# YouTube Audio Downloader Free (`epicscrapers/youtube-audio-downloader`) Actor Downloads audio from YouTube videos and stores them as files in the key-value store with metadata in the dataset. - **URL**: https://apify.com/epicscrapers/youtube-audio-downloader.md - **Developed by:** [Epic Scrapers](https://apify.com/epicscrapers) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Open source - **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 71.4% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per usage This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ### What does YouTube Audio Downloader do? **YouTube Audio Downloader** extracts high-quality audio from any YouTube video and stores it as a downloadable file in the Apify key-value store. It supports multiple output formats (MP3, M4A, Opus, or the original best-quality stream) and gives you full metadata — video title, duration, file size, and the key to retrieve the audio file. Run it with one or more YouTube URLs, get back structured data about each video, and access the actual audio file from the key-value store. You can schedule regular runs, chain it with other Actors via Apify integration, or access results programmatically through the API. ### Why use YouTube Audio Downloader? - **Save time** — Batch-process multiple YouTube URLs in one run - **Format flexibility** — Choose MP3 for broad compatibility, Opus for smallest file size, or keep the original best-quality stream without re-encoding - **Apify platform benefits** — Access results via API, schedule recurring runs, integrate with Make, Zapier, GitHub, and hundreds of other tools ### How to use YouTube Audio Downloader 1. Open the Actor in Apify Console and click **Try** or **Run** 2. Paste one or more YouTube video URLs in the **Start URLs** field 3. Optionally choose your preferred **Audio Format** (default is MP3 at 192 kbps) 4. Click **Run** and wait for the Actor to finish 5. Download your audio files from the **Key-value store** tab or access them via API ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `startUrls` | array of URLs | **required** | One or more YouTube video URLs to process | | `audioFormat` | string | `"mp3"` | Output format: `mp3`, `m4a`, `opus`, or `best` (no conversion) | ### Output Each processed video produces a dataset item with the following structure: ```json { "video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ", "video_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "video_title": "Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Music Video)", "duration": 212, "audio_format": "mp3", "file_size_bytes": 1234567, "kv_store_key": "audio-dQw4w9WgXcQ", "status": "downloaded" } ```` The actual audio file is stored in the **key-value store** under the key listed in `kv_store_key`. You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel from the **Dataset** tab. ### Data table | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `video_id` | string | YouTube video ID | | `video_url` | string | Original YouTube URL | | `video_title` | string | Video title | | `duration` | integer | Video duration in seconds | | `audio_format` | string | File extension of the stored audio | | `file_size_bytes` | integer | Size of the audio file in bytes | | `kv_store_key` | string | Key to retrieve the file from the key-value store | | `status` | string | `"downloaded"` or `"error"` | ### Tips - **Opus format** produces the smallest files while maintaining excellent audio quality — great for archiving or when storage matters. - **Best format** keeps the original stream without any re-encoding, saving compute time and preserving the original quality. - To process a large number of URLs, space out runs or use Apify's scheduling feature to stay within platform limits. ### FAQ, disclaimers, and support **Is this legal?** Downloading audio from YouTube may be subject to YouTube's Terms of Service. Ensure you have the right to download the content and only use it for personal or permitted purposes. **Need help?** Open an issue on the Actor's Issues tab for bug reports or feature requests. Need a custom solution or a different format? Feel free to reach out. # Actor input Schema ## `startUrls` (type: `array`): One or more YouTube video URLs to download audio from ## `audioFormat` (type: `string`): Output audio format. 'best' keeps the original container without re-encoding. ## Actor input object example ```json { "startUrls": [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" ], "audioFormat": "mp3" } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "startUrls": [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" ], "audioFormat": "mp3" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("epicscrapers/youtube-audio-downloader").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"], "audioFormat": "mp3", } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("epicscrapers/youtube-audio-downloader").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "startUrls": [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" ], "audioFormat": "mp3" }' | apify call epicscrapers/youtube-audio-downloader --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=epicscrapers/youtube-audio-downloader", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Audio Downloader Free", "description": "Downloads audio from YouTube videos and stores them as files in the key-value store with metadata in the dataset.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "Yu29TJZTuYkrBQ0Ck" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/epicscrapers~youtube-audio-downloader/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-epicscrapers-youtube-audio-downloader", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/epicscrapers~youtube-audio-downloader/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-epicscrapers-youtube-audio-downloader", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/epicscrapers~youtube-audio-downloader/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-epicscrapers-youtube-audio-downloader", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "startUrls" ], "properties": { "startUrls": { "title": "YouTube Video URLs", "minItems": 1, "uniqueItems": true, "type": "array", "description": "One or more YouTube video URLs to download audio from", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "audioFormat": { "title": "Audio Format", "enum": [ "mp3", "m4a", "opus", "best" ], "type": "string", "description": "Output audio format. 'best' keeps the original container without re-encoding.", "default": "mp3" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```