Download your own YouTube video as MP4
The official way to get an MP4 of a video you uploaded, and what to do when that is not possible.
Steps in YouTube Studio
- Sign in to YouTube Studio with the account that uploaded the video.
- Select Content in the left menu.
- Point to the video, open the menu (three dots) and choose Download.
According to YouTube Help, the file arrives as an MP4 in 720p or 360p, depending on the video. If you need the original quality you uploaded, use your own source file, or request your data through Google Takeout.
When Download is missing
YouTube Help lists the cases where you cannot download a video: it was taken down, it has a copyright or Community Guidelines strike, it uses a pre-approved audio track, or you reached the limit of five downloads in 24 hours.
What about other people’s videos?
Studio downloads work only for videos you uploaded. YouTube Premium lets you save videos for offline viewing, but they play only in the YouTube app for up to 29 days between online checks, and they are not exported as files. If you need a clip someone else made, ask the creator for the file or for permission.
yt2mp4 does not download from YouTube links. It converts a file you already have, for example a download from Studio that you want in a different size, or an older upload in another format.
Next step
If your file is not an MP4, or you want a smaller one, open the converter. For the difference between MP4 and the codecs inside it, read MP4, H.264 and AAC explained.