Best Free YouTube Audio Ripper and Recorder | 9 Workable Ways

Melissa Lee updated on Mar 26, 2025 to Screen Recording Utility

This guide will show you the best YouTube audio rippers and recorders, such as EaseUS RecExperts, TubeRipper, and Y2Mate. Choose the suitable one to convert YouTube videos to MP3 or other formats losslessly.

Quick Answer:

  • Method 1: Rip YouTube audio with professional audio recorder apps like EaseUS RecExperts and Audacity or Chrome extensions like Sample.
  • Method 2: Free online audio extractor from YouTube such as Y2MateCobaltTubeRipper, and delete 'ube' trick.
  • Method 3: yt-dlp command-line tool is more suitable for pros.
  • Method 4: Download YouTube or other popular platforms with desktop tools like 4K YouTube to MP3 software.

Need to extract or record YouTube audio? Whether you need high-quality MP3s for offline listening or want to save podcasts and music, finding the right tool can be challenging. This guide explores effective YouTube audio rippers and recorders for converting YouTube video to audio, catering to different user needs—whether you're a beginner or a professional. Say goodbye to distorted audio and complicated setups—find your ideal solution now!

Notice:
This guide is only for ripping audio or video from YouTube with authorization for personal use. Any commercial profit-making activities are prohibited.

1️⃣EaseUS RecExperts

  • OS: Windows and Mac
  • Pros: Record and rip audio from any websites or platforms without limitations.
  • Cons: Advanced features require to subscribe

Some professional audio recorders offer a direct method to rip audio from YouTube videos. EaseUS RecExperts is one of the best YouTube audio rippers. It is a user-friendly screen and audio recorder that supports high-quality YouTube audio recording with no time limit.

Besides recording protected videos without a black screen, it also supports recording and ripping videos and audio from any website without restrictions. It's perfect for users who want a straightforward solution to record YouTube audio without technical hassles.

Key Features:

  • Super easy to use to record system audio and microphone simultaneously.
  • Record YouTube audio on Mac and Windows with ease.
  • Supports multiple formats like MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A, and FLAC.
  • Offers basic and advanced editing features to trim or enhance recordings.

Steps on how to use the EaseUS go-to tool for recording YouTube video to mp3 or other formats:

Step 1. Launch this software, choose the "Audio" icon from the left side of the interface, and enable the System sound option beside the REC button.

Step 2. Play the YouTube video that you want to capture the audio track in your browser. When you are ready, click REC to start your recording.

Step 3. To finish it, you just click on the red square icon to stop the recording.

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2️⃣Audacity

  • OS: Windows, Mac, Linux
  • Pros: Free and open source, supports lossless audio recording
  • Cons: Needs a steep learning curve; recording system audio on Mac requires virtual audio devices like BlackHole.

Audacity is a free, open source audio recorder and editor ideal for users needing advanced editing features. It's a bit more complex but offers unparalleled flexibility. Audacity supports recording high-quality lossless audio, such as WAV format, to ensure that the sound quality is not damaged.

Key Features:

  • Records internal audio on Mac via BlackHole.
  • Supports high-bitrate MP3 conversion.
  • Includes powerful tools for noise reduction, equalization, and more.
  • Supports editing, trimming, fading in and out, volume adjustment and other operations to easily optimize the recorded content.

Note: For Windows users, please click on Audio Setup and choose Host > Windows WASAPI as the audio source. Use BlackHole on Mac to capture the system sound.

3️⃣Y2Mate

  • Suitable for: Desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
  • Pros: Available on multiple major browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.
  • Cons: The ripping process may take a long time; only supports videos for up to 60 minutes.

Y2Mate is a popular online top-rated YouTube audio ripper for Mac, Windows, or mobile devices, extracting audio from YouTube videos hassle-free. It's fast and reliable, allowing quick MP3 conversions without software installation. It's a free and safe YouTube to MP3 Converter to save your favorite videos to MP3 or MP4.

Key Features:

  • Rip music from YouTube videos effortlessly.
  • Supports high-quality audio extraction.
  • No download or registration is required.

Steps to use Y2Mate to extract audio from YouTube:

Step 1. Go to Y2Mate and paste the YouTube video URL from which you want to download the audio.

Step 2. Select MP3 and click Convert.

4️⃣TubeRipper

  • Suitable: Desktop or mobile device
  • Pros: Free and easy to use to rip sound and video from many sites.
  • Cons: Export video quality only supports 360p

TubeRipper is a user-friendly free online YouTube audio ripper designed to extract audio and video from YouTube quickly and efficiently. It's ideal for users who need a simple, no-fuss solution for downloading YouTube sound for free on Android, iOS, or desktop devices. With it, you can get YouTube or other online services audio like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram in seconds—no account or software needed.

Key Features:

  • Converts YouTube videos to MP3, M4A, OGG, FLAC, WAV, OPUS, WEBM, MP4 in seconds.
  • Extract audio, video, or muted video in high-quality.
  • Works directly in your browser like Chrome, 
  • Compatible with all devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac.

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5️⃣Cobalt

Support: iOS, Android, and desktop devices.

