How to Download Dailymotion Videos for Free
Dailymotion is the second-largest video sharing platform after YouTube, hosting millions of videos across news, sports, entertainment, and music. Unlike YouTube, Dailymotion does not offer a built-in download option for most content. If you want to download Dailymotion videos free, you need a third-party tool, and the simplest option is a browser-based downloader that requires no installation.
This guide explains how to save Dailymotion videos to your device, which videos can be downloaded, and how to get the best quality.
Why Dailymotion Videos Cannot Be Downloaded Directly
Like most streaming platforms, Dailymotion uses adaptive streaming technology. Instead of serving a single video file, it breaks the video into small chunks and delivers them based on your internet speed. This makes playback smoother but means there is no single file URL you can right-click and save.
A video downloader tool reassembles these chunks into a standard MP4 file that you can save, watch offline, and transfer between devices.
Step by Step: Downloading a Dailymotion Video
The process takes about 30 seconds from start to finish:
- Find the video on Dailymotion. Open it in your browser or the Dailymotion app.
- Copy the video URL. On desktop, copy the URL from your browser's address bar. On mobile, tap the Share button and select "Copy Link."
- Open the Dailymotion Downloader on LoveConverts.
- Paste the URL into the input field.
- Click Download. The tool fetches the video and presents quality options.
- Select your quality (typically 360p, 480p, 720p, or 1080p) and save the file.
The downloaded file is a standard MP4 that plays on any device without additional codecs or players.
Quality Options and File Sizes
Dailymotion videos are typically available in several quality levels. The quality you can download depends on what the uploader originally provided:
- 360p: Low quality, small file. Good for listening to audio content where video quality does not matter. Roughly 10-15MB per 10 minutes.
- 480p: Standard definition. Acceptable on phone screens. Roughly 20-30MB per 10 minutes.
- 720p: HD quality. Sharp on phones and tablets, acceptable on laptop screens. Roughly 40-60MB per 10 minutes.
- 1080p: Full HD. Best quality available on most Dailymotion videos. Roughly 80-150MB per 10 minutes.
Not all videos are available in 1080p. If the original upload was 720p, that is the highest quality you can download.
Finding the Video URL on Mobile vs Desktop
On desktop, the URL is straightforward. It appears in your browser's address bar and looks like: dailymotion.com/video/x8abc123.
On mobile, finding the URL depends on how you access the video:
- Dailymotion app: Open the video, tap the Share icon (arrow or three dots), and select "Copy Link."
- Mobile browser (Safari or Chrome): The URL is in the address bar, just like desktop. Tap the address bar to see the full URL, then long-press and select "Copy."
- Embedded video on another website: Tap the Dailymotion logo on the video player. This opens the video on dailymotion.com, where you can copy the URL from the address bar.
Which Videos Can and Cannot Be Downloaded
The downloader works with publicly available Dailymotion videos. Some content has restrictions that prevent downloading:
- Private videos: Videos set to private by the uploader are not accessible.
- Age-restricted content: Videos that require age verification may not be available for download.
- Region-locked videos: Some content is restricted to specific countries. If you cannot view the video on Dailymotion, you cannot download it either.
- DRM-protected content: Premium or licensed content with digital rights management cannot be downloaded.
Downloading on Different Devices
iPhone and iPad: After downloading, the MP4 file saves to your Files app. You can then move it to your Photos library by opening the file and tapping the Share button, then "Save Video."
Android: The file downloads to your Downloads folder by default. Most Android gallery apps automatically detect new video files in this folder.
Windows and Mac: The file saves to your default Downloads folder. Play it with any video player (VLC, Windows Media Player, QuickTime).
If you also need to download videos from other platforms, LoveConverts offers similar tools for YouTube and other popular video sites. The process is the same: copy the URL, paste, download.
A Note on Personal Use
Downloading videos for personal, offline viewing is common practice. However, re-uploading downloaded content to other platforms, using it commercially, or distributing it may violate copyright laws and Dailymotion's terms of service. Always respect the content creator's rights and use downloaded videos responsibly.
