You found a song on YouTube and want the notes. Maybe it's a piano cover, a guitar solo, or a synth melody you want to remix. You can even convert the entire song to MIDI. Whatever the case, converting YouTube to MIDI is a two-step process: extract the audio, then convert it to MIDI.
Neither step requires expensive software. Here's how to do it in under 2 minutes.
How YouTube to MIDI Conversion Works
YouTube stores video and audio together. To get MIDI, you first need to separate the audio from the video. This gives you an MP3, M4A, or WAV file. Then you run that audio file through an AI audio-to-MIDI converter that detects the notes and outputs a standard MIDI file.
The entire process takes about 2 minutes. No software installation required for either step.
Step 1: Download the Audio from YouTube
There are several ways to get audio from YouTube:
Online tools: Websites like y2mate, cobalt.tools, or ssyoutube let you paste a YouTube URL and download the audio as MP3. Choose the highest quality option available (256kbps or 320kbps).
Desktop apps: yt-dlp (free, open source) is the most reliable option. Install it and run: yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 [URL]
Browser extensions: Some extensions add a download button directly on YouTube. These break frequently as YouTube updates their site.
Tip: If the video is a piano cover or isolated instrument, that's ideal for MIDI conversion. Full band mixes work too, but the results will be less clean.
Step 2: Convert the Audio to MIDI
Open MP3toMIDI's YouTube to MIDI tool. Drag your downloaded MP3 onto the page. The AI model loads (first visit only), then processes your audio. A 3-minute song takes about 10-15 seconds.
You'll see a piano roll preview showing every detected note. Check it before downloading — do the note patterns look like real music? If yes, click download. If the output looks messy, try these fixes:
- Re-download the audio at higher quality
- Convert just the section you need (verse or chorus) instead of the full video
- Look for an isolated instrument version of the same song
Step 3: Use the MIDI file
The downloaded .mid MIDI file works in any DAW — Ableton, FL Studio, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Cubase, or Reaper. Import it and you'll see every note on a piano roll. From there you can:
- Change the instrument (swap piano for synth, strings, whatever you want)
- Edit wrong notes
- Adjust timing with quantize
- Slow down the tempo for practice
- Export as sheet music (import into MuseScore or Finale)
Best Practices for YouTube to MIDI
Choose the right video. Solo instrument recordings give the best results. Piano covers, guitar tutorials, and acoustic performances convert well. Avoid videos with talking, crowd noise, or heavy reverb.
Download at the highest quality. The audio quality directly affects MIDI accuracy. Always choose 256kbps or higher when downloading.
Convert sections, not full songs. If you only need the chorus, download and convert just that section. Shorter, cleaner audio produces better MIDI.
Expect some cleanup. Even the best AI makes mistakes. Budget 10-15 minutes to fix wrong notes in your DAW. That's still dramatically faster than learning by ear.
Check for isolated tracks. Search "[song name] isolated [instrument]" on YouTube. Fan-made isolations exist for many popular songs and convert much better than full mixes.
Convert YouTube Audio to MIDI
Download your YouTube audio, then drop it into our free converter. Results in seconds.
Try YouTube to MIDI →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert a YouTube video directly to MIDI?
Not directly — you need to extract the audio first, then convert it to MIDI. The process takes about 2 minutes total: download the audio (30 seconds), convert to MIDI (15 seconds), download the result. Some tools claim to do it in one step, but they still do these two steps behind the scenes.
Is it legal to convert YouTube to MIDI?
Downloading audio from YouTube violates their Terms of Service. Converting to MIDI for personal learning or study is generally considered fair use in most jurisdictions. Using extracted MIDI in commercial releases may raise copyright issues. We recommend using this for personal practice and learning only.
What's the best format to download YouTube audio for MIDI conversion?
MP3 at 256kbps or higher is fine for most conversions. If the tool offers it, WAV or M4A will give slightly better results due to less compression. Avoid low-bitrate downloads (under 128kbps) as the quality loss will affect MIDI accuracy.
Can I convert a YouTube music video to MIDI?
Yes, but the results depend on the audio quality. Official music videos usually have high-quality audio and convert well. Fan-made videos or live performances may have background noise that reduces accuracy. Music-only videos (without talking or sound effects) give the best results.
Why are there wrong notes in my YouTube MIDI conversion?
Several reasons: background noise or crowd sounds being detected as notes, compression artifacts from low-bitrate audio, or multiple instruments playing at once confusing the pitch detector. Try converting just the section you need (verse or chorus) rather than the full video.