YTMate — Free YouTube to MP3 & MP4 Converter

Paste a YouTube link below and convert it to MP4 video or MP3 audio. The online converter runs entirely in your browser and needs no account, no software and no APK. If you would rather convert on your phone without a browser, the free YTMate Android app is reviewed further down this page.

YTMate Online Converter

Paste the YouTube video URL and click Convert.

• Copy your YouTube video link and paste it in the box above
• Click Convert
• Choose MP4 video or MP3 audio, and your quality, on the download page
• Save the file to your device

Works with standard video links, youtu.be short links, and Shorts URLs.

Available video resolutions: 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p, 240p and 144p (.mp4).
Available audio: MP3 at 128, 192 and 320 kbps, plus M4A/AAC.
By using our online tool you are accepting our terms of use.

Choosing a Format and Quality

Take the MP4 when the picture matters, and the MP3 when you only intend to listen — stripping the video cuts the file by roughly ninety per cent and lets your phone screen sleep, which uses noticeably less battery on a long journey.

Rough sizes for a five-minute video: 1080p is around 150 MB, 720p around 75 MB, 360p around 30 MB, and an MP3 at 192 kbps around 7 MB. On a phone screen the difference between 480p and 1080p is far smaller than the three-fold difference in file size.

For MP3 bitrate: 320 kbps for music worth keeping, 192 kbps for general listening, 128 kbps for anything speech-led. Going above 320 kbps does not help, because the source audio is already compressed.

One ceiling worth knowing: a converter cannot create detail that is not in the source. If a video was uploaded at 720p, asking for 1080p produces a larger file containing exactly the same picture.

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YTMate Android App — Review & Download

If you would rather convert directly on your phone, without going through a browser, YTMate is a free Android app that does the same job offline. It is unusually small at 7.9 MB and runs on Android versions going back to 2.3.2, which makes it viable on older or low-storage phones where heavier downloaders will not fit.

• Version: 3.2.7.1120
• File size: 7.9 MB (one of the smallest in its category)
• Requires: Android 2.3.2 (Gingerbread) or later
• License: Freeware
• Category: Utilities
• Publisher: Devian Studio
• Last updated: October 2023

Which should you use — the converter or the app?

The online converter above needs no install and works on any device with a browser, including iPhone and desktop. Use it for one-off conversions.

The Android app is worth installing if you convert regularly, want downloads to continue in the background while you use your phone, need resume support on an unreliable connection, or want playlist management. It is Android only.

YTMate app features

• Downloader — saves videos in 144p, 240p, 360p, 720p HD and 1080p Full HD MP4.
• Converter — extracts MP3 or M4A/AAC audio at several bitrates.
• Fast download mode — uses multiple parallel connections on good networks.
• Background downloading with notification-bar progress.
• Resume support — interrupted downloads continue from where they stopped, for most YouTube sources.
• Built-in playlists — create, reorder and play back-to-back queues.
• YouTube search and related-video suggestions on the home screen.
• 3D and 360-degree video downloads (a compatible viewer is needed for playback).
• Caption file management — toggle CC subtitle download per video or globally.
• Custom download folders for video and audio.
• Tiny footprint at 7.9 MB, working back to Android 2.3.2.
• Free, with no signup, watermarks or daily caps.

Installing the APK

1. Tap the Download YTMate 3.2.7 APK button above.
2. Open the downloaded APK file.
3. Android will ask permission to install from this source. This prompt appears for any app not installed through the Play Store — grant it only for files from sites you trust, and choose Allow this installation only where offered rather than enabling it permanently.
4. Some devices ask which package installer to use — pick the system default.
5. Tap Install, then Open.

Downloading videos with the app

1. Open YTMate. The home screen has a search bar and trending suggestions.
2. Search by name, or paste a YouTube URL into the search field.
3. Tap the video, then tap the download button at the top.
4. Pick a resolution — file sizes are shown next to each option. Tap Play instead to stream.
5. Tap Download. Progress appears in the notification bar.
6. When it finishes, tap the file in your Downloads list to play it.

