How to Download YouTube Videos with VLC Media Player 1080p (Step-by-Step)

Part 1. Can VLC Still Download YouTube Videos in 2026?

Yes, VLC can still download some permitted YouTube videos in 2026, but it does not work for every video. VLC Media Player is mainly a media player and streaming tool, not a dedicated YouTube downloader. It may work when the YouTube video is publicly accessible and VLC can read the network stream correctly. However, it may fail when YouTube changes its streaming structure, when VLC is outdated, or when the video requires login, age verification, regional access, or extra authorization.

Notes

Before using VLC to save any YouTube video, make sure you own the video, have permission from the copyright owner, or are allowed to download it through YouTube's own features or applicable law. You can also check YouTube's Terms of Service for more details.

In general, VLC is more suitable for simple and permitted use cases, such as opening public network streams, saving your own uploaded videos for backup, or playing downloaded video files locally. It is not the best option for downloading private videos, full playlists, subtitles, 1080p/4K streams with perfectly synced audio, or restricted YouTube content.

• Works better for: public videos you own or have permission to save, simple network streams, and local video playback.
• May fail for: private, login-protected, age-restricted, region-restricted, 1080p/4K, playlist, or subtitle downloads.
• Common reasons: outdated VLC, old youtube.lua/youtube.luac files, network restrictions, or YouTube streaming changes.

If VLC fails to open or download a YouTube video, the issue is usually caused by an outdated VLC version, an old youtube.lua or youtube.luac file, network restrictions, or changes on YouTube's side. Follow the fixes below to troubleshoot VLC YouTube download not working in 2026.

Part 2. How to Download YouTube Videos with VLC [3 Ways without Subtitles]

Now that we've introduced VLC Media Player as a YouTube video downloader, here’s how to download YouTube videos using VLC in 3 ways:

• Method 1. Download YouTube Videos with VLC by Getting Video Location Information
• Method 2. Download YouTube Video with VLC via Streaming the Video to a File
• Method 3. Use VLC Alternative to Downlkoad YouTube Videos Online

Method 1. Use VLC to Download YouTube Videos by Getting Video Location Information

The first option is to get the location information of youe desired videos. Now, follow the steps below to learn how to download YouTube videos to computer using VLC.

Note

Please ensure you are using the latest version of VLC. If not, install the newest version from the VLC official download page.

▶️ How to Download YouTube Videos on PC Using VLC

• Open the YouTube video you wish to download and copy its URL from the address bar.

• Launch VLC, click “Media” from the top menu and choose “Open Network Stream.”

  

• Paste the copied URL to the network URL bar. Hit Play and VLC will start analyzing it.

  

• After some time, depending on your internet connection and video length, the YouTube video will open and play in VLC. Now, click the “Tools” tab and then select “Codec Information.”

  

• In the “Location” bar, you’ll find a URL. Copy it.

  

• Open your browser and paste the copied URL in the address bar. Press “Enter.” It may take some time for the YouTube video to load. Once it loads, right-click on the video and choose “Save video as” to download it to your Windows PC.

  

▶️ How to Download YouTube Video Using VLC on Mac:

• Visit the YouTube video you wish to download and copy its URL.

• Open VLC on your Mac. On the menu panel, click "File > Open Network…".

  

• Paste the copied URL to the URL bar. Hit “Open.”

  

• Once the VLC finds the video’s location and starts playing it, choose “Window” and then “Media Information.”

  

• Next, copy the URL from the “Location” bar.

  

• Open your browser and paste the URL in the address bar. Press “Enter” to open the video. Once the YouTube video loads, right-click and choose “Download Video As” to download the YouTube video to your Mac.

  

Method 2. Use VLC to Download YouTube Videos via Streaming the Video to a File

Alternatively, you can download videos from youtube using VLC's streaming feature. By steaming the wanted video to a file, you can save the video to your PC or Mac atch them offline whenever you want, without worrying about buffering.

Note

If you encounter the buffering problem, please refer to this article: Fix Youtube Stuttering/Lagging/Buffering

Now, follow the steps below:

• Visit the YouTube video you wish to download and copy its URL.

• Next, click on “Media” from the top menu in VLC and then choose “Open Network Stream.” Paste the copied URL to the network URL bar.

  

• Click the down-arrow associated with the Play button. Then choose the "Stream" option from the drop-down menu.

  

• Keep clicking on “Next” on the windows popping up until the "Option Setup" window appaers. Click “Stream”, followed by “Add.”

  

• On the Window shown below, click the Browse button to to rename the file and set an output destination. Then, click the Next button.

  

• Enable “Activate Transcoding” and choose your preferred format to download the video. Then click “Next.”

  

• Finally, click “Stream” and wait for the VLC player to download the YouTube video which you will see in the folder you specified before.

