Top 11 Best YouTube to MP3 Converters for Mac (incl. Long Videos)

YouTube is a hub of official music videos that lets you enjoy sublime music worldwide. It also covers millions of audio-only uploads, audiobooks, talk shows, and more for you to listen to.

Want to download YouTube videos and convert them to MP3 for playback on portable devices like Apple devices and MP3 players? Here I introduce the best YouTube to MP3 converter for Mac, including professional software, online tools, and browser extensions.

 

How I Evaluate the Best YouTube to MP3 Downloader for Mac

To help you get the top YouTube to MP3 converter for Mac, I have undertaken efforts in 3 aspects: criterion confirmation, testing, and analysis. Below, I will unveil the process.

1st, confirm the selection criteria

To begin with, I need to identify what makes a good YouTube video to MP3 converter. I considered 5 criteria: ease of use, quality, batch processing capabilities, supported file formats, and safety.

2nd, make real-world tests

3rd, analyze the test content and start writing

Based on the tests, I picked out the best tools to convert YouTube to MP3 on Mac and wrote this report. It took me 3 weeks to complete it.

 

4 Best YouTube to MP3 Converter Apps for Mac

There are many video downloader programs on the market, most of which support downloading YouTube videos, but they may not provide MP3 output options because the default audio format of YouTube is M4A. The following 4 apps all allow you to convert YouTube videos to MP3, feel free to use them.

Top 1 - Cisdem Video Converter

Cisdem Video Converter proves to be a winner among YouTube converter apps. It's a robust and stable video toolbox for Mac with a wide array of features.

The app can download and convert YouTube songs, podcasts, playlists, and more to MP3 with no degradation. Also, it ensures that you can download MP3s from social video sharing sites like Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Mixcloud, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, etc.

Besides MP3, it offers other output formats like M4A, FLAC, AAC, M4R, MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV, and so on for you to choose. Thanks to AMD VCE/VCN hardware acceleration, it allows for simultaneous and quick processing.

For further control, head to "Setting" to change output audio parameters, like quality, encoder, sample rate, channel, etc. It’s not mandatory. The defaults are great for novices.

How to convert YouTube to MP3 on Mac with high quality:

1. Download the free trial of Cisdem

   After you have installed this best YouTube to MP3 converter for Mac, launch it.

   Free Download macOS 10.13 or later

2. Switch to the “Download” interface
   Click the third icon at the top of the middle to get an interface for video download.
3. Copy YouTube link
   Visit the YouTube website. Search up the video (no matter how long) you want to download and copy the URL.
4. Download YouTube videos on Mac
   Paste the video link into Cisdem’s URL input box at the bottom. Click the write “+” button to analyze, then click “Start” to download the video.Note: To save your time on bulk downloading, click “File > Input URLs” on the top menu bar, which only requires you to add the links and analyzes them simultaneously in one click.
5. Convert long YouTube videos to MP3 on Mac
   When YouTube downloads are complete, click the “√” tick icon to find the downloaded videos and drag them to the “Convert” interface. Click the format icon to open the dropdown menu, and navigate to “Audio” > “MP3”. If you want to convert YouTube to WAV, FLAC or other audio formats, just choose the according option in this format list.
   Press the conversion button at the bottom to start the process.

 

Top 2 – MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter

Matching its name, MediaHuman is a simple YouTube to MP3 app for MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, etc. It facilitates effortless downloading of YouTube playlists and channels.

Your MP3 file will be downloaded, along with the artist's name and track title. And it is possible to alter YouTube Music cover art or artwork. MediaHuman integrates with iTunes and the Apple Music App, thus you can export downloaded audio directly to them.

How to convert YouTube video to MP3 on Mac with MediaHuman:

1. Open the YouTube video and copy the link to the clipboard.
2. On MediaHuman’s toolbar, click the “Paste link” button to parse the link.
3. Click “Start all”.
4. Press the “Locate” icon to find the downloaded MP3. Optionally, change MP3 to AAC or OGG from “Preferences”.

 

Top 3 – iTubeGo YouTube Downloader

Does iTubeGo have what it takes to be among the best YouTube to MP3 converters for Mac? Absolutely! It will be fine for queuing multiple YouTube music or movies and saving them in excellent audio quality. Except for parsing out the URL, it is also matched with a built-in browser to visit and download YouTube video to MP3 in the App directly. Plus, it covers many popular websites and 20 formats.

