Guides

YTMP3 not working? What the code in the status line means, and the fix for each

By the YTMP3 team · Updated 2026-09-15 · About 8 min read

• Try this first when YTMP3 is not working
• Which step failed
• Nothing happens, or the link is refused
• It stops at checking, extracting or converting
• It says ready, but nothing downloaded
• When to write to us, and the sites we cannot fix
• FAQ

YTMP3 not working almost always means one of two things: the link names a page rather than a single video, or the connection dropped part-way. The status line under the buttons tells you which. A failed run ends with Conversion failed and a code such as Code: 3.502; the digit before the dot is the step that failed.

This guide is ordered by where the status line stopped, from nothing happening at all to a finished run with no file, and ends with what to send us and a word on other sites using the YTMP3 name.

Try this first when YTMP3 is not working

Most reports of YTMP3 not working clear on the second attempt once the link is right. Both buttons share every step but the last, so YouTube to MP3 not working is handled exactly like MP4.

1. Open the video itself and copy its address again. The link must point at one video, in any shape on the accepted links list; playlists, channels and searches are refused before anything is sent.
2. Run it again from the start. Press Esc or the × in the field to clear the old attempt, then paste the link into the converter again.
3. Pause a VPN or content blocker for this site. Either can stop the browser reaching our conversion service, which shows as Code: 1.0 before the bar moves.
4. Check the video is public and finished. Private, members-only and age-restricted videos cannot be fetched, and a live stream has nothing to convert until it has ended.
5. Try another browser or network. If the same link still fails there and on mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, write to us with the code.

Which step failed: symptom, cause and fix

A normal run reads Preparing MP4 · up to 1080p (or the MP3 equivalent), then initializing conversion, checking video, extracting video, converting video, and finally MP4 ready or MP3 ready followed by your download is starting.

A YTMP3 conversion failed message always has the same shape: Conversion failed, then Code: 1.0, 2.403, 3.502. The digit before the dot is the step. The number after it is an HTTP status (403 refused, 429 too many requests), the catch-all 502 for any other failed request, or a reason number from the conversion service.

Nothing happens, or the link is refused: no code, code 1 or code 2

A failure this early means the video was never touched.

The status line says the link is not a YouTube video

The message reads That doesn’t look like a link to a single YouTube video, with no code because nothing was sent: there is no eleven-character video ID in the address. Playlist addresses, channel pages, search results and the subscriptions feed all fail this test. Timestamps and &list= tags are ignored. The playlist guide shows how to work through one.

Code 1.0 while the bar is still sliding

The browser asked our service to authorise a run and got no answer, or an answer that refused the run; the stage 1 code is always 1.0. Usually the connection dropped, or a VPN, content blocker or firewall is refusing requests to api.opinie-turystyczne.pl. Pause it for this site or change network, then try again.

Code 2 at "initializing conversion"

The service answered but would not start the conversion. 2.403 means it refused the key it had just issued, which usually clears on a fresh attempt; 2.429 means too many requests, so wait a minute; 2.502 covers any other failed request. Other numbers come from the conversion service.

It stops at checking, extracting or converting: code 3 or 4

Once the bar is filling in steps, the service has accepted the link but cannot finish with the video. A YTMP3 error here concerns the video or the connection, not you.

Code 3: the request for the stream failed

Stage 3 is the request for the video's stream. It can fail while the line still reads initializing conversion, because the stage labels only begin once progress is reported. 3.502 is a dropped connection or a bad answer, 3.429 too many requests, and any other number is a reason from the conversion service.

A service number after the dot: videos that can never be converted

Whether that number arrives at stage 3 or stage 4, it usually means the video itself cannot be fetched, whatever you change on your side:

• Private and members-only videos. They cannot be fetched.
• Age-restricted videos. They cannot be fetched at all.
• Live streams still in progress. Nothing can be fetched until the stream ends and the recording is published.
• Removed videos. If YouTube no longer plays it, nothing can fetch it.

Code 4: the progress check failed part-way

During checking video, extracting video and converting video the page asks the service for progress every few seconds. A 4.x code means one of those checks failed: 4.502 is a dropped connection or a bad answer, 4.429 too many requests, and other numbers are reasons from the service. A stalled run does not resume, so start it again.

It says ready, but nothing downloaded

If the line reads MP4 ready or MP3 ready and the bar is full, the conversion worked and the browser blocked or hid the hand-off to a short-lived download address. Whatever stands in the way is the cause of a YTMP3 download not starting.

• Pop-up blockers, download managers, VPNs and content blockers. Any of them can swallow the hand-off, even one that let the conversion through. Allow downloads for this site, or pause the extension, and run it again.
• Ask before downloading. Chrome, Firefox and Safari can all be set to confirm each download, and the prompt is easy to miss on a phone.
• It downloaded and you did not see it. On iPhone look behind the downloads arrow beside the address bar or in the Files app; on Android, in Chrome's Downloads list. Where the file lands and the phone guide cover each device.

The download address expires quickly, so change the setting and run the conversion again rather than hunting for the old link.

When to write to us, and the sites we cannot fix

Write to [email protected] if the same link fails twice with a stage 2, 3 or 4 code and plays normally on YouTube when signed out. Include the full code exactly as shown, the link, the button you pressed, and the browser and device. We keep no history of conversions, so without those we have nothing to look at.

If your problem happened on a page with adverts, a second "download now" button or a request to allow notifications, it did not happen here; the safety guide explains the difference. The home page's troubleshooting section is the short version of this guide.

Frequently asked questions

Why does YTMP3 say the link is not a YouTube video?

Because the address has no eleven-character video ID. Playlist, channel, search and subscriptions addresses name a page, not a video. Open the video and copy its own address.

Why did the conversion stop at "converting video"?

A stop there ends with a stage 4 code: a progress check failed part-way, usually a dropped connection. Run it again from the start; uploads much beyond 90 minutes may not finish at all.

Why does the download not start after "ready"?

The conversion finished and the browser blocked the hand-off. Allow downloads for the site, pause pop-up blockers and download managers, and on iPhone check behind the downloads arrow. Then run it again; the download address expires.

Can YTMP3 convert age-restricted or private videos?

No. Age-restricted, private and members-only videos cannot be fetched, whatever you change on your side. The run ends with an error code once the bar has started moving, and a number after the dot other than 429 or 502 is the service's reason.

Is there a length limit?

Videos up to about 90 minutes convert reliably, as MP3 or MP4. Longer uploads may stop part-way. There is no cap on how many you convert, one link at a time.

Start with the link, then read the code

Nearly every failure is a link that names a page rather than a video, or a connection that dropped part-way; the code in the status line says which. Copy the video's own address and paste the link into the converter again.