---
title: 'yt-dlp: Download Audio Only (and Convert to MP3)'
description: Download just the audio from YouTube with yt-dlp and convert it to MP3. Copy-paste commands for best-quality audio, MP3 conversion, playlists, and embedding metadata.
url: https://vidkraken.com/blog/yt-dlp-audio-only-mp3
author: Vid Kraken
published: '2026-07-17'
updated: '2026-07-17'
---

# yt-dlp: Download Audio Only (and Convert to MP3)

> Download just the audio from YouTube with yt-dlp and convert it to MP3. Copy-paste commands for best-quality audio, MP3 conversion, playlists, and embedding metadata.

Vid Kraken · Published 2026-07-17

Source: https://vidkraken.com/blog/yt-dlp-audio-only-mp3

To grab just the audio from a YouTube video with yt-dlp, use the `-x` (extract audio) flag. Converting to MP3 needs **ffmpeg** installed — see the [install guide](https://vidkraken.com/blog/how-to-install-yt-dlp) if you don't have it.

## Download audio and convert to MP3

```bash
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
```

- `-x` extracts audio and discards the video stream
- `--audio-format mp3` converts to MP3 (needs ffmpeg)
- `--audio-quality 0` is the best VBR quality (0 = best, 9 = worst)

## Keep the original audio (no re-encoding)

Converting always loses a little quality. To keep YouTube's original audio (usually Opus/M4A) with no re-encode:

```bash
yt-dlp -f bestaudio "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
```

## Common variations

**Whole playlist to MP3**

```bash
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYLIST_ID"
```

**Embed thumbnail + metadata**

```bash
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --embed-thumbnail --embed-metadata "https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID"
```

**Name by track title**

```bash
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID"
```

> **MP3 isn't always best**
>
> If you just want the highest-quality audio and don't specifically need MP3, skip
> the conversion and use `-f bestaudio` — you keep YouTube's original quality.

## If the download gets blocked

Audio downloads hit the same bot detection as video. If you see "Sign in to confirm you're not a bot" or a 403, it's not your audio flags — see the [bot-detection fix](https://vidkraken.com/blog/yt-dlp-sign-in-to-confirm-not-a-bot).

> **Audio downloads without the setup.**
>
> Request MP3 from our API and get a direct link — no ffmpeg install, no flags, no
> bot blocks.
>
> [Start free](https://vidkraken.com/login)

## Frequently asked questions

**Why is my yt-dlp MP3 conversion failing?**

Almost always because ffmpeg isn't installed or isn't on your PATH — the --audio-format mp3 conversion depends on it. Install ffmpeg and retry.

**How do I get the best audio quality?**

Use -f bestaudio to keep YouTube's original stream with no re-encoding. If you specifically need MP3, use --audio-quality 0 for the best VBR conversion.