Why downloading Dailymotion videos is tricky
Dailymotion doesn't offer a built-in download button for most videos. The platform uses adaptive streaming (HLS/DASH) that splits video into small segments, making it impossible to simply right-click and save. Browser extensions are unreliable and frequently break when Dailymotion updates their player.
Online Dailymotion downloaders exist, but they typically cap at 720p, show aggressive ads, and require uploading the URL to a third-party server. A desktop app like Star Video Downloader handles the streaming protocol locally, giving you the full quality without any of those limitations.
How to Download Dailymotion Videos on Mac — Step by Step
Download Star Video Downloader
Get the free app from starvideoapp.com. Unzip and move to Applications. Works on macOS 14+ with Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Copy the Dailymotion video URL
Go to the Dailymotion video page and copy the URL from your browser's address bar. URLs look like dailymotion.com/video/x8abcde. You can also right-click the embedded player on other sites and copy the video URL.
Paste and download
Paste the URL into Star Video Downloader and click Download. The app resolves the streaming segments and downloads the video at the highest available quality.
Watch or convert
Your Dailymotion video is saved locally as an MP4 file. Need a different format? Use the Convert tab to change to MOV, MKV, AVI, or extract audio as MP3.
Tip: Dailymotion videos embedded on news sites and blogs work too. Just copy the page URL — Star Video Downloader detects the embedded player and downloads the video directly.
What Dailymotion content can you download?
Regular videos
Standard Dailymotion uploads are fully supported. The app downloads them at the best available quality, typically up to 1080p depending on how the video was uploaded.
Embedded videos on other websites
Dailymotion is popular with news outlets and media companies for embedding video content. If you see a Dailymotion player on a third-party website, you can copy either the page URL or the direct Dailymotion link — both work with Star Video Downloader.
Playlists and channels
Paste a Dailymotion playlist or channel URL and Star Video Downloader will detect all videos and queue them for batch downloading. Each video is saved as a separate file with the original title.
Dailymotion vs YouTube — downloading differences
While the download process is the same (paste URL, click download), there are a few differences worth noting:
- Quality: Dailymotion tops out at 1080p for most content, while YouTube offers up to 8K
- Formats: Dailymotion primarily uses MP4, making downloaded files universally compatible
- Geo-restrictions: Some Dailymotion content is region-locked. Star Video Downloader downloads whatever is accessible from your location
- Speed: Dailymotion downloads tend to be faster since file sizes are smaller
Frequently Asked Questions
What quality can I download Dailymotion videos in?
Dailymotion videos are available up to 1080p (and occasionally higher). Star Video Downloader automatically selects the highest available quality. With the free tier, you can download up to 1080p. Pro unlocks 4K+ when available.
Can I download Dailymotion videos embedded on other websites?
Yes. If you see a Dailymotion player embedded on a blog or news site, copy the page URL or the Dailymotion video URL and paste it into Star Video Downloader. The app detects the embedded player and downloads the video.
Is Dailymotion downloading legal?
Downloading videos for personal offline viewing is generally accepted. However, you should respect copyright and not redistribute downloaded content. Star Video Downloader is a tool — how you use it is your responsibility.
Can I download Dailymotion playlists?
Yes. Paste the Dailymotion playlist URL and Star Video Downloader will detect and queue all videos in the playlist for download.
Download Dailymotion Videos on Your Mac
Full quality, offline processing, no ads. Works with 1,000+ sites including Dailymotion.
macOS 14+ • Apple Silicon & Intel • No subscription