How to Download Rutube Videos in HD

Videos, Shorts and stream recordings from Rutube, Russia's largest video platform, as MP4 up to 1080p — no VPN, software or sign-up. Paste the link, pick a quality, and the file is saved to your phone or computer.

2 minutes Free, no software Any device

For example: https://rutube.ru/video/3eac3b4561676c17df9132a9a1e62e3e/

How to download — step by step

  1. 1

    Copy the video link

    In the Rutube app, tap “Share” under the player and choose “Copy link”. On the website, copy the address from the browser bar — it looks like rutube.ru/video/32-character-code/.

    Tip: Links to Shorts (rutube.ru/shorts/…) and links with a timestamp (?t=…) work too — we simply drop the timestamp.

  2. 2

    Paste the link into Skachok

    Paste the link into the field and click “Find”. A few seconds later a card appears with a preview, the title and a list of qualities — usually 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p.

    Tip: Rutube serves video as an HLS stream, so the file is assembled on our server — the card shows the progress and approximate size.

  3. 3

    Pick a quality and download

    Click the quality you need — assembly starts, then the MP4 downloads. For long videos this takes from a few seconds to a couple of minutes; no need to close the tab.

    Tip: For lectures, podcasts and interviews choose MP3 in the “Audio” block — keep just the sound and save space.

Why download Rutube videos

TV shows, lectures and stream recordings come out on Rutube and are often deleted or re-uploaded, while the mobile app doesn't let you save a file to your device.

  • Watch shows and series on the road without internet and without buffering.
  • Save a lecture or webinar before the author restricts access to it.
  • Cut a fragment of a stream for an edit, a post or a breakdown.
  • Move a video to a TV or USB stick and watch it without the site's player.

Supported links

Any of these links will do — the full one from the browser or the short one from the app’s Share button.

  • rutube.ru/video/0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef/regular video
  • rutube.ru/shorts/0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef/Rutube Shorts
  • rutube.ru/play/embed/0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdefembedded player
  • rutube.ru/video/…/?t=120link with a timestamp (the timestamp is dropped)

Recordings of finished live streams — via the usual rutube.ru/video/… link

On your phone and computer

On iPhone

On iPhone, open skachok.com in Safari, paste the link and tap a quality. The finished MP4 lands in “Files” → “Downloads”; to move it to “Photos”, open the file and tap “Share” → “Save Video”.

On Android

On Android, in Chrome or any other browser, the file is saved to the Download folder and shows up in “Gallery” and any player. Assembly progress is shown on the site, download progress in the notification shade.

On a computer

  • Copy the address from the browser bar, paste it on skachok.com and click “Find”. The file is saved to “Downloads”.
  • For 1080p and above we merge video and audio on the server — it takes from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes.
  • If your player has no sound, open the file in VLC or pick another quality.

FAQ

What quality can I download from Rutube in?
Up to 1080p Full HD — that's the most Rutube itself serves. We show every available option. Without an account — up to 720p; 1080p starts with the Lite plan or on the Pro trial you get for signing up.
Can I download live streams?
A running stream can't be downloaded. Wait for it to end — Rutube keeps the recording on the channel, and you can download it from the usual rutube.ru/video/… link.
Can I download Rutube Shorts?
Yes. Paste a link like rutube.ru/shorts/… — short videos download the same way as regular ones, in their original quality.
Do I need a VPN?
No. Our server fetches the video from Rutube directly, so it works from any country — no VPN is needed either for the search or for the download.
Why does the video take longer to prepare than on other sites?
Rutube serves video as an HLS stream — a set of short fragments. We download them and stitch them into a single MP4 on the server. For a 5-minute video that's seconds, for a two-hour show a couple of minutes.
Can I download just the audio?
Yes. On the video card choose MP3 (192 kbps) in the “Audio” block — handy for interviews, lectures and podcasts. Paid plans also offer M4A, OGG and FLAC.
Lite · Pro · Max plans

Want more?

1080p, up to 100 downloads a day, no ads (on Pro and Max — no timer either), up to 50 links at a time — on the Lite, Pro and Max plans. Sign up and get 2 days of Pro free.

Related articles

Other platforms

The same three steps — for every platform, with its own quirks.