How to Download Music from YouTube to iTunes in 2 Steps

While it's easy to stream them for YouTube Music, downloading the music to your device is a different story. What if you want to add your favorite songs to your iTunes library? Is it even possible to download music from YouTube to iTunes? The answer is yes

In this article, we'll justify that you can't download music from YouTube to iTunes using the YouTube Music app directly, and we'll show you how to download and transfer music from YouTube to iTunes using reliable tools. This article will help you download YouTube music to open file formats like MP3 and transfer them to iTunes.

Can I Download Music from YouTube to iTunes with YouTube Music App Directly?

No, you cannot download music from YouTube to iTunes directly using the YouTube Music app.

The YouTube Music app is designed primarily for streaming music, not for transferring music to other platforms. Because of this feature, music downloaded from YouTube is protected by DRM, which means that users can only listen to downloaded music on the YouTube Music app and can't transfer it to iTunes directly.

However, there are other ways to transfer your favorite YouTube music to iTunes, even though there is no direct app available. You can use third-party software and websites to download YouTube audio as iTunes-compatible file formats, which can then be imported into iTunes.

iTunes-Supported Audio Formats

iTunes supports several audio formats, including MP3, AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, and WAV. Below is a brief introduction to different audio formats.

● MP3: a widely used audio format that compresses audio files to reduce their size while maintaining reasonable sound quality.
● AAC: a popular audio format that offers better sound quality than MP3 at the same bitrate, making it a popular choice for music streaming services.
● AIFF: a high-quality audio format developed by Apple that is popular among audio professionals for its high-quality sound and support for metadata.
● Apple Lossless: a lossless audio file format developed by Apple that compresses audio files without losing any quality, offering a great choice for audiophiles.
● WAV: a lossless audio format that was developed by Microsoft and IBM and is widely used in the recording industry for its uncompressed, high-quality audio.

Process 1. Download Music from YouTube to iTunes via a Third-party Tool

As mentioned, if you want to download music from YouTube to iTunes on your Mac/Wins, you can first download the desired music from YouTube before transferring it to iTunes. And this process will focus on the downloading part.

Overall, there are two types of third-party tools available for downloading YouTube music: application programs and online converters. The best tool in each type will be listed below, along with instructions on how to use them.

The Best YouTube to iTunes Converter: TuneFab YouTube Music Converter

TuneFab YouTube Music Converter is undoubtedly the most reliable and efficient YouTube music conversion application currently available in the market. Even if you are a free user of YouTube, you can download music from YouTube to iTunes on Mac or Windows with the help of this tool. TuneFab also offers a free trial for 30 days, allowing you to convert songs for free for the first three minutes without any quantity restrictions.

TuneFab also has other key features that you may be interested in, including:

● Download All Music from YouTube - the tool will download any songs, playlists, and albums you want without DRM restrictions for you to enjoy them offline.
● Amazing download speed - advanced acceleration techniques and the batch conversion feature guarantee 6X download speed for you to get the songs quickly.
● Mainstream audio formats - download songs in the most commonly used audio formats, so you can not only transfer your favorite tunes to iTunes but also download YouTube Music to USB or any player you want.
● ID3 tags preservation - song information such as title, artist, album, and genre info are preserved, making it easy to manage your music library without having to update any meta information manually.
● Customizable output parameters - the tool supports custom output paths, bit rates, and sample rates, so you're free to download music with lossless quality or smaller-sized music files to meet your storage needs.

TuneFab is also very user-friendly, with a simple drag-and-drop feature that allows you to download music easily. Here are the specific steps to download music from YouTube with TuneFab YouTube Music Converter:

Step 1. Install TuneFab YouTube Music Converter

Click on the link below to download and install TuneFab YouTube Music Converter to your Mac/Wins.

Once installed, you can log in to your YouTube account through its built-in web page and use it to download any song you want from YouTube for free. Not logging in to your YouTube account is also supported by TunFab to download music.

Step 2. Choose the Songs/Playlists/Albums You Want to Download

Open the playlists or albums containing the songs you want to download. Simply drag and drop the songs onto the "+" button on the lower right, and the software will add the songs to the download list.

Of course, if you want to download an entire playlist or album, just click the red "+" button, and the software will collect all the songs at once.

Step 3. Choose Output Format and Other Parameters (Optional)

By default, TuneFab will download music in MP3 format, which is compatible with iTunes and can also be played on other media players. But if you prefer another output format, you can change it directly by clicking Convert all files to button in the upper right corner of the converting page.

