Convert YouTube to WAV
Paste the link to a YouTube video or song and get the audio as WAV, with no re-compression, ready for Audacity, FL Studio, Premiere or any program that asks for WAV.
You are responsible for respecting the copyright and terms of each platform. Copyright Policy
Why use PullVid for YouTube?
Available qualities
How to download YouTube videos?
Copy the link to the video or song in YouTube or YouTube Music (Share → Copy link).
Paste it into the field above.
Tap “WAV (uncompressed)”. If you'd rather have a lighter file, the list also has “MP3 (audio)” and “Audio only (M4A)”.
Save the file and open it in your editor: on a phone it lands in Downloads (Android) or in the Files app (iPhone).
This YouTube to WAV converter is for when you need the audio from a video to work with it: drop it into an audio editor, sync it in a video edit, cut a sample or feed it to a program that only accepts WAV. Paste the link and you get the audio uncompressed, with nothing to install.
If you just want to listen to music on your phone or in the car, you don't need WAV: the YouTube to MP3 converter gives you files ten times lighter, and for songs, albums and playlists there's the YouTube Music downloader.
What WAV gains (and what it doesn't)
YouTube doesn't store audio uncompressed: it serves it at around 128-160 kbps in Opus or AAC. That's the ceiling, however you download it, and no format goes beyond it.
- What it gains: WAV stores that audio decompressed, exactly as it is, with no second encoding. MP3, on the other hand, re-compresses audio that was already compressed, and every pass takes a little away.
- What it doesn't gain: quality above the source. A WAV from YouTube isn't a studio master, nor truly “lossless” audio: it's YouTube's audio in a format your editor can handle without compressing it again.
That's why WAV makes sense when you're going to edit: cut, mix, adjust the volume or add effects and export again. Every MP3 export would add another layer of loss; starting from a WAV, the only compression is the one YouTube already applied. We explain the differences between formats in MP3 vs. M4A: which audio format to choose.
Exact format and file size
- Codec: 16-bit PCM, the standard WAV that any program opens.
- Sample rate: the source's, 48 kHz or 44.1 kHz depending on the video. If you work at a different rate, your editor converts it on import.
- Size: about 10-11 MB per minute in stereo. A 4-minute song comes to roughly 40-45 MB; an hour-long podcast, about 600-700 MB.
At those sizes, it's worth freeing up space on your phone before downloading a long video. And if in the end you only want to listen, the MP3 or “Audio only (M4A)” takes up a tenth of the space and sounds the same.
Programs that open WAV
Everything opens WAV: audio editors like Audacity or Adobe Audition; music workstations like FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro or GarageBand; video editors like Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or CapCut; and samplers and DJ software that ask for uncompressed audio.
Already have the audio on your device? If it's an MP3 and your program insists on WAV, the MP3 to WAV converter switches it in your browser (without bringing back the quality already lost, mind you). And when your project is finished, the WAV to MP3 converter makes it light enough to share.
Videos, Shorts and YouTube Music songs
Any link to a single video works: youtube.com/watch?v=…, youtu.be/…, a Short or a YouTube Music song (music.youtube.com/watch?v=…). With albums and playlists, each song downloads as MP3; if you want one of them in WAV, paste that song's link. The other ways to get the sound out of a video, with their pros and cons, are in how to extract the audio from a YouTube video.
Personal use and copyright
Downloading the audio to work with in private — practicing an instrument, transcribing an interview, studying a mix — is common. Publishing a remix, using a sample in your song or putting the music in a video you upload requires permission from the rights holder, even for a clip a few seconds long. If you're looking for music you can use without asking, the YouTube Studio Audio Library is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions about YouTube
Does WAV sound better than MP3?
Not better than the source. YouTube serves audio at around 128-160 kbps in Opus or AAC, and that's the ceiling. What WAV gains is that it doesn't add a second round of compression: an MP3 re-compresses audio that was already compressed, while a WAV stores it as it is. For listening you won't hear the difference; for editing, it matters.
Why is the WAV file so big?
Because it isn't compressed: it's about 10-11 MB per minute in stereo. A 4-minute song comes to roughly 40-45 MB, and an hour-long video to about 600-700 MB. If you only want to listen, the MP3 or “Audio only (M4A)” takes up a tenth of the space.
What exact format is the file?
WAV with 16-bit PCM audio, at the source's sample rate (48 kHz or 44.1 kHz depending on the video) and with the same channels. It's standard WAV: Audacity, FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and any media player can open it.
My project runs at 44.1 kHz. Will it work?
Yes. Almost every editor converts the sample rate when you import the file. If you need to deliver at exactly 44.1 kHz — to burn an audio CD, for example — export at that rate from your own editor when you're done.
Does it work with Shorts and YouTube Music?
Yes, with any single video: regular videos, Shorts and YouTube Music songs (music.youtube.com/watch?v=…). With albums and playlists, each song downloads as MP3; if you want one of them in WAV, paste that song's link.
Can I download just part of it as WAV?
Not directly: the trimming tool makes video clips (MP4) and GIFs. Download the whole WAV and cut it in your editor, which is where you'll be working with it anyway and where the cut costs no quality.
Does the WAV include the title, artist or cover art?
No. WAV stores the sound but barely supports tags, so the file is named after the video title and nothing else. If you need the cover, you can grab it with the YouTube thumbnail downloader.
Does each WAV count as a download?
Yes, like any other. The free version has a fair-use daily cap, generous for normal use; with Premium there's no daily cap.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes, from Safari. The WAV lands in the Files app, and from there you can open it in GarageBand, LumaFusion or whatever editing app you use. Keep the file size in mind if the video is long.
Can I use the audio in my song or my video?
Only with permission. Downloading it to work with in private — practicing, transcribing, studying a mix — is common, but publishing a remix, using a sample or putting the music in a video you upload requires permission from the rights holder, even if it's just a few seconds.
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