Create an account on YouTube
To sign in to YouTube, you'll need to create a Google Account. With a Google Account, you can access many YouTube features, including Like, Subscribe, Watch Later, and Watch History.
Go to youtube.com.
1. In the top right, click Sign in.
2. Click More options > Create Account.
Once you've signed in to YouTube with your Google Account, you can create a YouTube channel on your account. With a YouTube channel, you can upload videos, leave comments, and create playlists.
With a Google Account, you can watch and like videos and subscribe to channels. However, without a YouTube channel, you have no public presence on YouTube. Even if you have a Google Account, you need to create a YouTube channel to upload videos, comment, or make playlists. You can use a computer or the YouTube mobile site to create a new channel.
Follow these instructions to create a channel that only you can manage using your Google Account.
1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or using the mobile site.
2. Try any action that requires a channel, such as uploading a video, posting a comment, or creating a playlist.
3. If you don't yet have a channel, you'll see a prompt to create a channel.
4. Check the details (with your Google Account name and photo) and confirm to create your new channel.
Downloading YouTube videos
As one of the best media players out there, it’s perhaps no surprise that VLC can also help download YouTube videos too. It’s not as straightforward as other methods, but it still allows you to bypass ad-riddled websites and other third-party software that you might otherwise seek out. The method differs slightly between operating systems, but it’s not terribly confusing.
Step 1: Navigate to the YouTube video you’d like to download in your browser, and copy the URL. Then, launch VLC as you would normally, and click “Media” in the menu bar, followed by “Open Network Stream.” If you’re on a Mac, you’ll want to click “File,” then “Open Network.” Once done, paste your YouTube URL in the box housed within the Network tab, and click “Open.” Your video will automatically start playing in VLC.
Step 2: If you’re using Windows, select “Tools” in the toolbar at the top and select “Codec Information” from the resulting drop-down menu. If you’re on a Mac, select “Window” and click “Media Information” in the drop-down menu.
This will bring up a screen with various information about the video, but we’re only interested in the “Location” bar at the bottom. This will showcase the exact URL for your video, directly from Google’s servers. Go ahead and copy the link and paste it in the address bar of your browser.
Step 3: The video will then play within your browser. Right-click the video, click “Save As,” or “Save Video As…,” if using a Mac — and wait for the download to complete. That’s it! The video is now on your hard drive.