Download YT Saver for Mac

In the edit

YT Saver runs on any Mac with OS X 10.10 or later, but it is built for Intel-based machines rather than Apple Silicon. That means older Macs and Hackintoshes are fine, but if you are on an M-series Mac, you will be running it through Rosetta 2.

Download clips from over 10,000 websites in multiple formats

• Downloading video, audio, or full playlists from over 10,000 websites – not just YouTube, but streaming sites too
• Getting your clips in a wide range of video formats: MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, FLV, MKV, HEVC variants, and presets for iPhone, iPad, and Android
• Pulling audio as M4A, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, OGG, AAC, or MKA – handy for building a local music library
• Grabbing several videos at once with simultaneous downloads
• Browsing and downloading from inside the built-in browser, so you never have to leave the app

Only runs on 64-bit Intel Macs with multilingual interface

• It is 64-bit Intel only – no native Apple Silicon version
• Interface languages cover English, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Indonesian, Korean, and Chinese

Built-in browser lets you skip copy-pasting URLs

I usually start by opening the app and letting the built-in browser load. No need to copy and paste URLs from Safari or Chrome – the browser is right there, and it handles video and audio sharing sites the same way a regular browser would. If I am working on a playlist for a wedding edit or pulling together reference clips for a photo film, I navigate to the page inside YT Saver, find the video or playlist, and hit download.

The app offers a list of formats before the download begins. For a quick edit draft, I might grab MP4 at a decent resolution. If I am extracting a song for a client highlight reel, I switch to audio output and pick FLAC or WAV. The conversion happens during the download, so the file lands on my drive already in the format I need. No separate converter step.

When I have a queue of clips – say a full YouTube playlist of ceremony music or a batch of short films from Vimeo – I set them all going at once. The simultaneous download feature handles the queue, and I can leave it running while I cull photos in Lightroom or export a gallery. The private mode comes in handy when I am working on something for a client who prefers their content kept off the main library. I enable the password-protected folder, and the downloads go straight there.

Once the files are done, I drag them into Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Because the app converts to standard formats like MOV and MP4, there is no re-encoding step before editing. For audio, I drop the WAV or AIFF files straight into Logic Pro or use them as reference tracks. That is the whole loop: browse, pick, download, use.

Works on macOS Yosemite and later but needs Intel architecture

One of the first things people wonder is whether YT Saver works on newer Macs. The app requires OS X 10.10 or later, which covers everything from Yosemite up to the current macOS versions. The catch is the architecture: it is built for 64-bit Intel processors. If you are on an M1 or M2 Mac, it will run under Rosetta 2, and that works fine for most download and conversion tasks. Just be aware that it is not a native Apple Silicon app, so you might see it listed as Intel in Activity Monitor.

Another common question is about the number of supported sites. The app claims more than 10,000 websites, which covers the major video and audio platforms. If you regularly use a niche streaming site, it is worth checking whether the built-in browser can load and detect media from it. In my experience, if a site plays video in a browser, YT Saver can usually pick it up.

People also ask about the conversion side. The app accepts a huge list of input formats – everything from MP4 and MKV to older containers like VOB and FLV – and exports to modern video and audio codecs. That means you can take a file that your editing software refuses to import, drop it into YT Saver, and convert it to something usable. The export presets for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices are a nice touch if you are preparing files for mobile viewing or client delivery.

Lastly, the private mode tends to raise curiosity. It is a password-protected folder inside the app where downloaded content stays separate from your regular library. No external encryption or vault software needed – just set a password and drag files in or out. Useful for keeping client material or personal playlists away from prying eyes.

Drag-and-drop installation from a disk image on Intel Macs

YT Saver is a 64-bit Intel application, so it runs natively on any Intel-based Mac from the Yosemite era onward. The installer is a disk image that you mount, drag the app into Applications, and then use the Open Gatekeeper friendly method or a quick Terminal bypass to get past the unsigned app warning.

The interface is available in twelve languages, including English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Indonesian, Korean, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and Japanese. If your system language matches one of these, the app should pick it up automatically, though you can switch it in the settings.

Because it handles simultaneous downloads and real-time conversion, you will see CPU usage tick up during active downloads. That is normal for any media tool that is encoding on the fly. The app does not require a constant internet connection once a download is queued, but it does need connectivity to fetch the video or audio streams.

Sits alongside Lightroom and Final Cut for media workflows

YT Saver sits well alongside a typical Mac workflow. I use it alongside Lightroom and Capture One for pulling down reference material or client-provided video clips. The converted files land in a folder I can drag straight into Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro without extra transcoding. For audio editors, the ability to export FLAC, WAV, and AIFF means you can build a sample library or grab podcast episodes for editing in Logic Pro or Audition.

The app also works with macOS file management features. You can set the download location to any folder, including iCloud Drive or an external SSD, and the files appear there with standard Finder metadata. The private mode folder is contained within the app itself, so it does not clutter your regular directories.

For anyone who uses Automator or Apple Shortcuts, the downloaded files are regular media files, so you can trigger post-processing workflows – renaming, converting to a different container, or moving them to a project folder – without any special integration. The app does not hook into the share sheet or browser extensions, but the built-in browser compensates by keeping everything inside one window. If you prefer to browse in your regular browser, you can still copy a URL and paste it into YT Saver’s download bar.

On the system level, the app respects macOS Gatekeeper settings during installation. The initial setup requires a one-time Terminal command to bypass the unsigned app warning, but after that, it launches normally. No background services, no persistent menu bar icon, no login items added. It runs when you need it and sits quietly the rest of the time.

Mac it needs

• macOS OS X 10.10 or later
• Intel processor (x86 64-bit)