How to Download a Playlist from YouTube

If your phone is out of data or experiencing a poor internet connection, you might not be able to listen to streaming music on YouTube, which can be frustrating. Even without technical difficulties, it can be relaxing to be able to use your phone to listen to music without distracting connection notifications. Luckily, YouTube Music offers a simple way to download music and listen to it offline.

Follow along to learn how to download a playlist on YouTube Music, either manually or automatically.

How to Download a YouTube Playlist on a PC

One of the simpler methods for downloading a YouTube playlist on a PC is using ByClick Downloader. All you need to do is install the software and get started. Here’s what to do:

1. Open a web browser and navigate to “YouTube,.” then click “Library.”
   
2. Select the playlist you’d like to download.
   
3. ByClick Downloader will open in the lower right corner of your screen. Click “Download Playlist” in the small pop-up window.
   
4. If you don’t see the pop-up window, copy the Playlist’s URL. Then, open “ByClick Downloader” directly.
5. Select the location where you’d like to retrieve your downloaded playlist. Then, set your quality.
   
6. Click the “Paste URL” button.
   
7. Choose “Download Playlist.”
   

After the download completes, you will find the entire YouTube playlist in the folder you selected in “Step 5.”

How To Download a YouTube Playlist on an Android

If you’ve taken the time to curate the perfect playlist for every mood on YouTube Music in Android, you’ll probably want to keep them handy to listen to wherever you go. Plus, downloading entire playlists is a much more convenient way of enjoying various songs offline than downloading them individually.

Note: Downloading music and playlists is only available if you have a ‘YouTube Premium’ or ‘YouTube Music Premium’ subscription. Otherwise, the option will not appear in the settings, but the download icon will still be visible within the playlist. If you try to use it, the app will prompt you to get a subscription.

You can easily verify if you have an active subscription to get the download option by visiting the YouTube Paid Memberships page. If your subscription is active but can’t download music, check if you’re logged into the correct account.

The process of downloading YouTube Music Playlists on Android is straightforward—it includes a few simple steps:

1. Tap the “Library” tab at the bottom.
   
2. Select “Library” from the “View my” popup that appears at the bottom.
   
3. Tap the “Playlists” tab at the top.
   
4. Find the playlist you’d like to download and tap the “vertical ellipsis” (vertical three-dot icon) next to the playlist’s name.
5. Choose “Download” from the list of options. If you see the “Remove download” option instead, you already have it saved in your Android device.

Now that your go-to playlist is offline, you can listen anytime, anywhere without reconnecting to the internet. Ensure that you do connect to the internet before the 30 days runs out in order to keep your offline playlists.

YouTube Music: Download Music Automatically on Android

As great as listening to music offline is on your Android device, you might forget to download your essential playlists before traveling to a remote location. YouTube Music developers have also thought of this scenario, leading them to include the option to download music automatically. This way, you’ll always have available music on the go.

Note: Downloading music and playlists only appears in the menu if you have a ‘YouTube Premium’ or ‘YouTube Music Premium’ subscription. Otherwise, the option won’t show.

This highly useful feature is called “Smart Downloads,” and you can turn it on by following these steps:

1. Tap your profile photo in the upper-right corner.
   
2. Select “Downloads.”
   
3. Tap on “Settings” (gear icon) at the top.
   
4. Tap on “Smart downloads” (formerly “Offline Mixtape”) or use the “slider” to turn the feature on.

After turning on YouTube Smart Downloads with your premium account, the app will automatically download music based on your listening history. Any track you add to a previously downloaded playlist will also download automatically.

How to Change YouTube Music Download Quality on Android

Selecting your download quality on IPhone or Android can drastically impact the number of playlists you can download to your Android device. Here’s how to do it:

1. Tap your “profile” icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
   
2. Select the “Settings” menu.
   
3. Choose “Download & storage.”
   
4. Select “Audio quality”.
5. For “Audio quality,” choose “Low,” “Normal,” or “High.”
6. Select “Video quality” for music videos.
7. For “Video quality,” choose “Audio only if available” to save space or select from any available video qualities.

How To Download a YouTube Playlist on an iPhone

Let’s say you’re studying for an important exam but can’t focus because of the annoying pings from every corner of the internet. Does that mean you must choose between turning off the internet and getting some peace while shutting off your go-to study playlist? The answer is no!

