YouTube to MP4
Paste a YouTube link and keep the video as an MP4 with the audio merged in, at any resolution the video has, up to 4K. Vidferry runs on your Mac or PC, with no ads and nothing sent anywhere.
- MP4 video
- Up to 4K
- Audio merged in, with sound
- One video or a playlist
Built by the team behind Hoverify, trusted by 26,000+ developers
Everything you need to save YouTube videos as MP4.
One paste, and it’s yours, at the quality and format you want.
A plain MP4 by default
Vidferry starts on the sharpest H.264 copy, usually 1080p: a standard MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio) that opens in QuickTime, on your phone, in an editor, or on a TV.
The quality you choose
Every resolution the video has, up to 4K. Above 1080p YouTube only sends AV1 or VP9, which some built-in players can't open, so Vidferry marks those. No cap pushing you to pay.
Sound included, merged for you
YouTube often stores video and audio separately. Vidferry merges them back into one file, so you never end up with a silent MP4.
On your machine, no ads
It all runs locally, with no account, no ads, and nothing uploaded to a server. The link you paste stays with you.
A YouTube video as a file that just plays
You paste a link, you get an MP4. Not a WEBM your editor refuses to open, not a video with no sound, not a 720p copy with the good quality locked behind a payment. By default, Vidferry saves YouTube video as a plain MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio), the format that plays on any phone, computer, TV, or editing timeline without converting anything first.
The catch with most “YouTube to MP4” tools is the website model. A paste-a-link site runs every URL through its own server, so its operator sees what you save, and the page itself is usually a minefield of fake “Download” buttons and pop-ups. Vidferry flips that around: it’s a small app that does the work on your own machine, with nothing uploaded and no ads to dodge.
The silent-video problem, solved
If you’ve ever downloaded a YouTube video and found it plays back in total silence, this is why: YouTube frequently keeps the picture and the sound in separate streams, and a plain grab only takes the first one. Vidferry pulls both and merges them into a single MP4, so the file you end up with always has audio. You don’t have to think about it.
Pick your quality
Vidferry lists every resolution the video has, up to 4K, and starts on the sharpest one that plays everywhere, usually 1080p. Go higher for the extra detail: above 1080p YouTube only offers AV1 or VP9, so the app marks those resolutions and says which players handle them. Drop lower when a smaller file matters more. If you only want the sound, switch to MP3 or M4A instead, and the full YouTube downloader page covers playlists, Shorts, channels, and clips.
How to save a YouTube video as MP4
Three steps, about a minute. No setup, no sign-up.
- 1
Copy the YouTube link
Grab the URL from the address bar or the Share button. Videos, Shorts, and past live streams all work.
- 2
Pick your quality
Paste it into Vidferry and pick a resolution. It starts on the sharpest one that plays anywhere, and the format stays MP4.
- 3
Save the MP4
Hit download. Vidferry merges the video and audio and drops a single MP4 into the folder you chose.
YouTube to MP4 downloader FAQ
Copy the YouTube link, paste it into Vidferry, pick your quality, and download. It saves the video as a standard MP4 on your machine, with the audio merged in. No website in the middle, no upload.
MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is the most widely supported combination there is. It plays on essentially every phone, computer, TV, and editor without converting anything first, which is exactly what you want for a video you'll actually watch or edit. At 1440p and 4K, YouTube only offers AV1 or VP9, so those files are still MP4 but use a newer codec. VLC and web browsers play them; some built-in players can't.
Because YouTube often serves the video and audio as two separate streams, and a basic download grabs only the video. Vidferry merges the two back together, so the MP4 you get always has sound.
Any resolution the video has, up to 4K when the uploader posted it. Vidferry starts on the sharpest copy that plays everywhere, usually 1080p, and you can go higher or lower from there. The top quality depends on what YouTube has for that particular video.
Yes. Turn on Save transcript and the captions come along, either as an SRT or plain-text file next to the MP4, or embedded into the video itself so players show them as a normal subtitle track. Vidferry prefers the uploader's real subtitles and falls back to auto-generated captions when that's all the video has.
Vidferry is $12 once, for Mac and Windows, with no subscription and no ads. The free 'YouTube to MP4' websites earn their keep through pop-ups and fake buttons instead, and they see every link you paste. An installed app avoids both.
Yes. Switch the format to MP3 or M4A and Vidferry saves the sound on its own. The YouTube to MP3 page walks through that.
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Ready to ferry?
Paste your first link in under a minute. $12 once, yours to keep, on Mac and PC.