How to Easily Convert YouTube Videos to MP4 Format – A Detailed Guide

Converting YouTube videos to MP4 format is a very useful tool for saving videos to enjoy offline, on multiple devices, and without quality loss. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about using a YouTube to MP4 converter smoothly.

Top Reasons to Download YouTube Videos as MP4 Files

Here are some of the top reasons you may want to use a YouTube to MP4 converter:

Play videos offline – MP4 files can be stored and played without needing internet access. Great for flights, road trips, or anytime offline viewing is needed.

Avoid quality loss – Streaming compresses videos which loses some quality. Downloaded MP4s retain the full original HD quality.

Enhanced device compatibility – MP4 works on far more devices like smartphones, gaming systems, TVs, and more compared to YouTube’s streaming formats.

Save internet data – Streaming videos repeatedly consumes data. Downloading MP4s once saves bandwidth.

Build permanent archives – Downloading allows you to create an offline archive of your favorite YouTube videos.

More flexibility – Managing, editing and transferring MP4 files is easier compared to streaming videos.

Small file size – Advanced compression keeps MP4 file sizes reasonably small compared to uncompressed video.

Best 11 Converters to Use to Download YouTube Videos

SSyoutube online

SSyoutube online is a powerful video downloading software .it supports downloading videos from more than 1000 websites . It utilizes multi-threaded download technology to provide extremely fast download speeds.The software provides extensive options to customize resolution, format and other settings before downloading.

Operational Process

  1. Install SSyoutube online application on your Windows PC. 
  2. Copy the video link into the Address bar at the top. Click Analyze.
  3. From the format dropdown, select the desired file format .
  4. Choose the preferred resolution quality.
  5. Click the Download button depicted by a downward arrow icon. The video starts downloading.
  6. The downloaded video gets saved in the destination folder on your device storage.

Key Features

  1. Super-fast multi-threaded video downloading.
  2. Downloads complete YouTube playlists and channels.
  3. Supports 1000+ video websites.
  4. YouTube to MP3 audio conversion available.
  5. Configurable video resolution and format.
  6. Browser integration for easy access.
  7. Clean and responsive UI.
  8. Customizable download location.
  9. Free trial available with full features.

By Click Downloader

By Click Downloader is a powerful download manager software designed to download videos from major streaming sites like YouTube, Facebook, Dailymotion, Vimeo etc. It provides extensive options to customize resolution before downloading, enabling downloads in HD, Full HD and even 4K Ultra HD quality.

Operational Process

  1. Download and install By Click Downloader on your computer.
  2. Launch the program and copy-paste the video link or URL into it.
  3. Click the Analyze button to detect video details automatically.
  4. Select the desired video format such as MP4.
  5. Choose video resolution quality.
  6. Hit the Download button to start downloading the video in configured quality and format.

Key Features

  1. Can download multiple videos or full playlists in one go.
  2. Built-in video converter to change formats.
  3. Customizable download location on PC.
  4. Resume broken or interrupted downloads.
  5. Configurable video resolution, codec, bitrate settings.
  6. Browser extensions available for easy access.
  7. Free version available with limited features.

4K Video Downloader

4K Video Downloader is a popular program used to download videos from major sites like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitch, etc. in Ultra HD 2160p quality. It can download entire YouTube playlists or channels with a single click. The downloader is available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It also provides advanced settings like proxies, metadata editing, subtitles extraction.

Operational Process

  1. Download and install 4K Video Downloader application on your computer.
  2. copy the video URL into it.
  3. Choose the video quality as per preference.
  4. Select the subtitle language or turn off subtitles.
  5. Click the Download button to initiate video download in configured resolution and subtitle.

Key Features

  1. Downloads YouTube videos in up to 2160p 4K Ultra HD resolution.
  2. Supports major video sites like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc.
  3. Can download multiple videos, full playlists, channels from YouTube.
  4. Advanced settings like proxy servers, metadata editing available.
  5. Automatically extracts and downloads subtitles.
  6. Multilingual support with wide range of interface languages.
  7. Free version available with basic features.
  8. Paid version unlocks advanced downloading features.

Leawo Video Downloader

Leawo Video Downloader is capable of downloading videos from 1000+ websites in high quality resolution. It supports popular video platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Dailymotion, Vimeo, etc. The software can bulk download multiple videos in one go. There are detailed options to customize subtitles, playlists, video quality as per need.

