The Fastest Way: Star Video Downloader
There are many ways to download YouTube videos on a Mac, but most are either slow, require Terminal commands, or come with ads and malware risks. Star Video Downloader is a free native macOS app that makes the process simple: paste a URL, pick a quality, click download. No browser extension, no command line.
Step-by-Step Guide
Download Star Video Downloader
Download the free app from starvideoapp.com. Open the .zip file and drag the app to your Applications folder. On first launch, right-click and choose "Open" to bypass Gatekeeper.
Copy the YouTube URL
Open the YouTube video you want to download in Safari, Chrome, or any browser. Click the address bar and copy the full URL (it will look like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...).
Paste the URL into the app
Switch to Star Video Downloader. Click the URL input field at the top and paste the URL with ⌘V. The app will automatically detect the video.
Choose your quality
Select the resolution you want — 360p, 720p, 1080p are available on the free tier. Upgrade to Pro for 4K, 8K, and the highest available quality.
Click Download
Hit the Download button. The video will appear in your download queue with a live progress bar. Once complete, click the file icon to open it in Finder.
Pro tip: The app supports automatic URL detection from your clipboard — if you've copied a YouTube URL, it may appear in the input field automatically when you open the app.
Downloading YouTube Playlists on Mac
To download an entire YouTube playlist, copy the playlist URL (it contains playlist?list=)
and paste it into Star Video Downloader. With a Pro license, all videos in the playlist are queued
automatically. You can deselect individual videos before starting.
Downloading YouTube Audio as MP3 on Mac
If you only need the audio from a YouTube video — for example, a music video, podcast, or lecture — use the built-in conversion tab. Download the video first, then use the Convert tab to extract audio as MP3, AAC, FLAC, or WAV. No quality loss compared to online converters.
Downloading YouTube Videos with Subtitles
Star Video Downloader Pro can embed subtitles directly into downloaded videos. In the download settings, enable "Embed Subtitles" and select your preferred language. The subtitles will be permanently embedded in the output file.
Other Methods (and Why They're Worse)
Star Video Downloader
Native macOS app, free tier, 1000+ sites, video repair, conversion tool.
Bestyt-dlp (Terminal)
Powerful but requires Terminal commands, no GUI, harder to use.
Technical usersOnline converters
No download needed but limited to 1080p, ads everywhere, privacy concerns, file size limits.
Not recommendedBrowser extensions
Limited quality options, only works in that browser, often removed from stores.
Not recommendedFrequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to download YouTube videos on Mac?
Downloading for personal offline viewing is generally acceptable. Downloading for redistribution violates YouTube's Terms of Service. Always respect copyright and use downloads for personal use only.
Can I download YouTube videos on Mac for free?
Yes. Star Video Downloader's free tier lets you download up to 5 videos per day in up to 1080p — no payment required.
Does this work on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)?
Yes. Star Video Downloader runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Can I download age-restricted YouTube videos?
Star Video Downloader can download most publicly accessible videos. Age-restricted videos may require a YouTube account cookie — this is an advanced feature.
How do I download a YouTube video as MP3 on Mac?
Download the video with Star Video Downloader, then use the Convert tab to extract audio as MP3, FLAC, AAC, or WAV.
Ready to Download YouTube Videos on Your Mac?
Free to start. No account needed. Works on all Macs running macOS 14+.
macOS 14+ • Apple Silicon & Intel • No subscription