Converting to MP3 or M4A in the app

1. Download as audio directly — open the Downloads tab, choose Audio as the format, and YTMate saves an MP3 or M4A straight from the source.
2. Convert an existing download — in your Downloads list, open the video's option menu and choose Extract Audio (MP3).

M4A/AAC generally sounds better than MP3 at the same file size and converts faster, so it is worth choosing when your music app supports it — almost all modern Android players do. Note that either way the audio is being re-encoded from an already-compressed source, so some quality loss is unavoidable; at 192 kbps and above it is inaudible for most material.

Resuming interrupted downloads

Open the Downloads list, tap the menu icon on the stopped item, and choose Resume. The download continues from where it left off rather than starting over. This works for most YouTube sources but not every third-party site.

Playlists

Add a downloaded video to a playlist via Add to playlist in the option menu, or add a streaming video by tapping Playlist after pressing download. The default Current List is a temporary queue that clears when you close the app — use the + button to create a named playlist that persists. Playlists support drag-to-reorder and item removal.

Running the app on Windows or Mac

The app is Android only, but it runs on a computer through an Android emulator:

1. Install BlueStacks.
2. Download the YTMate APK from the link above.
3. In BlueStacks, click My apps → Install APK and select the downloaded file.
4. Wait for installation to finish, then launch it like any other app.

For most people the online converter at the top of this page is simpler than setting up an emulator — the emulator route is mainly worth it if you want the app's background downloading and playlist features on a desktop.

Changing download folders

Open Preferences and choose Folder for Video or Folder for Music. On Android 4.4 and later, Google restricts apps from writing freely to SD cards, so the app works best with internal storage. If you run out of space, use Move to SD card on individual files rather than changing the global folder.

System requirements

Operating system	Android 2.3.2 (Gingerbread) or later
File size	7.9 MB
License	Freeware
Category	Utilities
Latest version	3.2.7.1120
Publisher	Devian Studio

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install anything to use YTMate?

No. The converter at the top of this page runs in your browser on any device, including iPhone and desktop. The Android app is optional and only worth installing if you want background downloads, resume support or playlists.

Does the online converter work with youtu.be and Shorts links?

Yes. Standard watch links, youtu.be short links and /shorts/ URLs are all accepted, including links copied from the YouTube app's Share button.

Is YTMate free?

Yes. Both the online converter and the Android app are free, with no purchases, subscriptions or download limits.

Is the YTMate APK safe?

The APK on this page has been scanned for viruses, spyware, adware, trojans and backdoors and was found clean. Any APK installed from outside the Play Store requires granting an extra permission, so review Android's prompts and only grant it for files from sites you trust.

I get "EACCES (Permission denied)" in the app — what does that mean?

The app does not have write access to the folder you chose. Open Preferences and change the download folder to internal storage. On Android 4.4 and later, Google restricts apps from writing freely to SD cards.

Why are my downloads slow?

Speed depends mainly on your network and the length of the video. Fast Download Mode opens multiple parallel connections, but on a weak network that can slow things down — try turning it off in Preferences.

Why can't I download Full HD?

Some videos have no HD version on YouTube. Others use the DASH streaming format, which needs the converter module to merge the streams into a playable file. Make sure you have the latest app version, since YouTube format changes occasionally require updates.

Can YTMate download 3D or 360° videos?

Yes, as standard files, but you will need a 3D or 360-degree player to view them properly. They look distorted in regular video players.

How do I uninstall the app?

Go to Settings → Apps (or Application Manager on older Android), select YTMate, and tap Uninstall.

Legal Use

Convert content you own, have explicit permission to use, or that is published under a licence permitting download — your own uploads, Creative Commons material, public-domain content, or anything explicitly marked for offline viewing. Downloading copyrighted video or music without permission is a violation in most countries regardless of which tool is used.