How to download your own YouTube videos

Why creators back up their own channel

• Protecting against account loss, strikes, or a channel getting suspended.
• Migrating footage to another platform.
• Keeping a local archive independent of YouTube's continued existence.
• Re-editing or reusing your own footage in other projects.

Option A: YouTube Studio's native download (best for a true master copy)

If you're the uploader, YouTube already gives you a way to get your original file back, unmodified:

1. Open YouTube StudioGo to studio.youtube.com and sign in with the channel's account.
2. Find the videoContent → the video in question.
3. Open the options menuThe ⋮ menu next to the video, then Download.

This is the original file you uploaded — no re-encoding, no quality loss. It's the right choice when the goal is archival: you want the master back exactly as it was.

Option B: This extension (best for convenience or a specific resolution)

Use this when any of the following is true:

• You're already on the public watch page and don't want to switch into Studio.
• You specifically want a smaller file at 720p or 480p rather than the full original.
• You're pulling from a channel where you have permission but not Studio access.

1. Open the video's watch pageClick the extension icon — the URL usually auto-fills.
2. Choose a qualityBest quality gets you closest to the source; 1080p/720p/480p trade quality for a smaller, faster file.
3. DownloadProgress bar → notification → click Download to save the mp4.

Keep in mind this path re-encodes the video (fetch + mux to mp4), so for a byte-for-byte backup of your own master, Option A is still the more faithful copy. This side is metered by file size — see pricing.

Backing up a whole channel

Neither option here is a bulk/batch tool — each is one video at a time. For backing up an entire channel's history, most creators work through the Content tab in Studio and download each video individually; there's no shortcut around that if you want originals.