Best YouTube to MP3 Chrome Extensions in 2026 (Chrome & Edge)

We make one of the tools on this list, so read this with that in mind. We have tried to describe the others the way their own users would: what they are good at and where they fall short. Tools change quickly in this category, so we re-check this page every three months.

How we compared

• How you install it — from the Chrome Web Store, from the maker's own site, or not at all (web tools).
• Ads and redirects — does using it ever open a new tab you didn't ask for?
• Formats and quality — MP3 bitrate choice, M4A, WAV, and whether video is an option.
• Tags and file names — do files arrive with title, artist and cover art, or as "videoplayback (2).mp3"?
• Playlists — can it do a whole list, and can you pick tracks?
• Edge support — is there a Microsoft Edge version?
• Staying power — how it copes when YouTube changes something.

One honest gap of ours up front: Video to MP3 Converter has no trimming — it saves the whole track. If you need to cut a 30-second clip inside the tool itself, some of the others do that.

The shortlist

Video to MP3 Converter — tagged files from a side panel

Ours. Click the icon while a video plays and a side panel opens beside it; press Convert and the file goes to Downloads with title, artist and cover art written in and the "(Official Video)" clutter removed from the name. MP3 at 128–320 kbps, M4A, WAV and MP4 up to 1080p; whole playlists with tick boxes and per-track retry. Conversion runs on our own servers, so a fix on our side reaches you without reinstalling.

Good for: people who want clean, ready-to-use files and playlists. Weak spots: no trimming; it needs our servers to be up; a daily limit of 50 conversions.

Addoncrop YouTube MP3 Converter — a button on the YouTube page

A long-running extension that adds a download button under YouTube videos. Because the Chrome Web Store doesn't allow YouTube downloaders, it is installed through the maker's own site rather than the store, which is an extra step and means you are trusting that site directly.

Good for: people who like a button right on the YouTube page and quick bitrate choices. Weak spots: installation outside the store; a button injected into every YouTube page.

Store extensions named "Video to MP3" or similar

Search the store and you will find several extensions with near-identical names. Quality varies widely: some open a third-party converter site in a new tab, some ask for access to every website, and some disappear after a few months. Check the permissions and recent reviews before installing — our safety checklist takes thirty seconds.

cobalt — a clean web tool, no install

An open-source web downloader with no ads: paste a link, pick audio, download. It is a good choice on a computer where you can't install extensions. YouTube support has been on and off as YouTube tightens its systems, and there are no tags or playlist picking.

A desktop app

Desktop apps such as MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter, or the command-line tool yt-dlp for technical users, handle large playlists and batch jobs well. The trade-off is installing software on your computer and keeping it updated yourself when YouTube changes something.

Comparison table

Why many of these get removed from the store

The Chrome Web Store policies don't allow extensions whose main purpose is downloading from YouTube. That is why the most YouTube-specific tools are installed from their makers' own sites, and why extensions that market themselves as "YouTube downloaders" in the store tend to vanish. Tools that work across many video sites and talk about video in general are on firmer ground — which is how Video to MP3 Converter is built.

How to stay safe

Whichever tool you pick, the same rules apply: it should never ask you to install a desktop app to finish a download, never open tabs you didn't ask for, and never need access to every website just to convert a video. Our safety checklist goes through the red flags one by one.