Ubuntu: How to Extract Audio From YouTube Video

utube-ripper-banner

Often, you have heard a rare nice song from a particular YouTube video and you wish you could just save that song (without the video) into your hard disk. Well, in Ubuntu, you can use UTube Ripper to extract audio from YouTube video and save it as mp3 file.

UTube Ripper is an application that works exclusively on Linux. It’s useful to download and convert YouTube videos in a simple and efficient way. While there are many online sites that can take the YouTube url, extract the audio and let you download the mp3 file, it gives you little room for customization. UTube Ripper provides more choices and allows you to set the conversion sample rate and bit rate. It can also convert the flv file to MPEG or avi video format.

Install UTube Ripper

Download the UTube Ripper deb file to your desktop.

Double click the file to start installation. This will fetch and install all its dependencies.

Once installed, go to Applications -> Internet -> Utube ripper.

utube-ripper-screenshot1

Now, on http://www.youtube.com, find your favorite video and the song that you want to extract. Copy the exact url and paste it to the text field in the ‘Utube Video URL’ section

. Press ‘Download’ to start download the flv file to your computer. The downloaded file will be saved as video.flv under the /home/yourusername/.utube folder.

To extract mp3, check ‘Rip audio only‘ under the ‘Convert FLV’ section. Click ‘Browse’, navigate to the /.utube folder and select the file video.flv. Click ‘Convert’ to start the conversion. The mp3 file will be saved as audio.mp3. Rename the mp3 file and move it to other folder (else it will be overwritten in the next conversion).

utube-ripper-screenshot2

To adjust the sampling rate and bit rate, click on the ‘Setting’ . You can customize the video output type, audio output type, audio sample rate, audio bit rate, video bit rate, video screen resolution.

utube-ripper-screenshot3



Print this pageSave as PDF

Damien Oh is the owner and chief editor of Make Tech Easier
  • http://piju.fakap.net/ piju

    cool,
    bfore this i only save youtube to .flv files using “cp” command only. now i can save them to .mp3
    ;)

  • http://piju.fakap.net/ piju

    cool,
    bfore this i only save youtube to .flv files using “cp” command only. now i can save them to .mp3
    ;)

  • windbell

    I use online video converter, and here is another guide that told two detailed ways to download video audio from youtube
    http://www.aimersoft.com/tutorial/free-download-youtube-video.html

    • lazerer

      It also describes about how to transfer the youtube video to iPod.
      Nice tutorial.

  • windbell

    I use online video converter, and here is another guide that told two detailed ways to download video audio from youtube
    http://www.aimersoft.com/tutorial/free-download-youtube-video.html

    • lazerer

      It also describes about how to transfer the youtube video to iPod.
      Nice tutorial.

  • Carl Friis-Hansen

    Very nice, works fine, contrary to the FF method after some alterations at youtube.

  • Carl Friis-Hansen

    Very nice, works fine, contrary to the FF method after some alterations at youtube.

  • ziqn

    I just found a professional MKV converter, here share with you: http://www.aimersoft.com/mkv-converter.html

  • ziqn

    I just found a professional MKV converter, here share with you: http://www.aimersoft.com/mkv-converter.html

  • http://www.aimersoft.com/mkv-converter.html ziqn

    Good information.

  • http://www.aimersoft.com/mkv-converter.html ziqn

    Good information.

  • Lyra

    Works well, thanks for the tut :)

    Web-based YouTube audio extractors like http://www.getaudiofromvideo.com do a good job as well. <3

  • Lyra

    Works well, thanks for the tut :)

    Web-based YouTube audio extractors like http://www.getaudiofromvideo.com do a good job as well. <3

  • http://www.bloo.us/ Bobby

    There’s also a free, fast, browser-based, open-source site for downloading YouTube audio/video:
    http://www.youtensils.org

  • http://www.bloo.us Bobby

    There’s also a free, fast, browser-based, open-source site for downloading YouTube audio/video:
    http://www.youtensils.org

  • jenny

    in http://www.abcyoutube.com you can download youtube video as mp3 and mp4 and flv…
    just type ABC before youtube video link, and enter.
    like http://www.abcyoutube.com/watch?v=X3vB5XJnm5A

  • jenny

    in http://www.abcyoutube.com you can download youtube video as mp3 and mp4 and flv…
    just type ABC before youtube video link, and enter.
    like http://www.abcyoutube.com/watch?v=X3vB5XJnm5A

  • Paul

    Utube Ripper is not writing a video.flv file to ~/.utube after successful download

  • Paul

    Utube Ripper is not writing a video.flv file to ~/.utube after successful download

  • http://www.pavtube.com/ anniebehrman

    What I am using is another popular Youtube Converter program: Pavtube Youtube Converter.

    It can download and convert Youtube FLV videos to other common video and audio formats such as AVI, MPEG, WMV, MOV, MP4, MP3, etc.

    I prefer the program as its after-sale service is good. Last week, I encountered a problem and sent it to them, they replied and solved my problem on time.
    So I think when choosing an appropriate program for ourselves, we should consider not only its quality, functions, but also its after-sale service.

    For more information please refer to: http://www.pavtube.com/youtube-converter/

  • http://www.pavtube.com/ anniebehrman

    What I am using is another popular Youtube Converter program: Pavtube Youtube Converter.

    It can download and convert Youtube FLV videos to other common video and audio formats such as AVI, MPEG, WMV, MOV, MP4, MP3, etc.

    I prefer the program as its after-sale service is good. Last week, I encountered a problem and sent it to them, they replied and solved my problem on time.
    So I think when choosing an appropriate program for ourselves, we should consider not only its quality, functions, but also its after-sale service.

    For more information please refer to: http://www.pavtube.com/youtube-converter/

  • http://benderconverter.com/ Valdis

    You can download YouTube videos as MP3, AVI, Windows Media Video (WMA) and many others for free.
    Just use Bender Converter (http://benderconverter.com). It very helpful!

  • http://benderconverter.com Valdis

    You can download YouTube videos as MP3, AVI, Windows Media Video (WMA) and many others for free.
    Just use Bender Converter (http://benderconverter.com). It very helpful!

  • Liquido Letal

    Graet! looking all over, Thanks! for the info.

  • Liquido Letal

    Graet! looking all over, Thanks! for the info.

  • Anonymous

    MP4 to MP3 Mac can help you convert MP4 to MP3 on Mac OS, it is the best Mac MP4 to MP3 convert software to extract MP4 files to MP3 for Mac OS X users.

  • lucky

    I use Ubuntu 9.10 and this software SIMPLE DOESN'T WORK !? It saves nothing into ~/.utube but says different…

  • lucky

    I use Ubuntu 9.10 and this software SIMPLE DOESN'T WORK !? It saves nothing into ~/.utube but says different…

  • spiralx

    Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work in 10.04 – “unresolved dependencies”.

  • Ron Paul Fan

    same here. Unable to get it to work in 10.04

    Could Not Launch UTube Ripper
    Failed to execute child process “/home/smalls/Utube/utube.gambas” (No such file or directory)

  • des

    I don't see a linux version of Pavtube Converter on that website