Step-by-Step Guide to Downloading Videos for Your Blogger Posts
Step-by-Step Guide to Downloading Videos for Your Blogger Posts
As a blogger, you often want to enhance your content by adding multimedia elements such as images and videos. Videos, in particular, have become increasingly popular in recent years, and adding them to your blog posts can help increase engagement, boost traffic, and improve your SEO. But how can you download videos to use on your blog? In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide to downloading videos for your blogger posts.
Before we proceed, let’s first discuss why you need to download videos in the first place. Videos are often hosted on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo, and their owners retain the copyright to these videos. While it’s possible to embed these videos directly on your blog from these platforms, you should still ask for permission from the video owner or ensure that the video’s license permits its use on third-party websites.
Moreover, downloading videos can be useful if you want to edit or manipulate them before using them on your blog. For instance, you might want to crop, resize, or add captions to a video before embedding it on your blog. Alternatively, you might want to save a copy of a video in case it gets taken down from the video-sharing platform or disappears from the internet, ensuring that your blog post remains relevant and informative.
With that said, here’s how you can download videos for your blogger posts:
Step 1: Find the Video You want to Download
The first step to downloading a video is to find it on the internet. As mentioned earlier, videos are typically hosted on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, or Facebook, among others. Alternatively, some blogs or websites might also host their own videos that you can download. Regardless of the platform, make sure that you have the necessary permissions or licenses to use the video on your blog.
Once you’ve located the video you want to download, open it in a new tab or window, and make sure it’s playing correctly. This is important because some videos might be protected or encrypted, and downloading them might not be possible or legal. Additionally, some videos might have been taken down, or their URLs might have changed, so make sure that the video is still available and accessible before downloading it.
Step 2: Copy the Video’s URL
Once you’ve found the video you want to download and confirmed that it’s playable, the next step is to copy its URL or web address. The video’s URL should be displayed in the address bar at the top of your web browser, and it usually starts with “https://” or “http://”. To copy the URL, highlight it with your mouse or keyboard, then right-click and choose “Copy” or press “Ctrl+C” (Windows) or “Command+C” (Mac) on your keyboard.
Alternatively, some video-sharing platforms might have a share button or an embed code that you can use to copy the URL. For instance, YouTube has a “Share” button below each video that displays the video’s URL in a popup window. You can then click on “Copy” to copy the URL to your clipboard.
Step 3: Choose a Video Downloader
Once you’ve copied the video’s URL, the next step is to choose a video downloader that you can use to download the video to your computer. Video downloaders come in different forms and formats, ranging from browser extensions and web apps to desktop software and mobile apps. The choice of downloader largely depends on your needs and preferences, as well as the video-sharing platform and the video’s format, size, and quality.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular video downloaders and how to use them:
Browser Extensions: Browser extensions are add-ons or plugins that you can install on your web browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. These extensions usually add a download button or a contextual menu to video pages, allowing you to download the video without leaving the page. Here are some popular video downloader extensions:
1. Video DownloadHelper: Video DownloadHelper is a Firefox and Chrome extension that allows you to download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and other sites. It adds a download button to video pages that lets you choose from different quality and format options.
2. Flash Video Downloader: Flash Video Downloader is a Chrome extension that can download videos from YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and others. It adds a download button to video pages and supports multiple formats and resolutions.
3. YouTube Video and Audio Downloader: YouTube Video and Audio Downloader is a Firefox extension that can download videos and audio from YouTube in different formats and qualities. It adds a download button to video pages and supports bulk downloads.
Web Apps: Web apps are online services that allow you to download videos by pasting their URLs into a web form. These apps usually require an internet connection and might display ads or limitations, such as a size limit or a download speed limit. Here are some web apps:
1. KeepVid: KeepVid is a web app that can download videos from a variety of sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and SoundCloud. It supports multiple formats and qualities and also allows you to convert videos to other formats.
2. SaveFrom.net: SaveFrom.net is a web app that can download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and other sites. It can also download audio and subtitles and supports multiple resolutions and formats.
3. ClipConverter: ClipConverter is a web app that can download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and other sites. It supports multiple formats and resolutions and can also convert videos to other formats.
Desktop Software: Desktop software is a program that you can install on your computer and use to download videos. These programs often offer more features and customizability than web apps and browser extensions but might require more resources and updates. Here are some desktop software:
1. 4K Video Downloader: 4K Video Downloader is a desktop software that can download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and other sites. It supports multiple resolutions and formats and also allows you to download entire playlists or channels.
2. Freemake Video Downloader: Freemake Video Downloader is a desktop software that can download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and other sites. It supports multiple formats and qualities and also allows you to download videos in 4K and 360 degrees.
3. JDownloader: JDownloader is a desktop software that can download videos from a variety of sites, including YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook. It supports multiple download streams and can also unpack and extract archives.
Step 4: Download the Video
Once you’ve chosen a video downloader, the final step is to download the video to your computer. The process might vary depending on the downloader you’re using, but here are some general steps:
1. Open the video downloader and paste the video’s URL into the appropriate field or box. Alternatively, some downloaders might automatically detect the video’s URL if it’s in the clipboard or if you’re on a video page.
2. Choose the desired format or quality of the video, if applicable. Some downloaders might offer different options, such as MP4, AVI, or FLV, or different resolutions, such as 720p or 1080p.
3. Click on the download button or the start button to initiate the download process. Some downloaders might ask you to specify a download folder or location, while others might automatically save the video to a default folder.
4. Wait for the download to complete. Depending on the size and quality of the video, as well as your internet connection and download speed, the download process might take a few seconds or several minutes. Some downloaders might display a progress bar or a countdown timer, while others might show an error message or a confirmation message when the download is complete.
Once the video is downloaded, you can use it as you wish on your blogger posts. We hope this step-by-step guide has been helpful in downloading videos for your blogger posts. Remember to always ask for permission or check the video’s license before using it, and to respect copyright laws and fair use principles. Happy video blogging!