If you want to change the output path or other advanced parameters, simply click the Menu button (the "≡" symbol in the upper left of the home page) > Preference > General/Advanced.

Step 4. Start to Convert Songs

Once you have selected the songs and output parameters you want, click the Convert button to download each song individually. Or, if you want to download all the songs at once, click the Convert All button in the lower right to download them in bulk.

Thanks to the software's high download speed, you won't have to wait for a long time to get your sweet tunes downloaded. You can view the files and their location on the "Finished" page.

Alternative Tool to Download Music to iTunes from YouTube Online

We've introduced the best applications for downloading YouTube music. But what if you don't want to download an application? No problem, this section provides an alternative - online download websites.

Soundloaders is such a free online website that allows you to download free individual songs from different music websites as local MP3s. It will download music with a quality of up to 320kbps, and like TuneFab, automatically saves ID3 information to facilitate your subsequent music library management.

Also like TuneFab, this online website is easy to use. With only two steps, you can download YouTube music from it:

Step 1. Copy the URL

Go to the page of the song you want to download from the YouTube Music web player and copy the page URL.

Step 2. Paste the URL and Download the Song

Open Soundloaders, paste the link into the search box, and click "Search." Once the page has loaded, click the black "Download" box to automatically download the music.

However, this online website has obvious drawbacks. For example, you can't choose the output format, and the download speed can be painfully slow. Moreover, this website can only download one song at a time and can't download entire playlists or albums.

This means you have to copy and paste the song URLs every time, which can be quite troublesome and less convenient than downloading directly from the web player.

If you need to download more favorite songs as soon as possible, this website obviously cannot meet your requirements. In comparison, TuneFab YouTube Music Converter not only allows you to directly download any songs you want on a built-in web player but also supports batch downloads with 6X download speed. It includes all the advantages of Soundloaders and even makes up for its shortcomings. So, why not use TuneFab instead?

Process 2. Transfer Downloaded Music from YouTube to iTunes

After converting YouTube music to local MP3s, you can transfer them to your iTunes. As Apple has replaced iTunes with Music on macOS 10.15 and above, we will explain how to transfer downloaded music from YouTube to iTunes respectively.

For macOS 10.15 and above, follow these steps to add music to iTunes:

Step 1. Import Songs

Launch the Music app on your Mac and select File > Import from the menu bar.

Step 2. Choose the File (Folder)

A small window will pop out for you to select the file/folder you want to upload. Locate a file or folder, and then click Open. You can also drag a file or folder to the Music window to import it.

Now you can upload the files you've just downloaded. If you add a folder, all the songs in the folder will be added directly to your library. Wait a moment, and your music will be automatically transferred to iTunes.

For Windows/MacOS 10.14 and below, follow these steps to add music to iTunes:

Step 1. Add File (Folder) to Library

Launch iTunes on your PC, select File > Add File to Library or Add Folder to Library.

Step 2. Choose the File (Folder)

A small window will pop out for you to select the file/folder you want to upload. Locate a file or folder, and then click Open.

FAQs about Downloading Music from YouTube to iTunes

How to Download Music from YouTube to iPhone with iTunes?

To download music from YouTube to your iPhone using iTunes, you need to remove the DRM restrictions from YouTube Music and upload it to iTunes in an iTunes-compatible format.

Using the method provided in process 1, you can download music from YouTube for free as DRM-free MP3s to your computer. Then, you can follow process 2 to upload the music directly to iTunes.

If you want to sync the songs to your iPhone from iTunes, take the following additional steps:

Step 1. Connect iPhone with iTunes

Connect your iPhone to your Mac using either WiFi or a data cable.

Step 2. Choose Songs to Sync

Click on the device icon on the top left of iTunes and select Music. Here, you can choose the songs from your iTunes and sync the desired songs to your iPhone.

Step 3. Apply and Sync Songs

Click on "Apply" at the bottom, and the songs will be synced to your iPhone.

Is It Illegal to Download Music from YouTube to iTunes?

In general, downloading copyrighted music from YouTube without express permission is illegal. However, it is acceptable to download copyright-free MP3 music for personal use, as long as you do not re-upload it to other platforms or use it for financial gains.

Conclusion

With the right tool and a little bit of guidance, you can easily download music from YouTube to your iTunes library. In this article, we've introduced you to TuneFab YouTube Music Converter, a reliable, powerful, and user-friendly tool that can help you quickly download YouTube songs/playlists/albums as high-quality local audio files for iTunes. If you're looking for a seamless way to download and convert your favorite music from YouTube to iTunes, we highly recommend TuneFab.