Mashable was started in 2005 by Pete Cashmore, who was nineteen and working from his home in Aberdeen. It began as a blog covering social networks at exactly the moment those networks were becoming significant, which turned out to be unusually good timing.
It grew into a substantial publication covering technology, digital culture and the internet as a subject in itself, and was for years one of the defining voices of that period in online media. Ownership has changed several times since, as it has across the whole sector.
Video became a significant part of its output: product reviews, explainers, interviews and short documentary pieces published alongside the written coverage. Most of it is freely available, which is how the advertising-funded model works.
Why people save Mashable video
Technology coverage dates in a useful way. A review or explainer from a particular year is a record of what was understood at the time, and that is worth keeping if you are researching how something developed.
Digital publishers have also proved fragile. Ownership changes, archives are pruned, and material that seemed permanent turns out not to be. Anyone citing online journalism has learned to keep copies.
And the ordinary reason applies: an explainer you want to watch again, or show somebody, is simply easier as a file than as a page that has to load past a consent banner and several adverts.
Saving a Mashable clip
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1
Copy the Mashable address
Take the mashable.com address from your browser, covering either the article containing the video or the video page itself.
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Place the link in the field above
Paste it into the box at the top of this page, which begins reading immediately.
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Choose from what is stored
The available versions are listed with their file sizes. Article video is generally published at ordinary web resolutions.
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4
Save it for later
Tap the row when it turns blue. Downloads on Android, the Files app on an iPhone.
Publisher video and embedded video
The same distinction that applies to any news or magazine site applies here, and it explains nearly every case where a clip will not save.
| Where the video comes from | Can it be saved? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Mashable's own player | Yes | Paste the article address |
| A YouTube embed | Not from here | Use the YouTube page |
| A social media embed | Not from here | Use that platform's page |
| A vendor's promotional clip | Depends how it is served | Try the article address first |
| Sponsored video | Usually yes, where public | It is published to be seen |
Technology publishers embed heavily, because manufacturers supply footage and a great deal of coverage references video hosted elsewhere. Checking which player you are looking at saves time.
Mashable download questions
Why will some article videos not save?
They are usually embeds from YouTube or a social platform, in which case the file belongs there. Use that platform's page with its own address.
What quality should I expect on Mashable?
Ordinary web resolutions. Article video is encoded for embedded playback rather than for large screens.
Can I save the article text as well?
No, this handles video. Your browser's save or print function covers text.
Do older articles still work?
Sometimes. Digital publishers prune archives and change platforms, so older embedded video is less reliable than recent material.
Can I use a review clip in my own video?
It is the publisher's production. Commentary and criticism have some latitude depending on where you are, but the footage belongs to them.
Where does the Mashable file save?
Downloads on Android, the Files app on an iPhone.
Does it work on their other regional sites?
Mashable has had various regional editions over the years with their own domains. Paste whichever address you actually have.
Is there a Mashable limit?
No cap and no queue.
An old Mashable link has stopped working.
Ownership and platform changes have affected parts of the archive, which is common across digital media from that era.
Is saving Mashable video acceptable?
Keeping an explainer or review for your own reference is unremarkable. It is professionally produced journalism, so republishing it is a separate question.