Which app is best for downloading videos and audio?
With high speed internet access, unlimited data plans, and powerful mobile devices, downloading videos and audio has become extremely popular. In fact, online video consumption accounts for over 80% of all internet traffic according to recent statistics (Statista). This article will provide an overview of the top apps and platforms that allow users to download videos and audio. We’ll cover the key features of each app, their strengths and weaknesses, and factors to consider when choosing the right one. Legality concerning downloading copyrighted material will also be discussed. The goal is to help readers understand the best options for saving videos and audio tracks from online sources.
YouTube
YouTube has a dominant market share of 97.71% in the media players and streaming platforms market, according to one source (“YouTube – Market Share, Competitor Insights in Media …”). Many people use YouTube for watching, uploading, and sharing videos.
In terms of downloading YouTube videos, the platform provides an option to download videos you have uploaded. However, downloading other people’s videos requires using a third-party website or app. There are many websites and browser extensions, like KeepVid, that allow downloading videos from YouTube by entering the video URL. Most of these utilize YouTube’s APIs and convert the video file into a downloadable format. A few things to keep in mind are that these third-party downloaders may not work consistently due to API changes, could contain malware, often require workarounds for downloading very long videos, and that downloading videos without permission violates YouTube’s Terms of Service.
Facebook has become one of the most popular platforms for people to share and consume videos. According to Facebook video usage statistics from Startup Bonsai, over 13 billion Facebook videos are watched every day. Users are able to download videos directly from Facebook to save them for later viewing.
To download a video from Facebook, simply click on the three dots in the upper right corner when viewing the video post. This will open a dropdown menu where you can select “Save Video”. The video file will download directly to your device. Most videos on Facebook are available to download as MP4 files.
The advantages of downloading Facebook videos include being able to watch them later offline, and saving your favorite videos before they get deleted. However, it’s important to only download videos you have permission or rights to access, as sharing private or copyrighted material without consent could constitute a legal violation.
Yes, it is possible to download videos from Instagram, but there are some legal considerations to keep in mind.
According to Instagram’s help article, “Downloaded reels aren’t allowed to be used for commercial purposes.” (https://help.instagram.com/520831036611383). So while downloading videos for personal use is allowed, reposting or monetizing them could violate copyright.
As one Quora user explains, “It’s not illegal to download it. It’s against the copyright law to repost it or use it in anyway as if the video is yours.” (https://www.quora.com/Is-it-illegal-to-download-instagram-videos).
In summary, Instagram allows downloading videos for personal, non-commercial use only. But to stay on the safe side of copyright law, avoid reposting content without permission. There is some grey area involved in repurposing, so proceed cautiously.
TikTok
Saving videos from TikTok is very popular but comes with some challenges and limitations when downloading video and audio directly from the app. By default, TikTok prevents users from directly saving other people’s videos to prevent content theft (source).
There are workarounds like using a screen recording app or third party apps and sites to try and legally download TikTok videos without the watermark, but most third party solutions violate TikTok’s terms of service and can lead to their removal or blocking (source). When finding an indirect method to save TikTok media, users should carefully check its updated terms of services to avoid prohibited usage. There are legal concerns and ethical considerations when trying to download content that the creators did not consent for you to save.
Some potential workarounds include apps that allow screenrecording or recording internal system audio. However most TikTok guidelines prohibit directly downloading or reuploading content without permission, so users should proceed with caution on third party apps and use their best judgement when saving copies of videos and audio.
Snapchat
Snapchat does not directly allow users to save videos from the platform. However, there are some workarounds:
1. If the video is posted as a Snapchat Story, users can view it again within 24 hours and take a screenshot or screen recording of the video to save it.
2. Using third-party apps like SnapSave, Casper, or Sneakaboo to save Snapchat videos. However, this violates Snapchat’s terms of service and could result in account suspension.
So Snapchat makes it difficult to save videos from the app directly. Relying on workarounds or third-party apps carries some risks. Overall, Snapchat is not the ideal platform for easily downloading videos.
Vimeo
Vimeo allows video downloads for most videos uploaded to its platform. Video owners can control whether or not their videos can be downloaded by going to the “Upload defaults” section in Account Settings and toggling the “Download them” permission on or off (source).
Video owners can also disable downloading on a per video basis by going to the video’s settings, selecting the Privacy option, and toggling off “Allow downloads.” This gives creators more granular control over which videos can be downloaded (source).
For videos that allow downloading, users can select the options menu in the top right of the video page and choose “Download.” An icon will appear next to each available download format, allowing users to save the video file (source).
Audio Downloading
There are several popular apps used for downloading music and podcasts. Some of the top options include:
- YouTube – Using YouTube video downloaders or converters allows downloading audio in formats like MP3.
- Spotify – Spotify has a feature to allow Premium subscribers to download select music and podcasts for offline listening.
- SoundCloud – SoundCloud’s paid Go+ subscription includes downloading tracks and sets for offline playback.
- Apple Podcasts – Apple’s dedicated podcast app lets users download audio episodes to their device storage.
- Overcast – This iOS podcast app provides options to download episodes and has features to optimize audio playback.
- Audible – For audiobooks, Amazon’s Audible app enables downloading titles to listen offline.
When downloading copyrighted content from sites like YouTube or Spotify for personal offline use, it’s important to first review and understand the terms of service. Commercial use or distribution may require licensing.
Legality
Downloading videos and audio files from YouTube and other sites can raise copyright concerns. Under the fair use doctrine, downloading small portions for educational purposes may be allowed, but wholesale downloading violates copyrights.
According to the University of Maryland (source), unauthorized downloading and sharing of copyrighted material violates federal law in the United States. YouTube also has mechanisms to prevent downloading to enforce copyrights (source).
While limited educational use may qualify as fair use, wholesale downloading of audio or video violates copyright except in certain cases allowed under law. Users should be aware of copyright restrictions before downloading media files from online services.
Conclusion
In summary, many popular social media apps and websites allow you to download and save videos and audio, but with some key differences:
YouTube makes it easy to download both videos and audio files, but third party apps may be required for audio-only files.
Facebook and Instagram allow saving videos natively within the apps, but downloading audio requires workarounds.
TikTok has native support for saving videos, but not audio.
Snapchat has limited capabilities for saving ephemeral videos and no audio saving options.
Vimeo enables downloading both videos and audio tracks.
While most apps have some video saving functionality, standalone audio track downloads may require third party tools. Be aware of each app’s specific policies, as some restrict or prohibit downloading content.
For the most seamless and legal experience saving online videos and audio files, I recommend using YouTube and Vimeo over other social platforms.