You can configure the speed from 128KBps to 8MBps, or convert all files at Turbo-fast speed. It can be useful if you do not want to allocate all your resources to iTubeGo due to bandwidth issues.

How to convert YouTube music to MP3 on Mac via iTubeGo:

1. Head to YouTube and look for the video you need to save as MP3. Copy its URL.
2. On the iTubeGo interface, choose the converted format – MP3.
3. Also, go to “Preference” to set the MP3 quality. You can pick the highest - 320kbps.
4. Click “Paste URL” to insert the copied URL. Wait until analyzing and downloading are done.

 

Top 4 - ClipGrab

ClipGrab is widely expected to be one of the best free YouTube to MP3 converter for Mac. Only copying the YouTube video URL, it will automatically detect, paste and analyze the video within seconds. Meantime, it offers multiple output formats for users to choose, including MPEG4, WMV, MP3, and OGG. Surprisingly, it is designed with a search engine in the app, allowing users to input keywords to search for related YouTube videos directly.

How to convert a YouTube video to MP3 on Mac using ClipGrab:

1. Get ClipGrab on your computer and open it.
2. Go to YouTube and copy a video link.
3. The App will automatically detect the copied link from the clipboard and analyze.
   
4. Once getting the video, choose "MP3 (audio only)” under Format box, and hit on "Grab this clip". Then it pops up a small window for you to change the file name and storage place. Click Save to start the downloading and converting process.
   

 

4 Best Online YouTube to MP3 Converters for Mac

Online converters are full of unsatisfying advertising and pop-up banners. If you click it by accident, you may enter into a troublesome. Since there is no installation and no money to pay, online YouTube to MP3 converters for Mac still have their perks.

Also read: Top 8 online YouTube video converters

Top 5 - EzMP3.cc

EzMP3 is definitely one of the simplest, cleanest online YouTube to MP3 converters. There are no ads during the whole process, probably because some users provided donations.

It lets you download and convert YouTube videos to MP3 format on Mac with different bitrate options. It can also trim YouTube audio for ringtones, video background sounds, best music moments and more.

For how many YouTube videos can be converted to MP3, it has no limit. But for the length of conversion, it is limited to 90 minutes.

How does it work?

1. Go to https://ezmp3.cc/ in your browser.
2. Copy the YouTube video URL, and paste the copied URL into EzMP3.
3. Click “Convert” to parse out the audio from the video.
4. Click “Download MP3”, then save the audio to your Mac computer.

 

Top 6 - ClipConverter.cx

ClipConverter is a popular free YouTube to MP3 converter for Mac that enables you to download and convert tracks without hassle. There are 3 major audio formats for YouTube including MP3, M4A, and WebM.

In the output format list, it delivers multiple video resolution options. But if you choose MP3, its bitrate can only default to 320kbps.

Plus, ClipConverter can download audio with the URL from other 700+ websites, including Instagram, Reddit, Odnoklassniki, Facebook, etc.

How does it work?

1. Copy and add the link into the text box on the ClipConverter.cx site.
2. Click “DOWNLOAD”.
3. Scroll down, then select MP3 from the options.
4. Click “Get Download Link”.
5. Click “Download MP3” to save the MP3 file to your local folder.

 

Top 7 - MP3IFY.com

MP3ify is a one-stop tool specially designed to search and download YouTube videos. Type in a keyword and you'll instantly find the target video.

It lets you download and convert YouTube to MP3 on Mac, and there is also an option to download the MP4 file. All download history will be saved.

It just requires you to register and log into your account to make the conversion, which may leak your email information.

How does it work?

1. Visit MP3IFY.com in a browser. Register an account and log in
2. Search the YouTube video by keyword or URL.
3. (Optional) If you search by keyword, click the “Download” to display all outputs.
4. In the MP3 option, select any bitrate. Then start preparing and downloading.

 

Top 8 - Y2Mate.is

Y2Mate.is, having been around 10+ years, is an old web-based YouTube to MP3 converter for Mac.

It has undergone several revisions and has become what it is now. It's able to save YouTube as 48k to 160k MP3, and they are in various sizes. The smaller the size, the worse the quality.

Besides MP3, it empowers you to convert YouTube to MP4 on Mac as well, but which merely download all videos to 1080p or lower.

