YouTube Music Premium is the official way to download from YouTube
YouTube Music Premium is a paid subscription service that lets you download songs, albums, and playlists to your phone or tablet for offline listening. When you download through YouTube Music Premium, the artist and rights holder are paid through your subscription fee. This is the method YouTube officially supports and the one that works reliably across devices.
You need a YouTube Music Premium membership, which costs $11.99 per month as a standalone subscription, or $19.99 per month as part of YouTube Premium (which also removes ads from regular YouTube videos). YouTube offers a one-month free trial if you have not subscribed before. Once you are a member, you can download up to 100,000 songs across all your devices combined.
Downloads stay on your device for 30 days even if you do not open the app. If your subscription lapses, your downloads disappear and you cannot play them offline anymore. This is different from owning a file — you are paying for access to download and play, not for permanent ownership.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube Music Premium is the official download method and requires a $11.99 monthly subscription or a free one-month trial.
- Downloaded songs remain playable offline for 30 days, but disappear if your subscription ends.
- You can download up to 100,000 songs total across all your devices.
- Third-party download tools exist but violate YouTube's terms of service and may expose your device to malware.
- Free alternatives like Spotify Free, Apple Music trials, or Amazon Music Unlimited offer limited offline features without YouTube Music.
How to download songs in YouTube Music Premium
Open the YouTube Music app on your phone or tablet and find the song, album, or playlist you want to download. Tap the three-dot menu next to the title and select "Download." A small download icon will appear next to the song name, showing that it is being saved to your device. The download happens in the background and usually finishes within seconds for a single song.
To find your downloads later, open YouTube Music and tap "Your Library" at the bottom of the screen. Select "Downloads" from the menu. Your offline songs appear here and stay playable as long as your subscription is active. If you want to remove a download to save space, tap the three-dot menu next to the song and select "Remove Download."
Downloaded content works only in the YouTube Music app itself — you cannot transfer the files to other music players or share them with other people. The files are protected by digital rights management (DRM), which prevents copying and redistribution.
Third-party download tools and why they carry risks
Many websites and software programs claim to download YouTube videos and audio as MP3 files. These tools are not made or endorsed by YouTube and violate the YouTube Terms of Service. Using them breaks the agreement you made when you created your account and could result in your account being suspended or permanently banned.
Beyond the terms-of-service issue, third-party downloaders often contain malware, spyware, or adware that can damage your device or steal personal information. Some require you to install browser extensions that track your browsing or inject ads into websites you visit. Others ask for your YouTube password, which is a major security risk. Even if a tool appears to work at first, it may stop working without warning when YouTube changes its systems.
If you want to own music files permanently without a subscription, purchasing songs through iTunes, Amazon Music, or Bandcamp is safer and supports the artist directly.
What to do if you cannot afford YouTube Music Premium
Spotify Free and Apple Music trials both offer offline listening without payment. Spotify Free does not include offline downloads, but Spotify Premium (which costs $11.99 per month) does. Apple Music includes three months free for new subscribers and allows offline downloads during the trial period. Amazon Music Unlimited offers a 30-day free trial with offline features included.
If you want to own music permanently without a subscription, you can purchase individual songs or albums through iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp, or YouTube itself (through Google Play Music, though this service is being phased out). Purchased songs download to your device and remain playable even if you cancel any subscription.
Public libraries often offer free access to music streaming services like Hoopla or Naxos Music Library, which may include offline download features. Check your library's website to see what services are available to cardholders.
Downloading YouTube videos versus downloading YouTube audio
YouTube Music Premium downloads only the audio track, not the video. If you want to download a full YouTube video (including the picture), you need a different tool, and the same risks apply — third-party video downloaders violate YouTube's terms and often contain malware.
YouTube Premium (the paid subscription that includes YouTube Music Premium) does allow you to download videos within the YouTube app itself for offline viewing. This is the official method and works the same way as music downloads: the videos stay on your device for 30 days and disappear if your subscription ends. Videos downloaded through YouTube Premium are protected by DRM and cannot be transferred to other apps.
How downloads work across multiple devices
Your 100,000-song download limit is shared across all devices where you are signed into YouTube Music with the same account. If you download 50,000 songs on your phone and 40,000 on your tablet, you have used 90,000 of your limit. Removing downloads from one device does not free up space on another device, but it does reduce your total count toward the 100,000 limit.
Downloaded songs sync across your devices if you have the same YouTube account signed in on each one. If you download a song on your phone, it appears in your Downloads library on your tablet as well, but the actual file is stored separately on each device. This means you need enough storage space on each device for the songs you want to download there.
Storage space and battery considerations
Downloaded songs take up storage space on your device. A typical song file in YouTube Music is about 5 to 10 megabytes, so 100 songs might use 500 megabytes to 1 gigabyte of space. Downloading large playlists or albums can quickly fill up a phone with limited storage. You can manage this by downloading only the songs you listen to regularly and removing downloads you no longer need.
Downloading does not drain your battery faster than streaming, but it does require an internet connection during the download process itself. Once downloaded, playing offline music uses slightly less battery than streaming because your phone is not constantly sending and receiving data over the network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download YouTube Music on a computer?
YouTube Music Premium works on phones and tablets, but the official app does not support downloads on Windows or Mac computers. You can stream music on a computer, but offline downloads are mobile-only. Some third-party tools claim to download on computers, but they violate YouTube's terms and carry malware risks.
What happens to my downloads if I cancel my subscription?
All downloaded songs become unplayable immediately when your subscription ends. You cannot play them offline or online. If you resubscribe later, you can download them again, but the files themselves are deleted from your device after a few days of the subscription lapsing.
Can I convert YouTube Music downloads to MP3 files?
No. YouTube Music downloads are protected by digital rights management and cannot be converted, copied, or transferred to other apps or devices. The files exist only within the YouTube Music app and only while your subscription is active.
Is there a way to download from YouTube without paying?
Free trials from Spotify Premium, Apple Music, or Amazon Music Unlimited include offline download features for 30 days or longer. After the trial ends, you would need to pay or switch to a free tier that does not include downloads. Third-party free downloaders exist but violate YouTube's terms and often contain malware.
Do I need WiFi to download songs in YouTube Music?
You need an internet connection to download, but it does not have to be WiFi — mobile data works too. However, downloading large playlists over mobile data can use significant data and may trigger overage charges depending on your plan. Using WiFi is recommended for large downloads.