8 Free Ways to Download WAV from YouTube Mac

Quick Tips

Download WAV from YouTube Mac on Desktop

Desktop YouTube audio downloaders are generally more reliable and stable than online tools, with regular updates to keep up with YouTube's changing rules. This ensures better performance and long-term usability. Below are two recommended desktop programs that let you download YouTube audio in high quality.

EaseUS Video Downloader

EaseUS Video Downloader saves YouTube videos and audio files to MP3, WAV, MP4, MKV, and more formats directly. Offering various audio qualities, it enables users to download high-quality audio for music, podcasts, or offline listening with just a few clicks. It also supports TikTok, IG, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and thousands of other platforms.

🔑Key Features:

• Download from YouTube and 1000+ sites
• Save in MP3, WAV, MP4, MKV, and other formats
• Support for batch downloads (videos, playlists, channels)
• Choose from multiple quality options (up to 8K video or high-bitrate audio)
• Built-in search and preview
• Fast download speed with an easy-to-use interface

How to convert YouTube to MP3 or WAV:

Step 1. Copy the YouTube video link.

Step 2. Open EaseUS Video Downloader and set up the audio format and quality.

Step 3. Tap "Paste Link," and it'll automatically fetch the video URL.

If you want to save multiple WAVs in a playlist from YouTube, you can copy the playlist link and choose to "Download Playlists."

If you want to save different WAVs from YouTube, you can tap "Batch Download" and confirm the download.

JDownloader 2

JDownloader 2 is a free, open-source download manager and YouTube playlist downloader that lets users download YouTube music and videos to Windows, Mac, and Linux. It supports concurrent downloads, an automatic link grabber, over 300 decryption plugins, and an integrated package manager.

With the built-in youtube.com plugin, you can customize the audio quality, format, frame rate (fps), package name, and more, making it a flexible tool for downloading YouTube audio with precision.

How to use JDownloader to download WAV from YouTube:

Step 1. Open JDownloader 2, go to Settings > Settings > Plugins to install the youtube.com plugin and configure the audio codec and bitrate.

Step 2. Back to the general tab and set up the download folder.

Step 3. Copy the YouTube video or playlist link, and JDownloader will detect the source. Right-click the task and start downloads.

Download WAV from YouTube Mac Online Free

Downloading YouTube to audio on Mac online is a great choice when you don't want to install any software, and there are multiple tools available:

Yout.com

Yout.com is a free online YouTube multi downloader that lets you download audio and video from YouTube and other popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Pinterest, and Dailymotion. It's simple to use—just paste a link and choose your format.

For those who need more control, Yout.com also offers advanced features like trimming, silence removal, audio normalization, and metadata editing, though some of these require a paid plan.

However, you'll need to upgrade if you want high-quality audio like 256kbps.

How to download playlist from YouTube as MP3 or WAV online:

Step 1. Do one of the following:

• Put yout.com/ before the entire YouTube link to redirect to the site.
• Delete ube from the YouTube URL.
• Copy the URL directly and paste it into yout.com.

Step 2. Configure the audio format, quality, title name and press "Format shit to WAV."

Cobalt.tools

Cobalt.tools is a versatile online media downloader that works with YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Dailymotion, Pinterest, Bluesky, and more. It lets you easily download audio or video while customizing key settings like quality, format, bitrate, codec, and even metadata. You can choose from multiple file types, adjust audio tracks, and fine-tune output details.

Plus, it offers a customizable interface, including light/dark themes for a more personalized experience. It's a solid choice if you want more control than most basic downloaders provide — all within your browser, so no installation is needed.

However, sometimes it shows an error "youtube downloading is temporarily disabled due to restrictions from youtube's side. we're already looking for ways to go around them." That means it is temporarily unavailable for YouTube.

Step 1. Open Cobalt.tools and set up the audio format as WAV under settings.

Step 2. Paste the copied YouTube video link into the field and hit Enter.

Save WAV from YouTube on Mac with Commands & GUI

When it comes to downloading YouTube videos and audio files, you simply can't ignore yt-dlp and youtube-dl.

Yt-dlp

This powerful command-line tool supports thousands of sites, offers precise format control, and is regularly updated to keep up with platform changes. Whether you need high-quality audio, subtitles, playlists, or full channels, it's among the most flexible and reliable options available.

