How to Download an Entire YouTube Playlist
You've found a 50-video course on YouTube. Or a workout playlist. Or your friend's carefully curated "road trip bangers." Now you want all of it on your phone before the flight leaves in two hours. Here's how to grab every video from a playlist without clicking "download" fifty separate times.
Copy the playlist URL from YouTube, paste it into a playlist downloader like YouTubePrint, pick your quality (4K, 1080p, 720p, or MP3), and save. The tool lists every video in the playlist so you can grab all of them, or just the ones you want, without installing anything.
How to get the playlist URL
Before you can download anything, you need the link. This trips people up more than it should.
Open the playlist on YouTube, not just a single video from it. You'll know you're in the right place when the URL contains playlist?list= followed by a string starting with PL. It looks like this:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeiKm4sgNOknGvNjby9efdf
If the URL has /watch?v= instead, you're looking at a single video, even if the playlist panel is open on the right. Scroll up to the playlist title and click it, or tap "View full playlist" on mobile.
In the YouTube app, open the playlist page and tap Share → Copy link. The app gives you the correct playlist URL every time, no need to fiddle with the browser address bar.
Step-by-step: download a full playlist
Once you have the URL, the rest takes about 30 seconds.
- Go to the YouTubePrint Playlist Downloader: works on any device, no sign-up.
- Paste the playlist URL into the input field and hit "Search" (or press Enter).
- Wait for the list to load. Every video in the playlist will appear with its thumbnail and title. For a 100-video playlist, this usually takes 5–10 seconds.
- Pick your format and quality. You can choose per video: 4K, 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p, MP3, or MP3 320kbps. Most people pick 720p for a good size-quality balance, or MP3 if they only want the audio.
- Download. Tap the download button for each video. The file saves straight to your device's default download folder.
That's it. No software to install, no account to create, no catch.
Which quality should you pick?
It depends on two things: what you're watching on and how much storage you have. Here's a rough guide.
| Quality | File size (10 min) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 4K / 2160p | ~400–600 MB | Big screen, archival |
| 1080p | ~100–200 MB | Laptop, tablet |
| 720p | ~50–80 MB | Phone (sweet spot) |
| 480p | ~30–50 MB | Low storage, slow connection |
| MP3 320kbps | ~24 MB | Music, podcasts, lectures |
| MP3 128kbps | ~10 MB | Voice-only, tight on space |
For a 50-song music playlist, going MP3 at 320kbps means roughly 1.2 GB total, fits easily on any phone. The same playlist at 1080p video would eat about 8–10 GB. Worth thinking about before you hit download.
Can you download a YouTube playlist as MP3?
Yes, and it's the fastest way to build an offline music collection. When the playlist loads in the downloader, just select MP3 (or MP3 320kbps for higher quality) as your format. Only the audio gets extracted: no video data, so the files are small and play on any device.
This works well for:
- Music playlists, grab your favorites for offline listening.
- Podcast compilations, save an entire series for a road trip.
- Lecture series, study material you can listen to anywhere.
- DJ sets and mixes, save long audio-only content without wasting storage on a static image.
Not sure whether to go MP3 or MP4? We broke that down in our MP4 vs MP3 comparison guide.
Works on every device
Because YouTubePrint runs in your browser, there's nothing to install. Here's what that looks like on each platform:
Phone (iPhone or Android)
Open Safari or Chrome, paste the playlist URL, pick your quality, and tap download. The file saves to your Files app (iPhone) or Downloads folder (Android). You can play it right from there, no extra app needed.
PC or Mac
Same deal, just in a bigger browser window. Downloaded files land in your regular Downloads folder. Drag them into VLC, your music player, or wherever you want them.
Tablet
Same as phone. If you're downloading video for offline watching on a long flight, a tablet is actually the best device for it: bigger screen, and the 720p quality looks sharp without destroying your storage.
How big can the playlist be?
YouTube lets you put up to 5,000 videos in a single playlist. YouTubePrint can handle playlists of any size, it'll list every video so you can download whichever ones you want. That said, for really big playlists (500+ videos), loading the full list takes a bit longer. Be patient.
You can only download playlists set to Public or Unlisted. If a playlist is set to Private, YouTube won't show its contents to anyone but the owner, and no downloader can get around that.
What about YouTube Premium offline?
YouTube Premium ($14/month in the US) lets you save videos for offline viewing inside the YouTube app. It works, but there are tradeoffs.
| YouTube Premium | Browser downloader | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $14/month | Free |
| File format | Locked to YouTube app | MP4, MP3, any player |
| Offline access | 30 days max | Permanent |
| Transfer to other devices | No | Yes, copy the file anywhere |
| Audio-only download | Yes (background play) | Yes (MP3) |
| Supports all playlists | Yes | Public and Unlisted only |
Premium is solid if you already pay for it. But if you just want to grab one playlist before a flight, paying $14 for that doesn't make much sense. A free browser tool does the job.
Download your playlist, free
Paste any YouTube playlist link. Pick your quality. Save every video to your device. No account, no install.
Open the Playlist DownloaderFrequently Asked Questions
Can you download an entire YouTube playlist at once?
Yes. Paste the playlist URL into a playlist downloader like YouTubePrint, and it lists every video. You can then download all of them, or pick specific ones, in the quality and format you want. No software needed; it works in your browser.
How do I find the URL of a YouTube playlist?
Open the playlist on YouTube and copy the URL from your address bar. It will look like youtube.com/playlist?list=PL..., that PL code is what identifies the playlist. On the YouTube app, tap Share → Copy link.
Can I download a YouTube playlist as MP3?
Yes. Select MP3 (or MP3 320kbps for better quality) as your format, and only the audio track gets saved. Works great for music playlists, podcast series, and lecture collections.
Is it legal to download a YouTube playlist?
Downloading for personal, offline viewing is a legal grey area. YouTube's Terms of Service don't allow it, but copyright enforcement targets redistribution, not personal use. Don't re-upload someone else's content. See our full legal guide for the details.
What's the maximum playlist size you can download?
YouTube allows up to 5,000 videos per playlist. Most online downloaders handle playlists of any size, though very large ones (500+) take longer to load. YouTubePrint lists every video so you can download them individually or in batches.
Do I need to install software to download a playlist?
No. Browser-based tools like YouTubePrint work without any install. Paste the playlist link, pick your format and quality, and download. No sign-up required. Works on phones, tablets, PCs, and Macs, any device with a browser.
💡 Only download content you own or have the right to save. For a breakdown of what's allowed, see our guide on whether it's legal to download YouTube videos.