Is it Legal to Download Videos from YouTube?

You are here:

Home
Support
Tips Renee Video Editor Pro
Is it Legal to Download Videos from YouTube?

18 November 2024 Amanda J. Brook Senior Product Manager

Summary
YouTube is a video sharing website from America. It includes movies, TV shows, music videos, Vlogs and other original videos. Now, YouTube is not only top at video websites but also the second globally hottest website. Some people like to download videos from YouTube and share them to other people. It is legal to download videos from YouTube?

Content

Part 1: Is it Legal to Download Videos from YouTube?

Part 2: How to Get License from Video Owner?

Part 3: What is Content ID Claim?

Part 4: How to Bypass Content ID?

1. Record YouTube videos and audios via Renee Video Editor Pro

2. Reedit to bypass Content ID

Part 1: Is it Legal to Download Videos from YouTube?

YouTube is a video sharing website from America. It has been part of Google since 2006. It includes movies, TV shows, music videos, Vlogs and other original videos. Now, topping at the video websites, YouTube is the second hottest website in the world. It not only attracts people to the entertainment market but also directs many views to the platform, greatly spurring the original videos to develop.

how to download youtube video as audio

Statistically, over 1 billion people are using YouTube. As of February 2017, over 400-hour new contents were uploaded to YouTube per minute and the total viewing time reached to 1 billion hours.

Although many videos on YouTube are free to view, they are not downloadable. People will be penalized if he/she is found to illegally download YouTube videos through the third-party applications.

Some people may notice that the download buttons are under some YouTube videos. That means these videos are downloadable. Yet, if there isn’t a download button under a YouTube video, it will be illegal to download it. Such video can be viewed online. Any people cannot copy or publish these original videos before they get license from the owners.

Part 2: How to Get License from Video Owner?

If you want to add the original contents into your video, you need to get license from the video owner. Generally, the owner will post the contacts in his/her channel. If you cannot get the license, these approaches are feasible :

1. There are lots of free audios in YouTube Audio Library.

2. According to the policies of Content ID, YouTube can put ads on your non-original videos. Then, the profits generated from these ads will belong to the owner of the original video.

Part 3: What is Content ID Claim?

You can get a Content ID claim when you upload the contents to YouTube issued by the company who owns the similar but copyright-protected materials. The owner can set a Content ID for an original video. Then, he/she can block the similar video from being viewed after sending the Content ID claim.

Of course, they can monetize the videos by running ads against it. The revenue will then be granted to the owner issuing the Content ID claim.

Part 4: How to Bypass Content ID?

When you have to use the other people’s videos, you can try to reedit them to avoid the Content ID system, such as cutting some clips, adding watermarks and subtitles. These approaches on changing the features of the videos can bypass the Content ID.

Record YouTube videos and audios via Renee Video Editor Pro

As we know, YouTube videos cannot be directly saved to the local disk except the videos arranged with the download buttons. Yet, the following method enables you to download YouTube videos.

Renee Video Editor Pro – Multi-function Video Editing Software

Renee Video Editor Pro professional video edit tools

Screen RecordingRecord screen and webcam in Windows computer.

Cut Videos & AudiosUsers are free to cut videos and audios clips with setting start and end time.

Multiple Edit ToolsMerge, crop, rotate, cut and transform video easily. Change and add background music, subtitles and remove watermark from video.

Format ConversionSupport to convert videos and audios into different formats.

Screen Recording Record screen and webcam in Windows computer.

Multiple Edit ToolsCut Videos & Audios Users are free to cut videos and audios clips with setting start and end time.

Multiple Edit ToolsMerge, crop, rotate, cut and transform video easily. Change and add background music, subtitles and remove watermark from video.

Format ConversionSupport to convert videos and audios into different formats.

Free Trial Free Trial Free Trial

3000 users have downloaded and edited videos with fun!

1. Open Renee Video Editor Pro and then click [Screen recorder].

online video to mp4 select screen recorder function

2. Open the target YouTube video or audio. Click [Settings] to select a recording format. In this case, we select MP4.

3. Customize the recording area, the sound source and the output folder.

4. As the record begins, you can see the below image. After that, click the square button to end recording.

click the square button to stop recorording video on YouTube

5. Finally, you can go to the output folder to check the file properties.

Reedit to bypass Content ID

Apart from recording screens, Renee Video Editor Pro can also edit videos, such as removing watermarks, cutting audios and videos, adding special effects, background music, subtitles and opening/ending. Importantly, it has no limit to the video size.