Converting youtube videos into audio files that you can playback at any time without an internet connection is a convenient (albeit not exactly morally right) and free method. But is it also risk free? Not necessarily. Youtube to mp3 conversion involves several risks. Of course, websites and platforms that provide such services have various ads to support themselves, but the hidden risks lie elsewhere. The conversion process in itself is not really risky, as everything is handled by the website. Downloading the result however can pose risks for you as a user.
Why? Simply because there’s no real way of telling what exactly you’re downloading. It’s not difficult to include malware into .mp3 files, and the files you are actually downloading might not even be .mp3 files. We’ve done some research, and found out that many websites offer malware-infused archives (like a .zip file) as a result of youtube to mp3 conversion. This means that you’re downloading a potential threat, one that your anti-virus software might not be able to combat. In the best case scenario, you’ll get a warning from whatever firewall or anti-virus you are using, but things can go really bad, and malware can pass any security measures you’re employing, causing a threat to your valuable data.
In general, we advise that you limit yourself to respectable youtube to mp3 platforms. You can do some research on forums to see what websites are recommended and tested. We also advise that you don’t download any kind of software that handles youtube to mp3 conversion, as the risks of infecting your PC are that much higher with installed programs. If you want to be on the safe side of things, use trusted websites for youtube to mp3 conversion, and make sure the result that you are about to download is an audio file with the .mp3 extension. If you have software like Winamp installed, you can easily tell if the file is ok or not even before downloading it, as you’ll get the playback application specific icon when prompted to accept. In any case, keep in mind that converting youtube links into audio files is a great way to collect some music, but the risks are there, so be mindful.