Summary
Can’t download online videos including YouTube via VLC? This post will describe some common problems when downloading YouTube videos using VLC, and show you the full guide to download online videos from YouTube or popular sites with ease.

VLC Media Player is not only a perfect media player, but also an excellent tool for saving online video streams. Its powerful features allow us to download online videos, including YouTube videos. If you want to save online videos to your computer via VLC Media Player, then don’t miss this article. In this post, you will learn how to download videos with VLC on Windows/Mac and solve some common problems while downloading videos via VLC. In addition, you will get the extra benefits to download videos from popular video sites to your computer.

CONTENTS

Part 1. Download Video from YouTube with VLC & Browser

It’s an easy job to download online videos with VLC. Here we take downloading YouTube videos with VLC as an example, the key point is to move the video playground from YouTube to our browser. Follow the steps below:

Step 1. First of all, download and install VLC media player on your Windows or Mac. Then launch VLC on your desktop.

Step 2. Go to YouTube and open the video you want to download. Copy the video URL in the address bar while the video is playing.

Copy the Video URL from YouTube

Step 3. In this step, you need to paste the video URL into VLC and play it.
On Windows:
Click on “Media” > “Open Network Stream”.

Download YouTube Video with VLC on PC

It will pop up a window, please paste the video URL into network URL, then press on “Play”.

Download YouTube Video via VLC on PC

On Mac:
Click on “File” > “Open Network”, paste the video URL and hit “Open”.

Step 4. Here you need to copy the direct URL of the YouTube video.
On Windows:
When the video is playing, go to “Tools” > “Codec Information”, copy the full URL in “Location” section.

get YouTube Video with VLC on PC

On Mac:
Pick the YouTube video in VLC, click “Window” > “Media Information”. Find the “Location” input box and copy the URL.

Step 5. Now this step is the key point. Open a new tab on browser, and paste the video URL you copied in step 4 into the address bar, then press “Enter” on your keyboard. After which, right mouse click, and select “Save video as…” or just press CTRL + S.

Download YouTube Video with VLC on mac

Enter the file name, such as “.mp4” or “.avi”. Then choose the file location and save.

Part 2. Common Problems When downloading YouTube Videos Using VLC

Now, you have learned how to download YouTube videos with VLC Media Player. If you failed to download and save YouTube videos with VLC, or you can’t play the downloaded YouTube video in VLC, don’t worry. Please calm down and repeat the above steps carefully to check if any steps are missing. If the problem persists, please continue reading the solutions below. Here are some common problems and solutions encountered when saving videos from the website via VLC.

Problem 1:
“I tried to play these downloaded videos in VLC and Windows Media Player, but none of them work properly. I found the downloaded file named “file” in the folder. What happened?”

Solution A: Go back to Step 5, check if you have put an extension to the file name, like “.mp4” or “.avi”. Since MP4 format is supported by most devices and players.

Solution B: Ask a professional video converter for help, here we recommend UkeySoft Video Converter. It supports to convert video, audio and even DVD file to any mainstream video/audio formats to fit all players or devices, including MP4, MP3, MKV, AVI, WMV, M4V, MOV, M4A, etc.

Problem 2:
“I am unable to play those videos in VLC with sound. How do I get the sound back for those videos? I am using VLC version 2.2.5.”

Solution: The latest version in 2020 is VLC 3.0.11, you can update the VLC program to the latest version. If the video with sound still cannot be played after the update, please check if there is sound when playing the video on YouTube. In addition, you can also check whether there is a problem with the audio speaker of the device.

Problem 3:
“VLC does not support me to download all YouTube videos, I only downloaded a few YouTube music videos.”

Solution: Due to YouTube policy restrictions, certain age-restricted YouTube videos, copyrighted videos, purchased movies, etc. cannot be downloaded. You can go to Part 3 and try the VLC alternative.

Part 3. An Alternative to VLC for Downloading Online Video including YouTube (Best)

After all, VLC is not an expert in video downloading, and some videos are highly protected by its website programs and blocked by VLC. If you want to easily download private videos from YouTube, download favorite TV shows, movies from popular video sites, watch HD, 4K or even 8K videos on your Apple TV, HD TV, PSP, iPhone and other devices, what you need is a professional video downloader.

4kFinder Online Video Downloader is the most professional online video downloader to download online videos from YouTube, Vevo, Veoh, Facebook, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Soundcloud, Niconico, etc. This powerful tool supports to download online video to MP4 or MP3 format without quality loss. Better yet, it allows you to download online 1080p HD, 4K and even 8K videos, which can offer better viewing experience. With using it, you can download and save your favourite YouTube movies, TV shows and music videos on your Mac or Windows, then you can move them to any device for offline enjoying. With a simple and easy-to-use interface, 4kFinder helps you download YouTube videos to PC in only 3 steps!

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Steps to Download YouTube Video with 4kFinder

Step 1. Download and install 4kFinder on your computer, then run it. Go to YouTube and copy the video link, and then paste the video URL to 4kFinder and click “Analyze”.

paste youtube video link

Step 2. It will pop up a small window, here you can select MP4 in different resolution, or MP3 format in 320 kbps bitrate. To download YouTube videos with subtitles, please select “Original Subtitles”.

select youtube MP4 format

Step 3. Click the “Download” button, the program will start to download video as MP4 or MP3. It supports to batch download, just add more video links to the bar. After that, you can find the downloaded files in “Finished” section, tab “Open Folder” to open it.

Download YouTube Video to Computer

Hope the above information can help you solve some common encountered problems while downloading videos with VLC on Mac or Windows and. If you are not used to using VLC to save online videos, I suggest you try the free version of 4kFinder Online Video Downloader. This powerful tool enables you to download online videos to your computer with ease.

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