  

Method 3: Use VLC Alternative to Download YouTube Videos Online

If the VLC YouTube download is still not working, you can also try a VLC YouTube downloader alternative, such as X2Download, a free tool that helps you download Youtube video online. Here’s how to use this X2Download to download YouTube videos with ease:

• Copy the YouTube video's URL which you want to download video from.

• Head into the X2Download.app website and paste the video link in the search box.

  

• Click link video. Then choose your preferred video format to download, either MP4 or MP3, after which you will need to press the "Get Link" button.

  
• Wait until the conversion finishes, then hit the "Download" button and you’re good to go.

You May Also Like

Veed.io is an online tool that can edit and download videos for YouTube. If you are using it but failed to download videos, please check this guide: Why Is My Veed.io Not Downloading Videos

Part 3. How to Download YouTube Videos with Subtitles VLC

If you prefer to watch YouTube videos with subtitles, downloading them with VLC is also a breeze. Let’s find out how to download a YouTube video with subtitles VLC:

Step 1 – Copy YouTube Transcript

• Open the YouTube video you prefer to download.

• You’ll find three vertical dots under the video title. Click on them. Then select “Show transcript.”

  

• Once you’ll see the transcript, copy and paste it into your Notepad. Then save the file as txt.

  

Step 2 – Convert the TXT file to SRT

Next, visit an online TXT to SRT converter site and upload the TXT file. Choose the output format as SRT and convert. Once the TXT file is converted into an SRT subtitle file, download it.

Step 3 – Open the Downloaded YouTube Video on VLC

Open the video file you’ve downloaded from YouTube on VLC using the methods mentioned earlier in Part 1.

Step 4 – Add Subtitles to Video on VLC

• From the menu, choose “Subtitle” and then “Add Subtitle File.”

  
• Next, select and load the downloaded SRT subtitles. Once you play the video, you’ll see the subtitles.

Step 5 – Save Video with Subtitles Using VLC

You can also save a video with subtitles using VLC. But make sure the video and subtitles file name is the same.

• Open VLC. From the menu, choose "Subtitle" and then "Subtitle Track" > "Track 1" to enable subtitles. Next, select "Media" and then “Convert/Save.” This will open the “Open Media" window.

• Press "Add" and select the video file you want to save. Then, click "Convert/Save" and choose the destination file and format. In the "Edit Selected Profile" window, select the "Subtitle" tab and then "Add Subtitle File."

• Choose and load the SRT file you want to save with the video. Press "Start.” Your video will be saved with subtitles permanently.

✅ You May Also Like: How to Fix 403 Forbidden Error on YouTube Online Savers

Part 4. Fix VLC YouTube Download Not Working in 2026

If VLC cannot download YouTube videos, keeps loading the network stream, shows a black screen, or displays the “VLC is unable to open the MRL” error, try the following fixes one by one. These methods can help solve common VLC YouTube issues on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Fix 1. Update VLC from the Official VideoLAN Site

An outdated VLC version is one of the most common reasons why VLC YouTube download stops working. Since YouTube changes how video streams are delivered from time to time, older VLC builds may fail to read YouTube links properly.

Follow these steps to update VLC:

• Open VLC Media Player on your computer.

• Click Help from the top menu.

• Select Check for Updates.

• Install the latest available version of VLC.

• Restart VLC and try opening the YouTube URL again.

Fix 2. Replace youtube.lua / youtube.luac

If VLC can play local videos but cannot open YouTube links, the problem may be related to VLC's YouTube playlist script. VLC uses a Lua script, usually named youtube.lua or youtube.luac, to parse YouTube URLs. When this file becomes outdated, VLC may fail to load, play, or download YouTube videos.

Follow these steps to replace the YouTube Lua file:

• Close VLC completely.

• Find the VLC playlist folder on your computer.

• Back up the existing youtube.lua or youtube.luac file.

• Download the latest youtube.lua file from VideoLAN's official source repository.

• Copy the new youtube.lua file into the VLC playlist folder.

• Restart VLC and test the YouTube link again.

Common VLC playlist folder locations include:

Windows: C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\playlist\

macOS: /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/

Linux: /usr/lib/vlc/lua/playlist/or/usr/share/vlc/lua/playlist/

Notes

On some installations, the file may be named youtube.luac instead of youtube.lua. In that case, rename the old file as a backup, such as youtube.luac.bak, then place the new youtube.lua file in the same folder. Administrator permission may be required to replace files inside the VLC installation folder.

Fix 3. Fix “VLC is Unable to Open the MRL”

The error message “VLC is unable to open the MRL” usually means VLC cannot access or read the media resource location. When this happens with a YouTube link, the cause may be an invalid URL, an outdated VLC version, an old YouTube Lua script, firewall restrictions, proxy or VPN issues, or a video that VLC cannot access.

Try these solutions to fix the VLC MRL error:

• Make sure the YouTube URL opens normally in your browser.

