Download Video from YouTube Premium

Downloading videos from YouTube is a cottage industry all its own. Vendors inundate PCMag all the time hoping to get a mention in our YouTube video download tutorial. Even if they're not explicitly breaking YouTube's terms of service, such options may prevent people from making money on YouTube (aka, their livelihood).

To be on the up and up and still get YouTube video downloads, subscribe for $11.99 per month to YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red), which axes commercials, provides access to YouTube Originals (shows by professionals), YouTube Music, and allows for video downloads. You can try it free for an entire month, all via the YouTube app. (Buyer beware: the cost is $15.99 a month if you set up Premium via the app on iOS—that's Google charging you extra, passing the Apple tax on to customers.)

Once you've subscribed, the app will show a Premium logo. Click the Save icon () on a video on your iOS or Android phone or tablet and select your video quality: Medium (360p video) or High (720p)—some offer a Low (144p) option. Grab a whole playlist if you desire. The icon turns blue after the download is complete. Access them from the Library tab, under Downloads.

Naturally, YouTube Premium restricts playback to a device signed into the same account. Downloads disappear after 30 days. After the free trial, you'll only see the download button when you subscribe. Once you are down to only 5 percent or less storage on a device, you can't download videos with YouTube Premium until you clear some space.

Downloads work for all YouTube Originals. None of those shows are exactly household names, but that may be because you're not under 18. It's also likely to change as new shows from big names like Jordan Peele make their debut.

As for the rest of the videos on YouTube, whether you can download is at the discretion of the uploader/owner. But with 300 hours of video uploaded every minute, you can probably find something to download and watch.