How to Download a YouTube Playlist as MP4 or MP3
Got a YouTube playlist full of music, tutorials, or lectures you want offline? Downloading videos one by one is tedious. Here's how to handle a whole playlist efficiently.
xi processes one link at a time, which keeps things fast and reliable. For playlists, you copy each video link — it sounds slow, but with a streamlined flow you can work through a playlist quickly.
Playlist downloaders that promise one-click bulk downloads are usually desktop software stuffed with ads, or they break the moment YouTube changes something. xi's one-at-a-time approach is deliberately simple: every link works, every time, with no software to update when YouTube shifts. For playlists, that reliability beats a flaky bulk tool that fails halfway through.
How to do it — step by step
Tips
- For music playlists, MP3 saves enormous space — a 50-song playlist fits in a few hundred megabytes.
- Download over Wi-Fi, not mobile data: video playlists can be gigabytes.
- Name your files consistently (e.g. 01 - Title) so they stay in playlist order.
- Private or deleted videos inside a playlist will fail — that's normal, just skip them.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Pasting the playlist URL instead of individual video URLs — process videos one link at a time for reliability.
- Downloading everything as MP4 when you only need audio — a music playlist as MP3 saves gigabytes.
- Starting a huge playlist on mobile data — connect to Wi-Fi first or you'll burn through your plan.
- Ignoring failed items — private or deleted videos in the playlist will fail; skip them and move on.
- Not organizing files — rename with track numbers so the playlist order survives.
Frequently asked questions
Can I paste the whole playlist URL at once?
xi processes individual video links for reliability. Paste each video link from the playlist one at a time.
MP4 or MP3 for a music playlist?
MP3. You don't need video for music, and MP3 files are roughly 10x smaller than MP4.
Why do some videos in my playlist fail?
They're likely private, deleted, or age-restricted. Only public, unrestricted videos can be downloaded.
Is there a daily download limit?
No. xi is free with no account and no daily caps.
Where do files go on my phone?
iPhone: Files app. Android: Downloads folder. You can move them into a dedicated playlist folder afterwards.
After downloading your playlist
- Number files (01, 02, 03...) so they stay in playlist order in every player.
- Embed metadata with a free tag editor so artist/title show correctly.
- Sync the folder to cloud storage for backup and access on other devices.
- Delete any failed or duplicate downloads now — cleanup later never happens.