Pros: Available on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc. Download videos and audio losslessly.

Cobalt is a free and open-source web YouTube audio extractor that extracts audio from YouTube without ads or bloatware. It is a clean and efficient way to grab audio from multiple platforms like Instagram, Dailymotion, Facebook, YouTube, etc. It will download the sound from the video without any changes. This free YouTube audio ripper allows you to save high-quality MP3 YouTube audio files up to 320 kbps.

Key Features:

  • Supports MP3, WAV, OPUS, and OGG formats.
  • Offers high-bitrate audio options.
  • No registration or installation is needed to rip audio from the website.

Steps to rip audio from YouTube website:

Step 1. Visit Cobalt and click on the settings button to configure the information, such as audio format and bitrate.

Step 2. Paste the YouTube video URL and select the Audio Only option.

Step 3. Click the >> icon to download the sound.

6️⃣Delete 'ube' Trick

User Case
"This trick is magical! It's the fastest way I've found to download audio."  – Reddit user.

The direct way to rip music from YouTube is to delete the "ube" from the URL and press Enter. This quirky method requires removing "ube" from the YouTube URL in order to access the download page. I have to admit that this is one of the quickest ways I have tested to download YouTube audio from videos, because there is no need to look for other software or tools.

Feature:

  • Visit Yout to format shift from any platform like Instagram, Twitter, etc.
  • Convert video or audio from the lowest to the highest quality.
  • Save files in MP3 or WAV (Audio), MP4 (Video) or GIF.
  • Rip music from YouTube to mp3 with metadata.

Here are steps on how to use this method to rip audio from YouTube video:

Step 1. Open the YouTube video you want to capture.

Step 2. Delete "ube" from the URL (e.g., change YouTube.com to yout.com).

Step 3. Press Enter and choose the time period for the audio download. You can also select the audio format or quality as needed. Click on the Format Shift to MP3 to download the YouTube audio file to your local device.

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7️⃣Sample

Sample is a simple, lightweight Chrome extension that allows you to record audio directly from your browser. The Sample is perfect for quick recordings without downloading any software. It's easy to rip sounds from YouTube as long as you add this extension to your browser.

Key Features:

  • Possible to record audio-only from YouTube.
  • 44.1kHz sampling rate recording
  • Saves files in WAV or MP3 format.

Steps on how to record YouTube audio with Sample:

Step 1. Search and install the Sample extension from the Chrome Web Store.

Step 2. Click the Sample icon to launch it and choose the Preferences option to set up the recording information.

Step 3. Open the YouTube video from which you want to rip audio and click the red circle button to start recording.

8️⃣yt-dlp Command-Line Tool

yt-dlp is a powerful and open source command-line tool for advanced users who need batch downloads and high customization. It's designed to download videos and audio from YouTube and other supported platforms, including Vimeo, SoundCloud, and more. It's a bit technical, but it's worth trying. You can ownload the yt-dlp file from the official GitHub repository.

Key Features:

  • Supports MP3, M4A, OPUS, and AAC formats.
  • Downloads entire playlists or channels with a single command.
  • Offers options for metadata embedding, thumbnail downloads, and subtitle extraction.
  • The audio file will be saved in the current directory.

9️⃣4K YouTube to MP3 Downloader

4K YouTube to MP3 is a reliable and dedicated desktop YouTube video to audio extractor for extracting audio from YouTube. It also supports downloading audio from other popular media platforms like Soundcloud, Facebook, TikTok, or Vimeo. With this YouTube audio extractor app, you can easily batch rip audio from multiple YouTube videos.

Key Features:

  • Converts YouTube videos to MP3, M4A, or OGG formats.
  • Supports the best quality, high-quality audio extraction.
  • Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Steps to use 4K YouTube to MP3 app to rip audio from YouTube:

Step 1. Download and install 4K YouTube to MP3 from its official website. Click on the Preferences icon for audio quality, formats, or other advanced settings.

Step 2. Click on the YouTube icon and enter the search query. Search the video you like or paste the YouTube video URL to its search bar.

Step 3. Click the Download button to start converting YouTube video to audio.

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Conclusion

Whether you're looking for a quick online solution or a powerful desktop tool, there's a method for everyone to record and rip YouTube audio. Choosing the suitable YouTube audio ripper and recorder as needed. From user-friendly options like EaseUS RecExperts and Y2Mate to advanced tools like Audacity and yt-dlp, you can now enjoy high-quality audio from YouTube without hassle.

FAQs on Best YouTube Audio Rippers

1. Is it legal to rip audio from YouTube?

It depends on the content's copyright status. Personal use is generally legal, but distributing copyrighted material is illegal.

2. How can I record YouTube audio without background noise?

Use tools like Audacity with noise reduction features or ensure a quiet recording environment.

3. Can I record YouTube audio on my iPhone?

Yes, you can use an online audio extractor from YouTube like Y2Mate or Tuberipper to rip YouTube audio on your iPhone.

4. How do I avoid ads when recording YouTube audio?

Use an ad-free YouTube audio extractor like Cobalt to download the audio file or install an ad blocker.