• Use the full video URL instead of a shortened, playlist, or timestamped URL.

• Update VLC and replace the outdated youtube.lua or youtube.luac file.

• Disable VPN, proxy, or firewall settings temporarily, then test another public YouTube video.

If only one YouTube video fails, the video may be private, restricted, unavailable in your region, removed, or protected in a way that VLC cannot handle. In that case, VLC may not be able to download it successfully.

Important

If you already downloaded the video but it cannot play in VLC, the file itself may be incomplete or corrupted. Try opening it in another player first. If the video still will not open, you can use 4DDiG File Repair to repair damaged MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, and other video files.

Fix 4. Reset VLC Preferences

Incorrect VLC settings can also cause YouTube playback or download problems. For example, changed network cache settings, custom input settings, or old VLC preferences may interfere with online streams.

Follow these steps to reset VLC preferences on Windows:

• Open VLC Media Player.

• Click Tools from the top menu.

• Select Preferences.

• Click Reset Preferences at the bottom of the window.

• Confirm the action and restart VLC.

On Mac, open VLC, go to VLC > Settings or Preferences, then look for the option to reset all preferences. After resetting VLC, try opening the YouTube video again through Media > Open Network Stream. Keep in mind that resetting preferences will remove your custom VLC settings, so you may need to set up subtitles, hotkeys, interface options, or output settings again.

Fix 5. Try a Permitted Alternative Method

If VLC still cannot download the YouTube video after updating VLC, replacing youtube.lua, and resetting preferences, the video may not be accessible through VLC. Instead of repeatedly trying unsafe third-party download sites, use a permitted alternative method.

Here are safer options to consider:

• Use YouTube's own download feature when it is available.
• Use YouTube Studio to download videos from your own channel.
• Ask the creator for permission or use the official download link provided by the video owner.

After you get the video through an allowed method, you can still use VLC to play, convert, or check the file. If the saved video is corrupted or cannot open, repair it before playing it again in VLC.

Pro Tip: Downloaded YouTube Video Won’t Play in VLC? Try Repairing It

If you are unable to play the downloaded YouTube videos on VLC, they may have been damaged or corrupted. Or if you already have some corrupted videos, you might consider repairing them with a third-party tool like 4DDiG File Repair. It can repair downloaded YouTube videos from all kinds of internal and external storage media. Check out what more 4DDiG file Repair offers:

• It can repair all popular video formats, including YouTube and VLC videos.
• It can repair corrupted, damaged, broken or choppy videos.
• It can fix videos on hard disks, SD cards, USBs, and digital cameras.
• It supports batch repair of videos of different formats in one go.
• It offers a high success rate..

Let's see how to fix corrupted YouTube videos using 4DDiG File Repair.

• Select Video Repair

  Launch the 4DDiG Video Repair tool after downloading and installation. Choose "Video Repair" and click on the "Add Videos" button to add the corrupted YouTube videos you are unable to play in VLC.

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• Start Repairing Corrupted YouTube Videos

  Once they are uploaded, hit bottom-right "Repair All" button.

  
• Export Repaired YouTube Videos

  Once the YouTube video files are repaired, click "Preview" to check them. Then select all of them and click "Save" to store them on a secure storage media.

  

People Also Ask about VLC Download YouTube Videos

Q1: How do I download YouTube videos to MP3 with VLC?

Of course, you can as long as you follow the steps below:

• Open VLC and click "Media" > "Open Network Stream".
• Copy the YouTube video URL and paste it into the pop-up VLC windows.
• Then click "Play". Got to the "Media" menu, select "Convert/Save".
• Later, pick "Audio - MP3" from the "Profile" drop-down menu.
• Proceed to go to "Browse" and select a sotre location.
• Once done, hit the "Start" button to begin converting the video to MP3 format.

Q2: How to convert YouTube to MP4 VLC Media Player?

Just follow the above steps but change "MP3" to "MP4" while selecting from the "Profile" menu.

Q3: What is the best way to download YouTube videos?

It depends on each user's preferences. If you prefer to a safer way, VLC Media Player is a great shot. On the other hand, if you prefer a faster and easier way without the mentioned errors, you can try the online tool.

Q4: How to download a YouTube playlist using VLC?

It is feasible to use both of the 2 methods to download all videos in a playlist from YouTube with VLC: 1) Get video location information; 2) Stream the video to file.

Wrapping Up

Knowing how to download YouTube videos with VLC is a great way of eliminating buffering problems and keeping your favorite videos offline and readily accessible. In case the VLC YouTube download doesn’t work, you can update the VLC or try its alternative. Additionally, if you want to repair any corrupted YouTube videos, consider using 4DDiG Video Repair. It is a user-friendly tool for fixing broken, corrupted, and damaged videos. You can use it to batch-repair different video formats in one go. Give it a try today and enjoy uninterrupted viewing of your favorite YouTube videos!