browser. You can click or tap on the currently displayed browser for a drop down of options.

Note: If you used to use Microsoft Edge and you want to go back to it, one way is just to scroll down and click or tap on the ‘Reset’ button below the currently selected browser.

5. Flvto Converter

You can now take your favorite YouTube videos with you with the help of ‘Flvto’.

The free converter and downloader are reliable and safe to use, and you can easily switch between a variety of formats easily whether it’s AVI, mp3, and mp4.

The Flvto converter is online doesn’t require you to take any time installing software because you simply paste the link from your clipboard into the search bar, on the website.

The videos download in your desired format right away without any hassles.

No need to go through instruction manuals because of the simple, no-nonsense interface.

Obviously you need to revisit the site each time you want to convert another clip.

6. Office Converter Online

This converter online can be used on videos from other sources as well, even files that are stored on your computer.

There are many options so scroll down to ‘Online Video Converter’.

If you wish to convert a YouTube video, simply paste the URL into the bar and select an export option to decide where the converted file should be stored.

The website may look a little intimidating at first, but it’s because there are so many other conversion options, so all you need to do is select the one that’s relevant to you.

The best part is Office Converter offers a staggering number of format options so you won’t be left with a converter that doesn’t meet your needs.

Whether you need to convert videos to FLV, MKV or a format compatible with devices like iPhones, this converter has you covered.

Are there other better converters?

YouTube Itself

If you want to download a copy of videos that you uploaded, then you can do that direct from YouTube. This link shows how.

What is the YouTube video Format?

When you watch a streaming YouTube video with your internet browser, it primarily uses the VP9 and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video formats, and the Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP protocol (according to Wikipedia refer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube).

You may well ask “what is that?!” Probably no need to go into the details here. In simple terms the software splits the video into small parcels containing snippets of video code that can your end device can play.

It aims to play them strung together at the best resolution for your device without gaps or stopping due to limitations within your internet connection. Needless to say you need to capture and convert YouTube clips to MP4 or a suitable file format for a playing device to be able to play them offline.

The Best Converters turn YouTube into several File Types

Just to be clear, it is important to explain that audio-only files would typically have the mp3 file extension, whereas most people call MP4 players any device that can play video rather than just mp3 files. The 4 in MP4 is meant in a progressive fashion, meaning it is a higher level or newer model with improved capability (i.e. with video capability!). It signifies it does more than simply play music. Some marketers are calling their devices MP5 players now.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This gets tricky if you convert to a true MP4 format file because many MP4 Players won’t play them.

They play simpler video file formats like WAV, AMV or MTV. MP4 file format specifically in technical terms is the MPEG-14 file format and not many players can actually play this format.

The best converters can convert to many different file types.

Be clear which video format your MP4 player will play before you use your converter!

 

Convert to MP4 for just one video and then check it works on your player. Almost nothing will spoil your day/trip faster than realizing you spent hours converting to a format your device doesn’t play.

‘Google’ Owns YouTube!

Side note:

The guys and gals at Google (Alphabet) loved YouTube so much they bought the company!

I suppose they could see it was popular with so much internet traffic it was already getting.

These days they measure the amount of hours of video uploaded in the billions!

This is why it is important to read about the legality – they have rules to protect themselves. Here is an outline.

Legality, Terms and Conditions

In the terms of service it says: “You shall not download any content unless you see a ‘download’ or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content.”

So whenever you see indication of a specially prepared download link, you are able to do that.

You can read the full Ts & Cs on the YouTube website.

Do you have another converter you want to share that you think is one of the best?

Please let everyone know in the comments below.

What to read next?

If you find tech easy, maybe you want to consider to become a computer or network technician or learn more about these future-proof careers, then read these tips to get started as a computer tech.

If you love iPhones and Mac computers, see a selection of Apple Mac & iPhone articles here.

Finally, if you want to convert to audio only, you will want to consider the different audio file types you can use. To learn about and consider the different audio file types (yes, there are many more than just the MP3 file type) see 7 Popular Audio File Types.

Summary of the Best YouTube to MP4 Converters

We have shown you our list of 6. We trust it will help you select the best YouTube clip converter for you. Some of these are software apps to download to your computer and some are online. Most will convert to MP4 and other file types.