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19/12/2020 – Why watch a video on Youtube when you just download it? On the web, sites that allow you to download the video of your choice directly are flourishing. To the great misfortune of the rights holders.
YouTube – Watch videos on Youtube? It’s out of date, let’s see. Downloading them directly to your computer is easier. American, Russian or European developers have designed tools, browser extensions, software, or sites that allow, with disconcerting ease, to download any video, on Youtube or Dailymotion. And it is clear that today, these sites are enjoying some success. And here’s our dedicated post on how to save videos from youtube on mac.
Among the most used sites are SaveFrom, Vdownloader, and Pwn! youtube. The first, officially hosted in the United Kingdom, developed in Russia, registers an average of 900,000 visitors per month (60,000 per day). The vast majority (70%) of users living in Russia and Ukraine.
How does it work?
On SaveFrom, aka SSYoutube, just enter (in a form) the address of the targeted Youtube video, and click on “download”. Other streaming sites “covered” by the site: Dailymotion, Vimeo, Metacafe, and a host of other Russian streaming platforms.
The site’s information states that“SaveFrom does not host files on its servers, nor does it publish any links.” He added: “If your copyrights are violated, contact the administration of the sites where the videos are stored.“
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VDownloader was designed in 2009 by a Spanish engineer from the European University of Madrid. This free software allows you to capture video or audio files from Youtube, Dailymotion, or Veoh. Like SaveFrom, VDownloader “captures” videos or sounds hosted via HTTPS protocols of streaming sites.
In 2011, the VDownloader software was acquired by the American start-up Vitzo Limited, determined to “monetize” this service. As Nutkenz, the director of Vitzo, explains, the New York company makes money through advertising, and thanks to the Plus version of VDownloader (16.99 euros/year or 39.99 euros /lifetime), which allows programming automatic downloads, based on keywords or YouTube usernames.
Vitzo also owns several other sites of the same acabit, called Youtube Downloader or Endless Youtube. According to Nutkenz, the company has employees “all over the world” in Portugal, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, the USA, Canada, and even France.
“It’s perfectly legal”
“There is a very strong demand for video downloads,” notes Nutkenz. “Afterantivirus software, it’s one of the most popular areas, for example on Mrtechi.com,” he adds. “We think it should be possible for people to make video backups for personal use, or to share videos as they wish,” he says.
And it doesn’t matter if the owners of these videos find themselves aggrieved: “In the USA, there is no law against downloading videos. Indeed, storing copies of videos is not contrary to U.S. copyright law. YouTube disapproves of sites offering download services from their platform, but it’s perfectly legal.“
Screenshot of Deturl. A gif on the home page shows you how it works.
Pwn! youtube, aka Deturl is a site hosted in California and Europe, a majority of American and French Internet users. The site’s practical feature is: Simply add a word to the URL of your video, “pwn” in this case, will allow you to download the video of your choice, in MP4 or FLV format.
“The necessary measures”
Faced with these very easy-to-use sites, which do not require any installation, YouTube remains circumspect: “Our terms of use prohibit the downloading or copying of the videos, without the explicit permission of the rightful person,” says a Google representative.
Officially, therefore, to download a YouTube video, but this is also the case for Dailymotion and for other platforms, the Internet user, regardless of his country of residence, must contact the right-holder and obtain his permission.
“This kind of service is especially detrimental to the rightful person, who sees his rights (copyrights) violated, “the Google representative lamented. “When a video, which can be blocked or monetized (especially via the Content ID system)is downloaded, its owner loses control of its work.“
And who says the loss of control, also says the loss of money … First of all for the film industry, when we know that is also, more and more, stored on YouTube or Dailymotion entire films.
Without elaborating, without clearly mentioning lawyers or out-of-court settlements, Google concludes that when its services are “informed of the existence of a tool to download without the permission of the rightful person”, the company takes “the necessary measures”. Obviously, measures still ineffective in the face of this multitude of sites, which do not seem ready to close shop.
As NanoZ, a big user of Deturl and And Keep Tube, explains, “Being able to download a video directly to watch it later, even without a connection, rather than streaming it, is much more convenient. No slowdowns, no cuts… And besides, no need to go through Peer-to-peer software… paradise!”
Why Would You Need to Download?
Many YouTube users lookout for the newest podcast series of their favorite podcast stars. Or, at times, download the latest copy of new song releases and live performances of their most-liked bands or singers. Many of those who wait for fresh podcasts patiently stand by to hear the commentaries on burning issues and trending topics of the moment.
And an hour-long podcast is something they could enjoy listening to and not necessarily watching. Because of this, converting YouTube to mp3 would be more suitable. An mp3 file will take up less space on their device so they can store more episodes and listen to them continuously as they’re stuck in traffic or while biding time away, waiting for their turn in the doctor’s clinic. Saving podcast episodes will also allow users to listen to speakers while doing chores around the house, making it pretty convenient.
Also, much content on YouTube, like academic discussions, is primarily executed in frozen frames to encourage more earnest listening. Thus, it’s necessary to save an audio-only file and arrange it their device like a playlist. This way, users can save an entire library without having to buy another memory storage.
Students and educators have relied mostly on this to enrich their knowledge and prepare academically. It has been beneficial and effective in memory recall and processing of information. Even experts believe that academic discussions on videos improve the learning experience and break down barriers among all ages.
Clearly, YouTube has been the go-to of many for entertainment, learning, and satisfying one’s quench for curiosity. It’s no wonder, the platform has gained billions of fans since its inception in 2005.
What about 2020?
We updated this article in August 2020. Since its publication in 2013, almost all of the sites initially mentioned have been operating today. However, piracy (the scourge that rights holders always seem to fear), does not seem to deflect users from legal offers. YouTube allows via its premium subscription at 11.99 euros /month to watch videos offline.
