Any safe way to let me convert youtube to MP4 now?

There's a constant battle between Youtube and the downloaders. It's possible that yt-dlp and the decoder needs updating. Terminal commands

brew update 

will make sure that homebrew is up to date

brew upgrade

will update all the packages you've downloaded.

Try it again.

If you want to check first you can type

 brew outdated

I have used a number of apps in my time but the best one to date is Stacher7 which I discovered last week.

It's completely free and also has a little icon in the menubar which saves opening the app.

You simply click on it, paste in your URL and hit the download button.

You can configure it to download just .mp4s if they are available.

https://stacher.io/

That "parsing error" is actually a super common issue on Macs when converting YouTube to MP4. It's not that the tool is broken.

If you want a no-hassle graphical app to convert YouTube to MP4: Download Arroxy. It is completely free, open-source, and will do exactly what you need without any command-line fuss .

Converting YouTube videos to MP4 is useful when you want to watch videos offline, archive important content, or transfer videos to other devices. There are several ways to do this, ranging from command-line tools to user-friendly desktop software and simple screen recording methods. The best option depends on your technical skills and the quality requirements of the final video.

Method 1: Use youtube-dl (Command Line)

youtube-dl is a popular open-source command-line tool that can download videos from YouTube and save them in MP4 format. After installing the program, simply enter a command with the video URL, and the tool will download the video in the best available quality. It is free, highly customizable, and supports batch downloads, making it a favorite among advanced users and developers.

youtube-dl -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best"

Method 2: Use SysCute AllClipDown (GUI)

SysCute *** provides a graphical interface that makes downloading YouTube videos much easier. Simply copy and paste the YouTube link into the software, select MP4 as the output format, choose the desired resolution, and start the download. The software is designed for beginners and supports downloading videos from multiple websites without requiring command-line knowledge.

Method 3: Record the Screen

If downloading is not possible, screen recording is another effective way to save a YouTube video as an MP4 file. You can use built-in tools such as Xbox Game Bar on Windows or QuickTime Player on Mac to record the video while it plays. Although this method requires real-time recording and may result in slightly lower quality, it works for virtually any video that can be played on your screen.

How to record the screen on Mac - Apple Support

Pros of Screen Recording

• Works with virtually any video that can be played on your screen.
• Does not rely on website compatibility or download support.
• Built-in tools such as Xbox Game Bar (Windows) and QuickTime Player (Mac) are often available for free.
• Can capture videos from websites that block direct downloads.
• Simple to use and requires minimal setup.

Cons of Screen Recording

• Recording must be done in real time, so a 30-minute video takes 30 minutes to capture.
• Video quality may be lower than the original source due to screen capture compression.
• Notifications, pop-ups, or accidental mouse movements can appear in the recording.
• Large recordings can consume significant storage space.
• Requires stable playback throughout the recording process; interruptions may affect the final video.
• Additional editing may be needed to trim the beginning or end of the recording.

In conclusion, youtube-dl, SysCute AllClipDown, and screen recording are three practical ways to convert YouTube videos to MP4. Advanced users may prefer youtube-dl for its flexibility and powerful features, while SysCute AllClipDown offers a more convenient experience for beginners. Screen recording remains a universal fallback option when direct downloading is not available.

When choosing a method, consider factors such as ease of use, video quality, download speed, and your technical expertise. By selecting the approach that best fits your needs, you can quickly save YouTube videos as MP4 files for offline viewing and personal use.

[Edited by Moderator]

i use turboscribe.ai with an adblocker and it works

get asked a lot try

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shrewtim wrote:

Will be on a long trip with my kids and would like to put some of interesting videos on my car so my kids can watch the videos at the backseat. I used to do this via the free yt-dlp command line tool but it no longer worked on my mac. When I pasted the youtube video, it immediately returns a parsing error. Is there any good way to let me convert youtube to mp4 on mac?

The problem with such tools is that they open a door into your computer for the "grey market". It's like when the wizard conjures up a portal for access to the Akashic Records. Your spell's going to work, but the portal isn't selective. Demons and other fauna can come through and wreak havoc.

For all you know, someone could come along and offer some suggestion for an easy-to-use GUI tool that's better than yt-dlp. But the developers of the tool rail against Apple's developer security restrictions that cost "hundreds of dollars per year". Installation instructions include steps to disable Apple security. And ironically enough, the tools is just a wrapper around yt-dlp.

Maybe buy some books for the kids instead. I bet there are books that describe the old-school car trip games that we used to play so many years ago. Why wait for AI to destroy the internet? Get a head start on it!