YouTube videos can include multiple audio tracks, so the same video may offer the creator’s original audio and one or more dubbed versions (often auto-dubbed). 4K Video Downloader Plus can detect these tracks and download one or multiple audio tracks, including the track marked as “original.”
The tricky part is that the track YouTube plays by default is not always the creator’s original track, and the same “default vs original” confusion can carry over into downloads unless you explicitly choose the original track in the app.
Default vs Original
Original is the creator’s primary uploaded audio track. It’s the audio that the video was originally produced with.
Default is the audio track that plays when you open the video on YouTube. In many cases, the default track is also the original track. On videos with multiple audio tracks, YouTube may default to a dubbed track depending on the viewer’s region and settings. That’s why “default” and “original” don’t always match.
Because 4K Video Downloader Plus downloads what YouTube makes available and doesn’t “re-author” the video, it can end up downloading the default track unless you manually select the track labeled “original.”
How to Download a YouTube Video with Original Audio
Manual Mode is the safest approach when you want to verify the exact track before downloading, because you can see the list of available tracks for each video and select the one marked “original.”
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Disable Smart Mode (if enabled). At the top of the main 4K Video Downloader Plus window, find the Smart Mode control (it’s shown as a light-bulb icon with an on/off switch). Toggle it off to disable the switch.
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Copy the YouTube link. Open a YouTube video that offers more than one audio track. Copy the video URL from the browser’s address bar.
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Paste the link into the downloader. In 4K Video Downloader Plus, click the Paste Link button. Right after you paste, the app automatically starts processing the link. Wait until the parsing finishes and the download settings window appears.
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Open the Audio Tracks list. In the download settings window, look to the right-side settings area under the Container toggle. Find Audio Tracks and click it to expand the list. You should see all the tracks YouTube provides for this video.
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Select the track labeled “original.” In the expanded Audio Tracks list, pick the track that has the “original” label next to it.
If you choose to download more than one track (or all tracks), make a quick note of which language in the list is marked “original.” This matters later because many players may not automatically pick the original track when multiple tracks are present, so you may need to switch tracks manually during playback.
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Download as usual. After you’ve selected the original audio track, choose any remaining settings (like format, resolution, etc.), then click the Download button.
How to Play Back the Downloaded Video with Original Audio
If you downloaded only one audio track (and you picked the one labeled “original” in 4K Video Downloader Plus), playback is simple. All you need to do is open the file in any player, and it will use that track automatically.
If you downloaded multiple tracks (for example, you selected several languages or the “All Tracks” option), the video file contains more than one audio track. In that case, your player may pick any of them as the first track, so you might hear a dub until you switch to the original track manually.
In order to show how to select the original audio from a list of tracks during playback, the steps below use VLC Media Player as an example. VLC is a free, open-source, cross-platform player that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, so one set of instructions works for most readers regardless of their operating system.
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Open the downloaded video in VLC.
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Find the audio track selector. Here’s where it is on each OS:
Windows: VLC menus are inside the VLC window itself, at the top of the player. Open Audio → Audio Track.
macOS: VLC menus are in the top system menu bar at the very top of the screen. With VLC active, open Audio → Audio Track.
Linux: VLC menus are also typically inside the VLC window at the top of the player. Open Audio → Audio Track.
If you don’t see the menu bar on Windows or Linux, it may be hidden by the interface layout. In that case, maximize the window and look for the top row of menus (“Media,” “Playback,” “Audio,” “Video,” “Subtitle,” etc.).
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Choose the track that matches the language marked “original” in 4K Video Downloader Plus.
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Confirm the switch by listening for a moment. VLC changes tracks immediately, and you don’t need to restart playback.