Cut one section out of a long recording
- Get the audio in the bot. Send the YouTube link to @MoeinimyDL_bot and tap Audio under the video's cover.
- Write the range. Reply to that audio file with a start and end time, such as
1:02:30-1:15:00. - Get the clip. The bot cuts out exactly that part and sends it as its own file. Repeat for as many sections as you need.
The YouTube to MP3 page is written with songs in mind. This guide is about long videos: lectures, courses, podcasts, talks and audiobooks - where the picture is usually a static slide or a talking head, and the sound is all you need.
Website or bot?
The length of the video decides:
- Up to 30 minutes - the website can do it. Paste the link, pick "Audio only", and save the file.
- Longer than 30 minutes - the Telegram bot only. The site says: "That is longer than the web version allows (30 minutes). The Telegram bot takes it." The bot has no length limit and sends files up to 2 GB, which for audio means practically any video.
Audio or Audio HQ?
For speech, Audio is plenty. It is exactly the sound YouTube streams, copied without re-encoding, and a voice comes through perfectly clear. Audio HQ is made for music: it starts from YouTube's best source and produces a file about twice the size. For a lecture, twice the size buys you no better sound.
Approximate sizes, which vary a little from video to video:
| Length | Audio | Audio HQ |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | about 30 MB | about 60 MB |
| 1 hour | about 60 MB | about 120 MB |
| 2 hours | about 120 MB | about 240 MB |
| 3 hours | about 180 MB | about 360 MB |
In the bot, each button shows its exact size - check before you tap.
You only need one section
The lecture runs three hours but you only want the worked examples? Follow the steps above. A few notes on ranges:
- All three forms work:
45-90(seconds),3:28-4:53(minutes and seconds) and1:02:30-1:15:00(hours, minutes and seconds). "to" works in place of the dash. - Send the range as a reply to the file, so the bot knows which file to cut.
- One clip can be up to three hours long.
- Cuts avoid re-encoding wherever possible, so the clip keeps the full file's quality.
Take the times from YouTube itself: drag the progress bar to where the section starts and note the time. If the video has chapters, each chapter's start time is listed in the description.
Links that work
Any link to one specific video: youtube.com/watch?v=…, the short youtu.be/…, and m.youtube.com links. If the link carries a start time (such as &t=1200), you still get the whole video, not the part from that time on - use a cut for one section.
Videos that will not download: private videos, members-only videos, age-restricted videos, and live streams that have not ended yet. The bot tells you plainly which one you have hit.
Easier listening
The audio opens in Telegram's music player with the video's cover and title. Telegram keeps playing it in the background, so you can lock the screen or switch apps. And because the file stays in the chat, it is also there on any computer where you use Telegram.
For an ordinary song rather than a lecture, see YouTube to MP3, which explains Audio and Audio HQ for music in full.
Frequently asked questions
Can I download a live-streamed class?
Not while the stream is still live. Once it ends, if the channel keeps the recording on YouTube, it downloads like any other video.
Can I get a whole course playlist at once?
No - send one video's link at a time. If the link you copied also belongs to a playlist, the video it points at is the one you get.
Where does the file end up on my phone?
It stays in your Telegram chat and plays from there. If you want it outside Telegram as well, save it to your phone's storage from the file's menu in Telegram.
