[grc] YouTube to mp4 - what is a safe converter?
Spencer Graves
spencer.graves at effectivedefense.org
Thu Dec 24 17:35:34 PST 2020
Hello, All:
Earlier today, I tried "youtube-dl", which seemed to work well for
me: I installed it and used it successfully to download a YouTube video
and save it in WebM and m4a formats, then passed the m4a file to
otter.ai and got a reasonable transcript, which I plan to use to extract
about 6 minutes from a 60-minute YouTube video.
"YouTube-dl" seemed to be the best of 10 different options discussed
in a Wikipedia article on "Comparison of YouTube downloaders". Four of
those 10 are free and open-source software. Of those 4, only
"youtube-dl" reportedly works with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.
It has one substantive deficiency: It does NOT have a graphical user
interface. It also requires that you have Python and FFMPEG installed.
I invoked it successfully using "youtube-dl -k [url]" at a command
prompt.
If you'd like to try "youtube-dl" but have trouble understanding how
to install and use it, please let me know: I will happily schedule a
tutorial or a consulting session, depending on demand. The Wikipedia
article on "youtube-dl" says it "is one of the most starred projects on
GitHub, with over 72,000 stars. ... On October 23, 2020, the Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) issued a takedown notice to
GitHub under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), requesting the
removal of youtube-dl ... On November 16, 2020, GitHub publicly
reinstated the repository, after the Electronic Frontier Foundation sent
GitHub a document contesting the takedown notice".
The choice that seemed second best to me of the 10 in the Wikipedia
"Comparison of YouTube downloaders" is "ClipGrab". However, the
Wikipedia article on "ClipGrab" says it's "loaded with crapware". I
decided I did not want that.
Best Wishes,
Spencer Graves
On 2020-11-17 16:17, Robert Park via grc wrote:
> I have Audacity set to record anything I hear on my computer, but I prefer
> to download files from YouTube when I have permission to broadcast.
>
> On Tue, Nov 17, 2020 at 2:39 PM Michael Moon Bear via grc <
> grc at maillist.peak.org> wrote:
>
>> For those using a PC, I have used Total Recorder for years. $20,
>> records anything that you can hear on your computer, works like a charm.
>>
>>
>> http://www.totalrecorder.com
>>
>> ---
>> Keep The Beat Alive!
>>
>> - Michael
>> KYRS Station Manager
>> 509.624.7573 cell
>> 509.747.3012 extension 5 office
>>
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>> KYRS.org
>>
>> Text a Donation: text GiveKYRS to 44321
>>
>> Eating instructions: crack open shells, discard shells, enjoy the seeds!
>>
>>
>> On 2020-11-17 13:48, Frieda Werden via grc wrote:
>>
>>> While all this discussion was taking place, I broke down and recorded the
>>> nearly 2 hours in analogue with a line out to my Tascam recorder, which
>> has
>>> a digital card in it. But I am very interested in the Audio Hijack idea
>>> for use in recording direct to the computer - not only for me but for
>> other
>>> reporters I work with.
>>>
>>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
>>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org [1]
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 17, 2020 at 11:31 AM Carl Etnier via grc <
>> grc at maillist.peak.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> While it has a lot of uses, Audio Hijack doesn't seem to meet Frieda's
>>> needs. She said, "I have permission to use the audio, but would
>>> prefer not to have to re-record in analogue in real time."
>>>
>>> As far as I know, Audio Hijack is a way to simplify the setup for
>> recording
>>> in real time. It would, however, eliminate the
>> digital-to-analog-to-digital
>>> conversion she was perhaps otherwise envisioning. The other methods
>>> indicated allow downloading the files in a way that's much faster than
>> real
>>> time.
>>>
>>> --Carl
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 17, 2020 at 12:59 PM Simon Frech via grc <
>>> grc at maillist.peak.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I su
>>> ggested Audio Hijack to Frieda as well. I've been using it for many years
>>> and it's a superb program for so many things. Record anything that makes
>>> sound on your Mac.
