YouTube playlists are one of the platform's most useful features — curated collections of videos organised by topic, whether it is a lecture series, a music album, a workout programme, or a documentary series. Downloading playlist videos lets you take that collection offline for travel, study, or areas without reliable internet. This guide covers both approaches: downloading individual videos from a playlist using EasyYTDown, and downloading entire playlists at once using yt-dlp.
Understanding YouTube Playlists
A YouTube playlist is a collection of videos grouped together by a user or creator. Each video in a playlist has its own individual URL (the watch?v= link) and can be accessed and downloaded independently. The playlist itself also has a URL (the playlist?list= link) that opens the full collection.
Key things to know:
- Playlists can be public (anyone can view), unlisted (only people with the link), or private (only the creator)
- You can only download publicly accessible playlist videos
- Playlist videos can be removed or made private by their creators at any time
- Some playlists mix videos from multiple creators and channels
Method 1: Download Individual Playlist Videos with EasyYTDown
EasyYTDown downloads one video at a time — ideal for when you want specific videos from a playlist rather than the entire thing.
Step 1: Open the Playlist and Find Your Video
Go to YouTube and open the playlist. Click on the specific video you want to download. The page will load the video within the playlist — notice the URL changes to include both the video ID and the playlist ID:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&list=PLAYLIST_ID&index=3
Step 2: Copy the Video URL
You can use either the full URL (with the playlist parameters) or just the clean video URL. EasyYTDown works with both. The simplest approach: copy the full URL from your address bar as-is.
Alternatively, to get the clean video URL without playlist parameters: right-click the video title on YouTube → "Copy video URL" (not "Copy video URL at current time").
Step 3: Paste into EasyYTDown
Open easyytdown.com in a new tab. Paste the URL, choose MP4 or MP3 and your preferred quality, click Download Now.
Step 4: Repeat for Each Video
For each additional video in the playlist, return to YouTube, click the next video, copy its URL, and repeat the process. This takes about 2–3 minutes per video including processing time.
Tips for managing multiple downloads:
- Open the playlist in one browser tab and EasyYTDown in another — switch between them without losing your place
- Rename each downloaded file immediately using the episode number (01, 02, 03) so they stay in order
- Create a dedicated folder for the playlist before you start downloading
Method 2: Download Entire Playlists with yt-dlp (Advanced)
For downloading entire playlists at once, yt-dlp is the best free option. It is a command-line tool — there is a small learning curve, but it is worth it for large playlists.
Installing yt-dlp
Windows: Download the yt-dlp.exe file from the yt-dlp GitHub releases page. Place it in a folder (e.g., C:\yt-dlp\).
Mac: Install via Homebrew: brew install yt-dlp
Linux: sudo apt install yt-dlp or pip install yt-dlp
Downloading a Full Playlist as MP4
Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux). Navigate to your download folder and run:
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio/best[height<=720]" -o "%(playlist_index)s-%(title)s.%(ext)s" [PLAYLIST_URL]
Replace [PLAYLIST_URL] with the full playlist URL. The %(playlist_index)s part automatically numbers files in order.
Downloading a Full Playlist as MP3
yt-dlp --extract-audio --audio-format mp3 -o "%(playlist_index)s-%(title)s.%(ext)s" [PLAYLIST_URL]
Downloading Only New Videos (Resuming)
If you partially downloaded a playlist and want to continue without re-downloading already completed files:
yt-dlp --download-archive downloaded.txt [PLAYLIST_URL]
This tracks downloaded files in downloaded.txt and skips them on subsequent runs.
Which Videos Can You Download from a Playlist?
Not every playlist video is downloadable. The following types of videos will not work:
- Private videos: Not publicly accessible, so they cannot be fetched
- Age-restricted videos: Require a logged-in account to view — third-party tools cannot access them without authentication
- Region-locked videos: Blocked in certain countries by the uploader or YouTube
- Deleted videos: Videos that have been removed by the creator or YouTube appear as "[Deleted video]" in the playlist
- Member-only videos: Require a YouTube channel membership to access
EasyYTDown (and yt-dlp) will skip unavailable videos and report an error for them.
Organising Downloaded Playlist Videos
Good organisation makes downloaded content actually usable. Here is a system that works:
Folder Structure
Create folders like this:
Downloads/Lectures/MIT-Physics-2026/— numbered video filesMusic/Jazz-Classics/Courses/Python-for-Beginners/
File Naming
Use a consistent naming pattern: 01-VideoTitle.mp4, 02-VideoTitle.mp4. This keeps files in playlist order when sorted by name — essential for lecture series and course content.
Media Players for Playlist Playback
Once your videos are downloaded and organised:
- VLC Media Player (desktop): Open the entire folder as a playlist — VLC plays files in order automatically
- Infuse (iOS): Excellent for watching downloaded videos on iPhone/iPad — supports folders and displays poster art
- MX Player or VLC (Android): Open the folder containing your playlist videos
- Plex or Jellyfin (home media server): For a Netflix-like experience with your downloaded content library on any device in your home
Playlist Download Use Cases
University Lecture Series
Many universities post entire courses as YouTube playlists. Downloading the full playlist means you have 30+ lectures available offline — perfect for exam revision, studying abroad, or areas with expensive internet.
Music Albums and Artist Playlists
Many artists post their full albums or curated playlists on YouTube. Download them as MP3 for offline listening on any device — phone, car, MP3 player, or smart speaker via Bluetooth.
Workout and Fitness Programmes
30-day fitness challenge playlists, yoga series, and home workout programmes are popular on YouTube. Download the full playlist and follow the programme without needing internet in your gym or home workout space.
Documentary Series
Long documentary series (nature, history, science) are often published as YouTube playlists. Download the full series for binge-watching during a long flight or off-grid trip.
Language Learning Courses
Structured language learning playlists (Duolingo Stories, language channel lesson series) work perfectly as downloaded audio. Download as MP3 and build an offline audio course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can EasyYTDown download an entire playlist at once?
EasyYTDown currently downloads one video at a time. For bulk playlist downloads, use yt-dlp (see Method 2 above). Playlist support is planned for a future EasyYTDown update.
How long does it take to download a 30-video playlist with yt-dlp?
At 720p, plan for roughly 3–5 minutes per video (processing + download time), meaning 90–150 minutes for 30 videos. Running overnight is practical for large playlists.
What happens if a video in the playlist is deleted while I am downloading?
yt-dlp will skip the unavailable video, report an error, and continue with the remaining videos. You will not lose the downloads that were completed before the error.
Can I download a YouTube playlist on my phone?
For individual videos: yes, using EasyYTDown in your phone's browser. For full playlists: yt-dlp requires a computer (it does not run on mobile). For mobile playlist downloads, use EasyYTDown video by video.
How many playlist videos can I download for free?
EasyYTDown's free tier allows 5 downloads per day. For full playlists, upgrade to Pro ($4.99/month) for unlimited daily downloads, or use yt-dlp (free, unlimited, but requires command line).
Start Downloading Your Playlist
Whether you need one video or an entire course library, the tools are free and the process is straightforward. Head to EasyYTDown for casual individual downloads, or set up yt-dlp for batch playlist downloading.