TED Talks are the rare case where downloading is openly welcomed: TED's own terms encourage non-commercial distribution of talks, and the site usually offers a download button under the player. But the button does not always appear — region settings, older talk pages, and mobile layouts hide it. And TED's download is often SD only. For HD files, a downloader helps.
How to download a TED Talk
- Open the talk on ted.com and copy the URL.
- Paste it into our TED downloader and press Download.
- Pick a quality — talks are usually available up to 1080p — and save the MP4.
Why educators love offline TED files
- Classrooms without reliable internet — a saved talk never buffers mid-lesson.
- Cutting segments for lessons is easier from a real file than a stream.
- Subtitles exist separately on TED's site in dozens of languages — grab the ones you need alongside the file.
Frequently asked questions
Is downloading TED Talks legal?
TED licenses talks under Creative Commons BY–NC–ND: share them freely with attribution, non-commercially, unedited. Reading the license page on ted.com is worth five minutes.
Can I get the transcript?
Transcripts live on the talk's page; copy them separately — the video file contains only picture and sound.
Do TED-Ed videos work too?
Yes — TED-Ed animations resolve the same way.
Learn everywhere
Open the TED downloader or paste any link on the home page and take the ideas offline.
