Talk pages versus everything else on TED
A talk URL starts with ted.com/talks/ and a slug, the short name of that talk. Copy it from the browser while the talk page is open. The homepage, a topic page, a playlist, and a speaker profile list many talks. None of those is a single MP4.
TED-Ed lessons and some series pages use different paths and different players. If the address is not a talk page, this tool will not guess which lesson you meant. Open the specific talk and copy that URL. Podcast audio pages are not the video file either.
One rendition, no invented 4K
Most public talks expose a small set of MP4 heights, and some expose only one. The download uses the best rendition listed on that page. If the talk was published at 720p, the saved file is 720p. We do not upscale a talk to 1080p or 4K.
Subtitles you turned on in the player are a text track drawn over the video. They are not always burned into the MP4. Do not expect the saved file to include every language you had selected in the browser. The spoken audio is part of the video.
Membership, embeds, and playlists
Some newer or partner videos ask you to sign in or start a membership before they play. Those are not public files, and this page does not ask for a TED account. If the talk plays in a private browser window, it is a candidate. If it does not, it will fail here too.
A playlist is a sequence of talk URLs. Save them one at a time if you are allowed to. An embed on a university site should be opened through to ted.com so you paste the talk page, not the school's article.
How to save one TED Talk
Step 1
Copy the talk URL
Open the talk and copy the address. It should start with ted.com/talks/ and name that talk. Leave playlists and speaker pages.
Step 2
Paste it above
Press Download. The tool looks for the public MP4 on that talk page and shows a preview.
Step 3
Save the MP4
There is usually one clear rendition. Save it to your device. The transcript is not included as a document.
The talk video, not the transcript
MP4
The talk video from the public talk page.
Listed quality
The best rendition that page publishes. Nothing is upscaled.
Not included
Transcripts, TED-Ed lesson packs, playlists, and membership videos.
Talks, series, and quality
Can I download the transcript?
No. This page saves the video file, not the interactive transcript.
Does every talk have HD?
You get the rendition TED publishes on that page. Many talks are not 1080p.
Is a playlist one download?
No. Paste one talk URL at a time.
Are TED-Ed lessons the same?
Not here. Use a ted.com/talks/ page for a single talk.