Online data is quickly changing the way people experience information. In this current day and age where digital is at an all-time high, the amount of content we consume has been increasing rapidly. The rate of content created and uploaded online has exponentially grown too. According to a article in 2013, 90% of the world’s data only came about in the last two years. This number only shows how fast the rate of media and content creation for virtual use is.
And as we increase our internet usage, there will be instances that we will need some of those files for certain case scenarios. That’s why it’s important to learn how to download video files online and do so in a safe and ethical way.
Let’s start off with a conflicted conversation— Online data piracy is growing rapidly. Pirated videos get over 230 billion views a year. This reality leads to lost income for many media and film companies. Moreover, it leads to a lot of artists' rights getting violated.
But that doesn' t mean that file downloading should be banned altogether. After all, many famous content creators are fine with giving their content for free, especially if it's for worthy purposes. So in cases like this, downloading files online isn’t just fine. Sometimes, it can even help a lot of people.
Media is a tricky piece of data to handle online. In most cases, this data is available to anyone and everyone for free. No one pays for data on social media and everyone is free to share images, videos, and files online. But there might be cases where we will need to get copies of these files. What are some of the legitimate reasons someone might need to download files online?
Educational content
Media and content are some of the leading ways people learn now. E-learning is now a $325 billion industry, and it will most likely keep growing. With this, people who offer up content for educational purposes shouldn’t find any issue in people downloading their videos, podcasts, and so on— most especially if they have specifically guaranteed that those content pieces should be free.
Some educators have also taken the opportunity to download educational content from various sites and platforms for their classes and training programs. This kind of practice shouldn' t be an issue if the teacher doesn’t get paid for showing the content online and the content creator gets the credit.
Personal consumption
Some people use media downloader online programs to get access to music, videos, and films for personal consumption— meaning they don' t get them for personal gain. Once again, there are boundaries to this benefit. People must only download files with specified information that the content being downloaded is given a thumbs up for personal offline use.
Creative expression
If ever you' ve asked “what can you do with an arts degree?” creative expression has changed. Visual arts can now come in photo and video format. In cases like this, people might access stock photos or videos to enhance their creative projects and speed up the process.
It's common for filmmakers to download video clips as b-rolls to films like documentaries or even fiction films to strengthen plot points. Digital art creators also like to use stock photos for “photo manipulation?” projects. In many cases, some content that’s considered under the fair use policy because of its iconic or classic nature should also be available for public production, use or consumption.
So now that we know what some good reasons to download videos or audio files are, where do we get to download them? Let’s walk through some of the more popular options nowadays.
Most of these websites allow for download straight from the site. But there are some contents and platforms that will need an external media downloader. How it works is you either log in to a web-based service or run an app then add the link to the video, audio, or any other format of file or data to the software. After running, you’ll receive a few customization questions like the size of the file or file type. After that, you can proceed to download the file.
Downloading files isn't always a good idea. Sometimes, they cause more harm than good, for both the creator and the downloader. So it’s best to follow the practices that will ensure that the files you’re downloading are safe for use. Here are the best practices to remember when downloading files.
Check the copyright
Not all copyright licenses are alike. There are varying levels that we should be aware of. Here are a few:
Have antivirus software
When using any HD video downloader, it’s best to always have antivirus software in place. As the old saying goes, it’s better safe than sorry. Even Macbooks have become the target of malware in recent times. Thankfully, there are now softwares that can also defend Mac computers from malicious files and content like ad bots, trackers, and so on.
Know what format you’ll need
When getting files like videos or audio online, we also need to be aware of the specified format. For video files, check if you’ll need to download as AVI, MOV, MP4, or MPEG. For audio files, check if you’ll need it in MP3, AAC, or WAV format. When using a media downloader app, check if it supports the file you’ll need. Take note that the file type will depend on what device you’ll use it or what software you’ll attach it to.
There are definitely a lot of media downloader websites available today. But it’s best to always go for a reputable one. Check review websites to see the user feedback and never take from a site that doesn’t have an SSL license. You’ll know if it has one if the start of the site says “https” instead of just “http.”
If you’re looking for a media downloader, check out Allavsoft. You can download it for free or access its premium features for a one-time license fee where you can use it forever.