Is it possible to save a YouTube video’s audio as an MP3 file? My kid’s music teacher posted a video of the school chorus singing, and I want to scrape off the audio to use as a ringtone.

Aw, cute! Yes, grab a copy of RealPlayer SP for Mac OS X (free, real.com/realplayer/mac). It features a browser where you can load up YouTube and find your kid’s video. Then choose Window > Open RealPlayer Downloader, and the currently playing video will show up there. The little Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Email links next to the video’s name let you share the video before you even download it if you want to brag about your little star.

RealPlayer SP can do a lot for a free app--download web video, convert it, share it, or just pull out the audio.

Otherwise, click Download next to the video’s name, then click the Convert button, which launches RealPlayer Converter. From there, you can create custom copies of the video for your iPhone, BlackBerry, Android phone, Xbox, PlayStation Portable, or lots of other devices. But if you want just the audio as an MP3, click the big button under Convert To, set the top dropdown to Show All Devices, and find MP3 Audio Only in the list. RealPlayer Converter will output the audio to the destination of your choice, ready for your MP3 player or to make into a ringtone.