How does it work?

1. Get hold of the URL from YouTube.
2. Navigate to the Y2Mate.is site and place the link over the space provided. The webpage will begin automatic link parsing.
3. Switch to the audio output option.
4. Choose one output based on quality and file size.
5. Convert and download it.

 

3 Best Browser Extensions to Convert YouTube to MP3

Web-based extensions can also rip YouTube video to MP3 easily. Compared to online downloaders, browser extensions don’t need to copy-n-paste the URL. However, as time goes by, more and more extensions cannot work on YouTube. Eventually, through hard work, I found 3 YouTube to MP3 extensions that actually work.

Top 9 - YouTube Downloader by Addoncrop

Avaiable for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Yandex, Safari, Vivaldi, Brave

Addoncrop is a powerful extension accessible for the public, which is an easy-to-use tool to download YouTube video to MP4 in 720p resolution safely. It is also matched with a built-in MP3 converter that can also convert YouTube to MP3 free online on Mac directly. Furthermore, it provides more features for people to make further editing, such as resizing the file length, deciding audio quality, saving cover thumbnail, taking screenshots, etc., allowing you to undergo a satisfactory experience.

Steps:

1. Open a browser on your Mac, such as Google Chrome, search for Addoncrop YouTube downloader to visit its official website.
2. Tap on “Add to Chrome” button on the main page and then follow the instructions to install it as your extension.
3. Then access to YouTube.com, open a video, and tap on the “music” icon below the video.
   
4. A small window will pop up for you to choose MP3 bitrate and reset the file length. When done, click on “Download” button to start to convert YouTube to MP3 Mac.
   

 

Top 10 - Easy YouTube Download Video Express

Avaiable for Firefox

Easy YouTube Download Video Express is also a useful YouTube download extension, focusing on a handy learning curve to grab YouTube content. It is capable of saving YouTube video to MP4 up to 1080p resolution, or MP3 format with 256 kbps, aiming to provide a high-quality enjoyment for users. However, currently downloading YouTube video to HD video quality or MP3 format turns to a paid service.

Steps:

1. Search for and install Easy YouTube Download Video Express on Firefox add-on store. After installing, pin it to the top toolbox bar.
2. Visit YouTube website, launch any desired video for playing.
3. Click the extension icon and then choose “MP3 HQ (256 Kbps)” option from the prompted dialogue to start downloading.
   Alternatively, clicking the green “Download as” button below the video can also allow you to make the download.
   

 

Top 11 - YouTube Video and Audio Downloader (WebEx)

Avaiable for Firefox

YouTube Video and Audio Downloader (WebEx) produced by feller is slightly different from other extensions, which builds an intimate cooperation with the third-party extension or online tool, making it save YouTube to MP4 and WebM in optional quality.

Due to this reason, it is a little bit more complicated than other extensions to extract YouTube as MP3 format. Meantime, it offers 3 tabs (Quick Download, Download Panel and Conversion Tool) that gives more variable methods to get videos offline.

Since there are multiple available methods, below I will list the steps that I have tested:

1. Open Firefox, install YouTube Video and Audio Downloader as the add-on easily, and pin its icon to the top Toolbar.
2. Move to YouTube and open a wanted video.
3. Click the icon and choose “Quick Download” to save the video at first.
   
4. Once the video is saved, click the icon again and choose “Download Panel”. On the popped-up window, choose “MP3 Converter” on the top right corner.
   
5. It will take you to a web tool for converting to MP3. However, there is no convert button to be found. So, go to its main page and switch to “audio converter” section.
6. Upon entering into the new page, upload the just downloaded YouTube video to it by dragging-n-dropping, choose MP3 as the output format, and click “Run” to start the conversion process.
   
7. Once finished, right-click on the converted MP3 audio, choose “Save audio as...” to save it to your local device.

 

Conclusion

After 3 weeks of testing, I have something to say. If you want to keep a YouTube to MP3 converter for Mac for a long time, I think it is better to choose a dedicated software. 2 main considerations are as follows:

- Functionality. Converter apps usually offer high-quality audio and versatile features, such as more output options, batch conversion, editing, or others, ensuring a better user experience.

- Security. There is a high probability that online converters and extensions will be banned. You will find no plugins related to YouTube downloads at all in the Chrome web store. And if they require a login, they may leak your privacy and information.