Operational Process

  1. Install Leawo Downloader and add its extension to the web browser.
  2. Open the video website like YouTube, find the video to download and click the Leawo icon on toolbar.
  3. Choose the video format.
  4. Select video quality .
  5. Click the Download button to start downloading the video in selected format and quality.

Key Features

  1. Built-in browser extension for easy access while browsing.
  2. Downloads 1000+ video hosting sites.
  3. Can bulk download multiple videos simultaneously.
  4. Customizable video settings like subtitles, playlist order, etc.
  5. No external codecs needed – built-in media codecs.
  6. Supports 1080p Full HD video download.
  7. Free version available with limited features.
  8. Paid version unlocks full advanced features.

iTubeGo

iTubeGo is a powerful desktop tool that can download videos from YouTube and 1000+ other sites in original quality. It can download complete YouTube playlists or channels in one go. The software supports downloading and converting Ultra HD 4K and 8K videos. It has built-in tools for editing videos too like trimming, cropping, adding watermarks, etc.

Operational Process

  1. Download and install iTubeGo on your Windows PC.
  2. Launch the program and paste the video URL or link into it.
  3. Choose the desired video format.
  4. Select the video resolution quality.
  5. Click the Download button to start downloading the video in set format and quality.

Key Features

  1. Downloads YouTube videos in 4K 2160p and 8K 4320p ultra HD resolution.
  2. Supports 1000+ video hosting sites besides YouTube.
  3. Can download multiple videos or full playlists, channels in batch.
  4. Built-in video to MP3 converter.
  5. Editor allows trimming, cropping, adding subtitles, watermarking videos.
  6. Fast downloading with multi-threading technology.
  7. Supports mainstream media formats like MP4, WMV, MOV, etc.
  8. Free version has limited features.

WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe

WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe is a downloader that enables downloading videos from 300+ websites. It can download entire YouTube playlists in a single operation. The software also allows converting the downloaded videos to other formats. It has a built-in editor tool to trim, crop, merge, add subtitles to videos. The program supports downloading and converting 4K/HD videos.

Operational Process

  1. Download and install WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe.
  2. Launch the application and paste the video URL or link.
  3. Select the desired output video format.
  4. start to download the video.
  5. The video will be downloaded.

Key Features

  1. Supports downloading from 300+ websites including YouTube, Facebook, etc.
  2. Can batch download multiple videos or full playlists.
  3. Built-in video editor allows trimming, cropping, merging, adding subtitles.
  4. Customizable output video resolution, codec, bitrate, etc.
  5. Browser extensions provide easy access from web browser.
  6. Free trial version has limited features.

VideoProc

VideoProc is a full-featured 4K video downloader and converter software. It can download videos from 1000+ sites in up to 8K resolution. The tool supports batch downloading entire playlists and channels from YouTube. The in-built editor allows users to easily cut, trim, merge, crop, add subtitles to videos. It also enables converting downloaded videos to MP3 audio.

Operational Process

  1. Install and open VideoProc on your computer.
  2. Paste the video URL or link into the downloader.
  3. Select the preferred output video format.
  4. Choose video resolution quality.
  5. Click the Download button 

Key Features

  1. Downloads 1000+ video sites in up to 8K 4320p resolution.
  2. Can batch download multiple videos, full playlists, channels.
  3. Built-in video editor for trimming, cropping, subtitles, watermarks, etc.
  4. Audio extraction to save soundtracks as MP3.
  5. Support for all key media formats like MP4, FLV, AVI, etc.
  6. Fast downloading engine with multi-threading technology.
  7. Hardware-accelerated video conversion for maximum performance.
  8. Free version available with limited features.

Allavsoft

Allavsoft is a professional video downloader that can download 4K and 8K videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc. It supports batch downloading entire playlists from YouTube in one go. Users can conveniently select the preferred output video quality across various resolutions. The software provides full set of tools for downloading, converting, editing, playing videos.

Operational Process

  1. Download and install Allavsoft on your Windows or Mac computer.
  2. Launch the program and enter the video URL.
  3. Select the desired output video format.
  4. Choose video resolution quality.
  5. Click the Download button to start downloading the video at configured resolution.

Key Features

  1. Downloads YouTube videos in up to 4320p 8K resolution.
  2. Supports all major video platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, etc.
  3. Can batch download multiple videos or full playlists simultaneously.
  4. Built-in video converter to change media formats.
  5. Video editor allows trimming, cropping, subtitle editing, etc.
  6. Hardware-accelerated downloading and conversion for max speed.
  7. Customizable video resolution, codec, bitrate settings.
  8. Free trial version available to test features.