How to use yt-dlp to download YouTube as WAV:

Step 1. Install Homebrew (if you haven't already). Open Terminal and run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Install yt-dlp

brew install yt-dlp

Install FFmpeg (required for converting to WAV)

brew install ffmpeg

Step 2. Download YouTube video as WAV

yt-dlp -x --audio-format wav

• -x = extract audio
• --audio-format wav = convert audio to WAV

Youtube-dlg

Since command-line tools like yt-dlp can be complicated and overwhelming for everyday users, a graphical interface like YouTube-DLG is a much more user-friendly alternative. It offers the same powerful features in a simple, click-based layout—no coding needed.

Step 1. Download youtube-dlg from https://github.com/oleksis/youtube-dl-gui.https://github.com/oleksis/youtube-dl-gui.

Step 2. Launch youtube-dlg, tap the settings icon > Options > Formats > check wav.

Step 3. Add the YouTube link, choose the output as wav, and click "Add." Then tap the download button.

Record YouTube as WAV on Mac

Recording YouTube videos and exporting them as WAV audio files on your Mac is a practical option when downloading isn't possible. You can use tools like QuickTime Player, Audacity, or OBS Studio to record the audio while the video plays, then export or convert the recording to a WAV format for high-quality offline use.

QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is a built-in media player on Mac that supports playing, streaming, recording, encoding, and transcoding various digital media formats. It's especially useful for basic video and audio playback, screen recording, and exporting files in formats like MOV, MP4, M4A, and WAV.

Step 1. Download and install BlackHole 2ch virtual audio driver from its official website.

Step 2. Open Audio MIDI Setup on your Mac (Finder > Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup), create a Multi-Output Device, and select both Built-in Output and BlackHole 2ch.

Click the + button in Audio MIDI Setup and choose Create Aggregate Device. Then check Built-in Microphone and BlackHole 2ch.

Go to System Preferences > Sound > Output and select the Multi-Output Device.

Step 3. Open QuickTime Player, then go to File > New Movie Recording.

Step 4. Click the arrow next to the record button and select BlackHole 2ch as the audio input.

Step 5. Start playing the YouTube video and click the Record button in QuickTime.

Step 6. When the video ends, click the Stop button.

Step 7. Go to File > Export > Audio Only, and save the file as a WAV.

Audacity

Audacity is a free, open-source audio recorder and editor available on multiple platforms. It lets you record multiple tracks, edit audio, and export files in various formats.

How to save YouTube audio as WAV using Audacity on Mac:

Step 1. Download Audacity for Mac from audacityteam.org. Open the downloaded file and drag Audacity into your Applications folder.

Step 2. Download and install BlackHole or Soundflower to capture system audio.

Step 3. Open Audio MIDI Setup and create a Multi-Output Device by selecting Built-in Output (or Mac Speakers) and BlackHole.

Step 4. Go to System Preferences > Sound > Output and set the output to the Multi-Output Device.

Step 5. Open Audacity, go to Preferences > Devices, and set Recording Device to BlackHole 2ch.

Step 6. Play the YouTube video, then click the red Record button in Audacity to start capturing audio.

Step 7. When finished, click Stop, then go to File > Export > Export as WAV to save your audio file.

Wrapping up

This post covers 8 free ways to download WAV audio from YouTube. You can use dedicated video downloaders for stable performance, or online converters to save YouTube audio as WAV without installing software. Command-line tools are great for tech-savvy users, while beginners will find GUIs easier to use. If all else fails, audio recorders offer a reliable workaround.

For bulk downloading high-quality WAV files from YouTube, EaseUS Video Downloader is the best choice.

FAQ

How to download WAV from YouTube on your Mac without iTunes?

• Find the YouTube video you want and copy its URL.
• Go to 4kdownload.to and paste the link into the URL box.
• Choose WAV as the output format, then click Download.
• The tool will convert the video in seconds, and you can save it as a WAV file.

How to convert WAV to MP3 on Mac?

Method 1: Using Music App (macOS Catalina and later)

1. Open the Music app.
2. Go to Music > Preferences > Files > Import Settings.
3. Set Import Using: MP3 Encoder, then click OK.
4. Add your WAV file to the library.
5. Right-click the file > Create MP3 Version.

Method 2: Use Free Audio Converter Apps

• Try tools like:
  • Audacity (free and powerful)
  • All2MP3
  • VLC Media Player
  • Switch Audio Converter

Steps (e.g. in Audacity):

1. Open the WAV file in the app.
2. Go to File > Export > Export as MP3.
3. Choose quality and save.

Method 3: Use an Online Converter

• Visit sites like:
  • online-audio-converter
  • cloudconvert.com
• Upload your WAV file, select MP3, and download the result.

How to download audio from YouTube on Mac?

• Copy the YouTube video URL.
• Open the EaseUS downloader app.
• Choose MP3, WAV, or another audio format.
• Click Paste Link — the audio will be saved to your Mac.