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Add to SafariWhen comparing youtube-dl vs 4K Video Downloader, the Slant community recommends youtube-dl for most people. In the question“What are the best YouTube to MP3 converters for Mac?” youtube-dl is ranked 1st while 4K Video Downloader is ranked 13th. The most important reason people chose youtube-dl is:
It's released to the public domain. Modify at will.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Open-source
It's released to the public domain. Modify at will.
Pro Cross-platform
Works on Windows, Mac OS X and other Unix systems like Linux for example.
Pro Ability to download different formats and meta-info
Pro Frequently updated
The developers keep up with YouTube-s meta changes. If the download of a video fails, just update to a new version and it should work.
Pro Works in other places too
Can download from different sources, not just YouTube. Link for supported sites can be found here.
Pro Command-line, and light weight
Pro Supports multiple resolutions and formats
Video can be downloaded in any resolution that is offered on YouTube, including 3D, and can be saved in MP4, MKV, and 3GP
Pro Cross platform
The application is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Pro Build-in audio extraction
Audio can be saved from videos in MP3, M4A, and OGG formats.
Pro Free
Although you can get licenses to get rid of embedded ads, no functionality is removed from the application when using it without one
Cons
Con No GUI
Command Line driven only. That's what makes it powerful, but less accessible.
Con Was taken down from Github
The RIAA sent a DMCA takedown notice to Github to remove youtube-dl., stating that this is illegal software. Takedown notice has been dissolved since.
Con Slow on Windows
Con Up to 25 video downloads only for free user
Con Inconsistent audio quality output
When extracting audio, the tool will offer download options for audio in higher qualities than what is actually available from the input. These result in sound with quality worse than the source, if the correct option is not selected.