YTMp3

YTMp3 is a simple online tool that enables converting and downloading YouTube videos as MP3 audio files. Its interface is very minimalist and easy to use.No registration or software download required.

Operational Process

  1. Go to the YTMp3 website URL on any web browser.
  2. Paste the YouTube video link or URL into the input box.
  3. Click the Convert button to start processing the video.
  4. Select the preferred MP3 audio quality if prompted.
  5. Click the Download button to download the converted audio file.

Key Features

  1. Converts YouTube videos to MP3 audio format.
  2. Downloads audio in up to 320kbps high quality.
  3. Clean and minimalist interface for easy use.
  4. No registration or software installation necessary.
  5. Completely free tool without payment.
  6. Web-based platform accessible from any device.
  7. Fast audio extraction and download speeds.
  8. No hassles of adware or malware.

YMP4

YMP4 is an online YouTube video downloader that lets users download videos as MP4 files. Just entering the video URL lets you download HD quality MP4s from YouTube. No software download needed as it is a completely web-based platform. The minimalist interface makes it very easy to use with no complex options.

Operational Process

  1. Go to the YMP4 website URL using any internet browser.
  2. Paste the YouTube video link in the input field.
  3. Click the Convert button to initialize downloading.
  4. Select the MP4 video resolution quality if prompted.
  5. Click the Download button to save the MP4 video file.

Key Features

  1. Downloads YouTube videos in MP4 format.
  2. No software installation necessary, fully web-based.
  3. Minimalist and straightforward interface.
  4. Downloads Full HD 1080p videos from YouTube.
  5. Completely free tool without any payments.
  6. Fast video download speeds.
  7. No registration needed.
  8. Accessible from any internet-connected device.
  9. No extra codecs or software dependencies.

Step-By-Step Guide to Convert YouTube Videos to MP4

The actual process for downloading YouTube videos as MP4 using a converter is simple:

  1. Copy the YouTube video URL – Browse YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to convert.
  2. Use an online/desktop converter – Paste the URL in your converter of choice. Many free online converters exist, or you can use a desktop app.
  3. Select MP4 format – Specify MP4 or MPEG-4 as the desired output format.
  4. Convert to MP4 – Click convert and wait for the MP4 file to finish generating. Time varies based on length and quality.
  5. Save MP4 file – Once done, download the MP4 file and save it to your computer or device.

The YouTube video is now converted and ready for offline viewing in the more compatible MP4 format.

Handy Tips for Optimizing YouTube to MP4 Conversion

Follow these tips when using a YouTube to MP4 converter to get the best quality results:

Always select the highest resolution YouTube video available as the source. 1080p or 720p HD is best. Avoid lower resolutions like 480p or 360p when possible.

Check the audio codec of the output MP4 file. AAC audio at 192kbps or higher provides excellent audio quality.

If available, use MP4 conversion presets like H.264 video and AAC audio. They deliver great quality and compatibility.

Long videos may fail to convert. If so, break the video into 10 minute segments and convert each part individually.

Online converters have file size and length limits. For longer videos, use a desktop MP4 conversion app instead.

Some desktop converters allow editing before conversion. Trim, crop, add subtitles and more.

Key Benefits of Converting YouTube to MP4 Format

In summary, some of the major benefits of using a YouTube to MP4 converter include:

Retains original full HD quality without compression artifacts from streaming

Allows viewing videos offline without internet connection

Much wider device and media player compatibility across all major platforms

Can build permanent offline archives of favorite videos

Saves internet bandwidth by avoiding repeated video streaming

Greater flexibility to manage, edit, and transfer files

Smaller file sizes compared to uncompressed video because of compression

Ability to trim, crop, add subtitles, watermarks before conversion with desktop converters

So if you want to get more out of your favorite YouTube videos, converting them to MP4 is highly recommended for offline viewing, universal device support, quality retention, and better flexibility.

Final Thoughts

Converting from YouTube to MP4 does come with certain legal caveats. While downloading for personal offline use generally falls under fair use laws in many countries, always check your local laws and YouTube’s terms of service first.

With the help of this detailed guide, you should now have a good understanding of how to easily convert your favorite YouTube videos to MP4 format using online or desktop converters for full quality and flexibility.