Google Podcasts is dead. Here’s how to move your podcast feed to YouTube Music
With a few months left for Google Podcasts to die, it is time to move your podcasts to YouTube Music
Play YouTube in the background on your web browser
You can overcome the official YouTube app’s prohibition on unpaid background playback by watching videos in your browser. The process may be different depending on your browser.
Listen to YouTube with the screen off on Firefox
That’s all there is to it. After Desktop Mode is activated, the video and the audio continue to play even when you turn off the screen or switch to another app.
How to use YouTube with the screen off on Chrome, Edge, Safari, and most Chromium browsers
While Firefox is an outlier, the directions for using YouTube with your screen off are the same on other browsers.
At this point, your video stops playing. On Android, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings menu. You’ll see a widget with playback controls for your browser. Tap theplay buttonto continue listening to your audio. On iOS, the Control Center has a playback widget. These widgets are also available from the lock screen.
Use third-party apps to play YouTube in the background
If you don’t feel like loading a video into your mobile browser, several third-party apps play YouTube videos in the background. However, these apps have a limited shelf life. Third-party YouTube apps tap into YouTube’s API, and YouTube can revoke that permission at any time, rendering the app useless.
If you want to use a Google Play Store app, MusicTube is a solid choice. Background play works out of the box, and you can log in with your account to access your subscriptions. However, unless you pay, you’ll see the occasional ad on top of the ones YouTube serves. Additionally, watching videos can be a glitchy or limited experience. That’s why we think MusicTube can’t fully replace the official YouTube app.
To play a YouTube video in the background using MusicTube, do the following:
If you’re feeling adventurous, try NewPipe. It’s an open source YouTube client that has most of the functionality of YouTube’s app. The upside is that you get nice features that aren’t available for free on YouTube: background play, a pop-up video player, and an ad-free experience. Some downsides are that you can’t log in to your account, you must be familiar with installing APKs, and downloading apps from outside the Play Store ecosystem poses security risks. Also, blocking ads is, at the very least, unethical since creators can’t generate AdSense revenue from their content.
As of the publication date of this article, MusicTube and NewPipe work and are viable options.
Upgrade to YouTube Premium to play music in the background
With YouTube Premium, background playback is activated by default. The audio keeps playing when you turn off the screen while a video runs. Tapping the back or home button activates picture-in-picture mode, which is another perk of Premium.
IsYouTube Premium worth it? Perhaps it is if you watch a ton of videos. However, if you only listen to the occasional podcast on your lunch break or play some music while you work out, it isn’t worth the price. That could be especially true after the recentYouTube Premium price hikes.
Get your stream on without your display on
You now know how to play music from YouTube in the background. you’re able to enjoy your workouts without burning through your battery while saving data. While free methods allow you to play YouTube in the background, the most convenient and ethical solution remains to get YouTube Premium. If you’re hungry for more YouTube tips, we have a compilation of the besthidden YouTube featuresyou can try.