The YouTube Music service makes it easy to download your favorite playlists and listen to them offline whenever you want.

1. Go to the “Library” tab at the bottom of your screen.
   
2. Select “Playlists” from the top.
   
3. Locate the playlist you’d like to download.
   
4. Press the three-dot icon next to its name and select “Download.”
   
5. Launch the playlist and tap the “Download” button (a down-pointing arrow) under its name.
   

The playlist will now be available to listen to offline.

Note: Make sure to connect to the internet at least once every 30 days to keep your downloaded playlists on your device.

Remeber that the download feature is only available for paid members. If the app isn’t allowing you to download music, your subscription might’ve expired. Visit the YouTube Paid Memberships page to check. Also, make sure you’re logged into the proper account.

Download YouTube Music Automatically on iPhone using Smart Downloads (formerly Mixtape)

If you forget to check off “Download music” in your iPhone on your traveling to-do list, you might think you should get ready for some excruciatingly long and boring hours. But you can let the YouTube Music App take care of this automatically and never have to worry about downloading music again.

This convenience is made possible by a handy feature known as the Smart Downloads (formerly Offline Mixtape) that you can turn on in four simple steps:

1. Tap your “profile” icon at the top right.
   
2. Scroll if needed and select “Settings.”
   
3. Go to “Downloads & storage.”
   
4. Enable the “Smart downloads” option or the “Download an offline mixtape” option if that’s what appears.

Once this option is enabled, the app will use your listening history and download similar music. Moreover, it will automatically download tracks added to your previously downloaded playlists.

Although the app’s algorithm is pretty spot-on, you can always remove a downloaded playlist you don’t find as appealing. Simply swipe left on that playlist.

The music selection will refresh every 24 hours, provided you’re connected to Wi-Fi.

Offline downloads are dependent on the amount of free space available on your iPhone and the quality of the downloads. Since YouTube Music allows you to download audio and video files, selecting the appropriate quality is crucial to freeing up more space.

How to Change YouTube Music Download Quality on iPhone

Video files and high-quality downloads take up significantly more space, so consider switching to audio-only downloads if you’re low on storage.

1. Tap your “profile” photo in the upper-right corner of the screen.
   
2. Choose “Settings” under the “Account” menu.
   
3. Open the “Downloads and storage” tab.
   
4. Tap “Audio quality”
5. Choose the audio quality from “Low,” “Medium,” or “High.”
6. Tap “Video quality.”
7. Choose the video quality from “SD video – 360p,” “HD video – 720p,” or “Audio only if available.”

The lower the quality settings, the more songs (and videos) you can have downloaded. You also have the option to download audio only on videos, as mentioned above.

How to Listen to a Playlist Offline on Android/iPhone

Once downloaded, your playlists will be stored within the app, meaning no MP3 or MP4 files will be available in your internal storage.

Follow these steps to access a downloaded playlist:

1. Tap the “Library” icon at the bottom of your screen.
   
2. Tap “Settings” and select the “Downloads and Storage” tab.
   
3. Locate your desired playlist and select it.

Remove a Downloaded Playlist from Smart Downloads on Android/iPhone

If you’re not fond of a specific playlist YouTube Music chose to download for you on your iPhone or Android device, you can easily remove it. Here’s how:

1. Tap the “vertical ellipsis” (three-dot icon) next to the playlist’s name.
   
2. Select “Delete from downloads.”
   

Note: You can still see this playlist on your app, but it will disappear from your downloads, and the app will never re-download that playlist automatically.

The number of playlists you can download depends on the available storage space on your Android device. Note that YouTube Music is one of the few streaming services offering music video files. Naturally, videos take more space than audio-only files, especially if it’s high quality.

If you’d like to maximize the number of songs and playlists you can download, consider changing the music download quality.

Music on the Go

Music can make many unpleasant activities seem more bearable. For this reason, it’s essential to have access to your favorite playlists regardless of your internet connection. Thanks to YouTube Music’s simple download feature, you can take your music with you anywhere you go.

Have you ever tried downloading a playlist from the YouTube Music app? What is the playlist you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments section below.