If you’re a fan of Internet Download Manager (IDM), you already know it’s a powerhouse for grabbing single YouTube videos with its handy Video Download Panel. It’s fast, simple, and incredibly effective.
But what happens when you stumble upon an amazing tutorial series, a must-have music collection, or a full season of a web show? Downloading videos one-by-one is a real drag. Ever found yourself wishing you could just download an entire YouTube playlist with IDM in one go? Well, you’re in luck, because there’s a clever way to do just that!
This guide will walk you through the entire process, turning a tedious task into a simple, automated download session. Let’s get started!
A Quick Heads-Up on Third-Party Tools
The method we’re covering relies on a third-party website to generate the download links. Recently, many online playlist downloaders have run into a “API Error: Sign in to confirm you’re not a bot” issue, making them unusable. While the tool in this guide is currently working, these services can be unpredictable. It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan!
How to Download a YouTube Playlist with IDM: Step-by-Step
Ready to batch-download that playlist? Follow these simple steps to make it happen.
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Step 1: Create a Free Account
First, head over to YouTubePlaylist.cc and sign up for a free account. This is necessary to process the playlist and generate the links we’ll need for IDM.
Pro-Tip: If you need to download more than the daily limit, you can use a temporary email service to create additional accounts.
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Step 2: Copy the YouTube Playlist URL
Open YouTube in a new tab and navigate to the playlist you want to save. Click into your browser’s address bar and copy the entire URL.
Now, head back to YouTubePlaylist.cc and paste this URL into the input field on their homepage. The site will automatically fetch all the videos in that playlist.
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Step 3: Select Your Videos
The free account on this site has a daily limit of 15 videos. Scroll through the list and check the boxes for the videos you want to download. If your playlist is longer, you’ll need to repeat this process for the remaining videos later.
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Step 4: Choose Your Desired Quality
Once you’ve made your selection, it’s time to choose the video quality. A dropdown menu will let you pick from the available resolutions (like 720p, 1080p, etc.). After selecting your preferred quality, click the ‘Download All’ button.
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Step 5: Export and Copy the Links
The website will now process your videos. When it’s done, you’ll see a new set of options. Click on ‘Export Link’ and then hit the ‘Copy to Clipboard’ button. This copies all the direct download links that IDM needs.
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Step 6: Let IDM Work Its Magic
Now for the best part! Open IDM on your computer. With the links still copied to your clipboard, go to the menu and click Tasks → Add Batch Download From Clipboard. IDM will automatically read all the links you just copied.
A new window will pop up showing all the videos. You can click ‘Check All’ to select every video, choose your download location, and then click ‘OK’.
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Step 7: Start the Download Queue
Finally, IDM will show you the main download queue. You can give the queue a specific name for better organization if you like. When you’re ready, click the ‘Start Queue’ button and watch as IDM downloads all your selected videos effortlessly.
And that’s it! 🎉 You’ve successfully turned a manual, one-by-one download chore into an efficient, automated process with IDM’s powerful batch download feature.
Pro-Tips for Power Users
Want to get even more out of this process? Here are a few extra tips.
- Organize with Queues: Don’t just dump everything into the main queue. In IDM, you can create custom queues (e.g., “Music Videos,” “Python Tutorials”). When adding your batch download, you can assign the files directly to the relevant queue to keep your downloads tidy.
- Schedule Your Downloads: If you have a slow internet connection or want to download during off-peak hours, use IDM’s built-in scheduler. You can set your playlist queue to start downloading at a specific time, like overnight.
- Check File Names: In the ‘Add Batch Download’ window (Step 6), you have a chance to review the file names. Sometimes, they might be messy. You can manually edit them here before the download starts to save yourself cleanup time later.
- Bypass Daily Limits Smartly: If you have a long playlist, use a temporary email service to create a second account on YouTubePlaylist.cc. You can process the first 15 videos with one account, and the next 15 with another, adding all the links to the same IDM queue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why can’t IDM download YouTube playlists directly?
IDM’s browser integration is designed to detect and download the currently playing video on a webpage. A YouTube playlist is essentially a webpage that loads different videos sequentially; it’s not a single file itself. That’s why we need a third-party service to first extract the individual, direct download links for every video in the playlist before feeding them to IDM’s batch download feature.
Is it safe to use a third-party site like YouTubePlaylist.cc?
Generally, sites that generate download links are safe to use, but you should always be cautious. Stick to the core function of pasting a URL and copying the generated links. Avoid clicking on intrusive ads or downloading any extra “downloader” software they might offer. Using a free account with a temporary email is a great way to protect your privacy.
What if the ‘Add Batch Download from Clipboard’ option in IDM is greyed out?
This usually means IDM hasn’t detected any valid URLs on your clipboard. Go back to the website and make sure you clicked the ‘Copy to Clipboard’ button properly. If it still doesn’t work, try copying the text from the export box manually (Ctrl+C) and see if that helps IDM recognize the links.
Can I download videos in different qualities, like 1080p or 4K?
Yes, but this depends entirely on what the third-party website offers and what quality is available on YouTube. In Step 4, the dropdown menu will show you all the resolutions the site was able to extract. Select the highest quality available there to get the best possible video file.
What is the IDM Video Download Panel, and how does it work?
The IDM Video Download Panel is a button that automatically appears near streaming videos in your browser. It’s the core feature for one-click downloads. Here’s a quick breakdown of its functions:
- Automatic Detection: When IDM is integrated with your browser, it “listens” for video streams. When it finds one, the download panel pops up, offering you the video in various formats and quality levels.
- Customization: In IDM’s settings, you can control when and where this panel appears. You can disable it for certain websites or tell it to only show up for specific file types (like MP4).
- Content Limitations: The panel may not appear for heavily protected or encrypted content (like on Netflix or Hulu). It works best with standard video streaming protocols used by sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and others.