Shorts Downloader

YouTube Audio Downloader

Save just the sound of a YouTube video or Short as an M4A (AAC) file, taken straight from YouTube's original audio stream with no re-encoding.

Works with watch, Shorts, Live and youtu.be links, or an 11-character video ID.

How it works

How to download audio from YouTube

Need the video after all? It's one click away in the results.

  1. Copy the link

    Copy the link of the YouTube video or Short whose sound you want to keep.

  2. Paste it above

    Paste it into the box and select Get Audio. You'll see the audio track with its quality and size.

  3. Download the M4A

    Select Download next to the audio option. The file is named after the video.

Good to know

M4A audio, explained

Why M4A and not MP3?

YouTube stores the sound of most videos as AAC audio in an M4A file. This tool hands you that exact stream, unchanged. Converting it to MP3 would mean re-encoding, which can only lose quality, never add it, so the original M4A is the best copy you can get.

M4A plays on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, macOS and in most music apps and players, including VLC, Apple Music and Windows Media Player.

Audio quality and file size

  • Bitrate: for most videos YouTube's AAC stream is about 128 kbps, which is what you'll see listed.
  • Size: roughly 1 MB per minute of audio, so a 4-minute song is about 4 MB and an hour-long podcast about 60 MB.
  • Speed: audio downloads are streamed straight through without any merging, so they start almost immediately.

If you really need an MP3

Some older devices only accept MP3. You can convert the M4A yourself with a free tool such as VLC (Media → Convert / Save) or ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -i input.m4a -codec:a libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.mp3

Good uses for audio downloads

Lectures and talks you're allowed to keep, your own uploads, podcasts whose creators permit offline listening, and music released under Creative Commons. Most commercial music on YouTube is copyrighted, so it isn't yours to download unless the rights holder allows it.

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Guides and help

FAQ

Audio download questions

What audio format do I get?

An M4A file with AAC audio, exactly as YouTube stores it. It isn't re-encoded, so no quality is lost.

Can I download YouTube audio as MP3?

This tool gives you the original M4A rather than an MP3, because converting would reduce quality. If a device needs MP3, convert the M4A with VLC or ffmpeg as described above.

What is the audio quality?

For most videos about 128 kbps AAC, which is the best AAC stream YouTube offers for them. The exact bitrate is shown next to the download button.

How big is the audio file?

About 1 MB per minute of audio at 128 kbps. The exact size is shown before you download.

Does it work with YouTube Shorts and YouTube Music links?

Yes. Shorts links, music.youtube.com/watch links and regular video links all work, as long as they point to a single video.

Can I download music from YouTube?

Only music you have the rights to, such as your own songs or tracks released under Creative Commons. Most music on YouTube is copyrighted, and YouTube's Terms of Service restrict downloading it.