>>> Thanks for all the suggestions!
>>>
>>> Simon On Nov 16, 2020, at 6:59 PM, GREGG MCVICAR via grc <
>> grc at maillist.peak.org> wrote:
>>> There's always Audio Hijack if you have a Mac.
>>>
>>> Gregg McVicar
>>>
>>> https://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/ <
>> https://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/>
>>>
>>> On Nov 16, 2020, at 6:39 PM, Tim Požár via grc <grc at maillist.peak.org
>>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>> I found https://www.4kdownload.com/products/product-videodownloader
>> very handy.
>>
>>>> If you need to grab the audio portion of the video file, just use
>> Audacity to import the file.
>>
>>> Tim
>>>
>>> On 11/16/20 6:27 PM, Jeff Shaw via grc wrote: I do a lot of video work
>> and sometimes Video Download Helper doesn't
>> work for me. So, I sometimes use it, and sometimes use this:
>>
>>> https://www.yourvideofile.org/
>>> I donated a small amount to that project and was sent a key for "Pro"
>> activation. As opposed to Video Download Helper, which is appears as
>> a
>> plug-in on your browser, this one appears on the youtube page itself as
>> a
>> green button, and sometimes takes a slight bit longer. But it works
>> when
>>
>>> video download helper may not. Having said all of that, youtube may
>> change their format or security,
>> and all of these options may have to adjust again.
>>
>>> good luck!
>>> Jeff Shaw
>>> Davis Media Access
>>> On 11/16/20 3:19 PM, Ted Coe via grc wrote: Thanks!
>>>
>>> *Theodore Coe | KCSB AdvisorKCSB-FM 91.9o. 805.893.3921 |
>>> e. advisor at kcsb.org <advisor at kcsb.org>*
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 3:13 PM Carl Etnier <
>> carl.etnier at goddard.edu>
>>
>>> wrote:
>>> Video DownloadHelper extension for Firefox (and some other
>> browsers,
>>
>>> I believe). Simple to use.
>>> youtube-dl Open source. No GUI; good for someone comfortable
>> with
>>
>>> command-line operations. Can also download subtitles/transcripts.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 6:03 PM Ted Coe via grc <
>> grc at maillist.peak.org>
>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Frieda,
>>>
>>> Do you use Adblock with those Youtube to mp3 type of converters?
>>>
>>> I'm not sure if this is foolproof, but I've never had a detectable
>> issue.
>>
>>> Have been relying on Adblock + and alway click "no" when it says I
>> need to
>>
>>> update my Flash player...
>>>
>>> Cheers!
>>> Ted Coe
>>>
>>> *Theodore Coe | KCSB AdvisorKCSB-FM 91.9o. 805.893.3921 |
>>> e. advisor at kcsb.org <advisor at kcsb.org>*
>>>
>>> On Fri, Nov 13, 2020 at 8:01 PM Frieda Werden via grc <
>>> grc at maillist.peak.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I used to use a YouTube to mp3 online converter years ago, but
>> eventually it got corrupted with malware. Wondering if anyone can recommend
>> a safe
>>
>>> way to get an mp4 copy. I have permission to use the audio, but
>> would
>>
>>> prefer not to have to re-record in analogue in real time when my
>> new
>>
>>> version of Audacity is capable of opening mp4s.
>>>
>>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
>>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service
>> www.wings.org [1]
>>
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>>
>> --
>> Carl Etnier carl.etnier at goddard.edu
>> he/him/his
>> 123 Pitkin Rd. | Plainfield, VT 05667
>> 802.441.3337
>> www.goddard.edu [2]
>> www.wgdr.org [3]
>>
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>> --
>> Carl Etnier carl.etnier at goddard.edu
>> he/him/his
>> 123 Pitkin Rd. | Plainfield, VT 05667
>> 802.441.3337
>> www.goddard.edu [2]
>> www.wgdr.org [3]
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