New version of Freemake Video Downloader brings back YouTube Playlist downloads

Freemake Video Downloader is one of my favorite download tools because not only can it grab the highest available video file from YouTube as a single file, but it converts downloads to MP3, allows for a massive download queue, allows groups of files to go into separate directories and it works with dozens of sites. If it’s a "tube site" there is a good chance Freemake Video Download can get the file. Whenever I’m scanning along in YouTube I have it open just in case I want to grab the file for later. Many tools grab videos from YouTube, but they don’t work outside that realm which makes them kind of limited.

Unfortunately, Freemake has gone through a slump as far as updates are concerned and for quite some time it hasn’t been able to parse a YouTube Playlist. This is a feature it was able to handle before, but YouTube changed, Freemake didn’t and I had to look elsewhere to grab a playlist. FYI – 4K Video Downloader is an excellent choice.

But times have changed and so has Freemake. The latest version has brought back the ability to parse and download playlists. This works great for groups of related clips as well as music videos. You can also convert the playlist to MP3 such as extracting the music out of official videos.

This is indeed a welcome change, but there is one slight drawback. As you may be aware, many software developers bundle "freeware" with their programs to help generate revenue. Alas, Freemake uses OpenCandy to try and deliver 3rd party apps to your system. I wish there was a way to pay for a version of Freemake Video Downloader and skip all this freeware crap, but alas there isn’t. You can make a donation – which I have done for Freemake Video Converter since I use it to extract audio from video downloads – but that doesn’t give you a separate installer. You still have to navigate the menus and make sure you uncheck the OpenCandy surprise.

But that is easy enough to do, and the features of Freemake are worth the effort. The simplest thing to do is grab the Offline Installer and use that. Norton gets a little angry since there is no reputation for the file, but you can make an exception in case it tries to delete it.

Run the installer as you normally would, but don’t get all silly and just click Next, Next, Next. READ THE INSTALL SCREEN.

My installation had three software programs I needed to decline. Simply click "I do not agree" or uncheck the option for installation. That’s all. This will keep the annoying OpenCandy Monster at bay.

You can also capture the install with a program like Ashampoo Uninstaller 5 and check the logs to make sure nothing naughty ended up on your drive.

Once installed, head over to YouTube and pick a playlist of files. I’ve recently had a renewed interest in Vincent Price movies so I clicked playlist to get a couple. Previously, Freemake Video Downloader would error out and not recognize the link as playlist. Now it does and presents you with all the files it found in the list and the available maximum size. You can download the MP4 file or you can convert it to MP3. From there, let the queue build and the movies download. In no time at all you will have all sorts of entertainment at your disposal.

I’m so glad the playlist feature has returned to Freemake. It’s such a worthwhile app and works with so many sites far beyond YouTube. I’m disappointed in OpenCandy being bundled, but I understand the Freemake team needs to make money, I just wish they actually offered a way to buy their software. Until then, just be careful of what you click and I will continue to run Freemake alongside my newly purchased 4K Video Downloader so I can grab all the videos I play.

freemake-noplaylist

The previous version of Freemake Video Downloader didn’t understand how to parse a YouTube Playlist and would give an error.

freemake-playlist

The new version has once again brought the Download Playlist feature back!

freemake-opencandy

But you have to take the good with the bad. Here is the first screen featuring OpenCandy that you need to be weary of. Make sure you uncheck this option and read each screen carefully. This wasn’t the only one in the installer.

freemake-opencandy2

freemake-opencandy3

freemake-mp3playlist

Freemake can download videos as MP4, or other formats if you want to convert them, but also extracts the audio to MP3 which is pretty cool.

If you’ve come as an elf, see it through as an elf.

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1 thought on “New version of Freemake Video Downloader brings back YouTube Playlist downloads

    • Author gravatar

      Hi there,

      I have been trying to download a playlist contains more than 300 episodes but when I copy and paste the link into freemake video downloader app, I can only download max of 100 videos only.

      Is there anyway to download all 300 episodes in one go.

      Following is the link for your ref.

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