LinkedIn Learning is a popular online learning platform that offers thousands of video courses taught by industry experts on a wide range of professional topics. Many learners want to know if it’s possible to download the videos from LinkedIn Learning for offline viewing or future reference. Here is a quick overview of whether and how LinkedIn Learning videos can be downloaded.
Can You Download LinkedIn Learning Videos?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to download videos from LinkedIn Learning for offline viewing, but there are some important limitations to be aware of:
- LinkedIn Learning does not directly allow video downloads within their platform. The videos are streamed online and cannot be saved locally while viewing them on the site.
- However, there are third-party tools and workarounds that allow users to manually download LinkedIn Learning videos to their computer or device storage.
- Downloading LinkedIn Learning videos likely violates the platform’s Terms of Service. LinkedIn does not authorize video downloads and may block accounts that show unauthorized downloading activity.
- The video files have Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection applied, which can limit playback and sharing of downloaded videos.
Methods to Download LinkedIn Learning Videos
Here are some of the main methods people use to download LinkedIn Learning videos for offline viewing:
Web Browser Extensions
There are browser extensions like DownloadHelper for Firefox or Video DownloadHelper for Chrome that can identify and download streaming video files from many websites, including LinkedIn Learning. The extensions integrate into the browser and provide a download button on videos.
Online Converters and Grabbers
Another option is to use an online video downloader tool to retrieve LinkedIn Learning videos. These tools allow entering the video URL and will extract and convert the video file for download. Some popular options are SaveFrom.net, VideoProc Converter, etc.
Screen Recording Software
Desktop screen recording programs like OBS Studio, Bandicam, Camtasia, etc. can be used to directly record LinkedIn Learning videos as they play on your computer. This results in a video file saved on your device that can be viewed offline.
Mobile Apps
On mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, apps like Video Downloader for LinkedIn let you download LinkedIn Learning videos within the app interface. These apps work by screen recording or video scraping.
Problems and Risks of Downloading LinkedIn Learning Videos
While it’s technically possible to download LinkedIn Learning videos using the methods described above, there are some important caveats to consider:
- Downloading videos likely violates LinkedIn’s Terms of Service and could potentially lead to account suspension if detected.
- The downloaded videos may have Digital Rights Management (DRM) that prevents downloading, restricts playback, or limits sharing capabilities.
- The video quality and smoothness of playback may suffer compared to streaming them directly within LinkedIn Learning.
- Captions, interactive elements, attachments, etc. may not be included in a downloaded video file.
- The downloads may contain incomplete videos or content limited by geographic access restrictions.
- Users are responsible for respecting all copyright conditions related to the courses they download.
Ethical and Legal Considerations
Before downloading LinkedIn Learning videos, it’s important to carefully consider the ethical and legal implications:
- Downloading violates LinkedIn’s Terms of Service and infringes on their copyright protections and content license terms.
- Sharing downloaded videos with others would constitute copyright infringement.
- Usage of downloaded videos should be limited to personal, non-commercial purposes for ethical reasons.
- Distributing or selling pirated LinkedIn Learning content is unethical and illegal.
- Permissions should be sought from the course instructor before distributing their content from LinkedIn Learning.
- Educational fair use exemptions may permit limited use of downloads for classroom purposes.
Best Practices for Downloading
If you do choose to download LinkedIn Learning videos, here are some best practices to follow:
- Avoid sharing videos or credentials to circumvent access limits.
- Download only videos that you have legitimate access to as a LinkedIn Learning subscriber.
- Download and view videos exclusively for your own personal education purposes.
- Do not distribute or share downloaded videos publicly online or with others.
- Remove downloads after reasonable personal use and do not retain for extended periods.
- Use downloads as supplemental learning material rather than replacement for courses.
Alternatives to Downloading
Rather than downloading videos from LinkedIn Learning, consider these alternate options:
- Use the LinkedIn Learning mobile apps to make content available offline temporarily.
- Screenshot images, record notes, or bookmark important slides to reference later.
- Use the transcript feature to review text versions of the course audio.
- Consider purchasing authorized course content available for sale by the instructor outside of LinkedIn Learning.
- Request instructor permission and guidance for approved ways to access their content offline.
Conclusion
Downloading LinkedIn Learning videos for offline access is possible using various software tools and workarounds. However, this violates LinkedIn’s policies and involves numerous ethical risks. The better options are to utilize LinkedIn Learning’s official offline features, review supplemental materials, or explore content licenses directly from the instructor. When accessing downloaded videos, exercise caution to avoid copyright infringement or misuse of the material.