How do I get to YouTube audio?

ByJael Lawler

What is YouTube Audio?

YouTube Audio refers to the ability to listen to the audio tracks of YouTube videos without watching the video. It allows you to play the audio of YouTube videos in the background or download them for offline listening. Some key features of YouTube Audio include:

With YouTube Audio, you can listen to podcasts, music, audiobooks, and other audio content on YouTube just like you would on a streaming music service. It gives you the flexibility to multitask or listen offline without having a video take up space on your screen.

YouTube Audio is available through both the YouTube mobile apps and desktop website. It allows seamless listening across devices. Users can enable background audio play and download videos for offline listening.

Overall, YouTube Audio opens up YouTube’s massive library of audio content for listening convenience. It provides an audio-first experience without the need to watch every video.

Enabling YouTube Audio

To enable audio playback on YouTube videos, you first need to make sure that your device’s sound settings are configured correctly. On both desktop and mobile, check that your volume is turned up and not muted. On mobile, make sure media volume and ringer volume are both turned up in your device’s settings. If you are using YouTube on a smart TV or streaming device, check those devices’ audio settings as well.

YouTube’s own volume controls can also affect playback. Make sure the YouTube video itself is not muted, and that YouTube’s volume slider is turned up. If you are using the YouTube app, check in the app’s settings that audio is not set to off.

In some cases, you may need a YouTube Premium subscription to enable audio, especially for background or offline playback. On mobile, free YouTube users cannot play audio when the YouTube app is minimized or their device is locked. With YouTube Premium, audio will continue in the background. On desktop, free users also cannot play audio with the browser minimized. Again, a Premium subscription allows background audio. So if you want seamless audio playback, a paid YouTube Premium subscription is recommended.

Restarting your browser or device can also sometimes resolve no audio issues if other troubleshooting steps don’t work. Overall, carefully check your device settings, YouTube settings, and YouTube Premium status to enable audio playback.

Using YouTube Audio on Desktop

YouTube allows you to listen to audio-only versions of videos on your desktop computer. This can be useful if you want to multitask or conserve bandwidth while listening to music or podcasts from YouTube.

To enable YouTube’s audio-only mode on desktop, click on the video you want to listen to and select the “Settings” icon in the bottom right corner. Then choose “Mute video” from the menu. The video will disappear, leaving only the audio track playing.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts to control audio-only playback on desktop:

  • Press the “K” key to toggle audio-only mode on and off.
  • Press spacebar to play/pause the audio.
  • Use the left and right arrow keys to rewind/fast-forward by 5 seconds.

So if you want a clutter-free audio experience on desktop, just mute the video and use keyboard shortcuts to control the YouTube player. This makes it easy to sit back and enjoy music playlists, podcasts, audiobooks and more from YouTube without having video take up space on your screen.1

Using YouTube Audio on Mobile

You can listen to YouTube audio on your mobile device via the YouTube mobile app. To play audio only, launch the YouTube app and find the video you want to listen to. Tap on the video to start playback. Once the video starts playing, you can minimize the YouTube app by going to your device’s home screen or switching to a different app. The audio will continue playing in the background.

To enable full background play, you may need to sign up for a YouTube Premium subscription. With a premium account, you can play YouTube audio in the background indefinitely, even when your phone screen is off or you exit the app entirely. This allows you to listen to YouTube like a music streaming service.

On iPhone, background audio play is limited without a premium account. According to this Digital Trends article, iOS users can only play YouTube audio in the background for a short time before it pauses. Upgrading to YouTube Premium removes that limitation.

On Android, you may be able to enable background play without a premium account. As explained in this Verge guide, open YouTube Settings and toggle on “Background play.” This allows YouTube to play audio when minimized or in the background.

Downloading YouTube Audio

You can download audio from YouTube videos to your computer or device using third party tools and converters. Some popular options include:

When downloading YouTube audio, it’s important to consider copyright and fair use laws. YouTube states you are allowed to download videos for your own personal, non-commercial use. However, downloading audio and converting to MP3 for wide distribution may infringe copyrights. It’s best to avoid downloading full music albums, songs or other media where you don’t have explicit permission from the copyright holder. For more details, review YouTube’s Terms of Service.

Listening to Downloaded YouTube Audio

When you download audio from YouTube, you get the audio file in a format like MP3 or M4A that can be played on various devices. Here’s how to listen to downloaded YouTube audio files:

On a Windows PC, locate the downloaded YouTube audio file in your downloads folder or wherever you saved it. Double click the file to open it in your default audio player app like Windows Media Player. You can also right click the file and select Open With to choose a specific audio app.

On Mac, similarly find the audio file in Finder and double click it to have it open in iTunes or another audio app. You can also click the file and hit spacebar to preview it quickly.

On an iPhone or iPad, use the Files app to find the downloaded YouTube audio. Tap the file to have it open in the Music app where you can play it. On Android phones and tablets, open the Files app, tap on the audio file, and select an audio player app to open it in.

You’ll generally want to play the audio files on a device that supports common formats like MP3 and M4A. The audio quality will depend on the settings and bitrate used when downloading from YouTube. For the best experience, use high quality downloads and play them on a decent audio system.[1]

Benefits of YouTube Audio

Listening to YouTube in audio-only format provides several key advantages compared to streaming the videos:

Data savings – YouTube audio uses less mobile data than streaming video. This helps conserve data limits and save money for users without unlimited plans. According to Semetis, YouTube found that “the audio format reduces data consumption by up to 90% compared to traditional video streaming.”

Ease of multitasking – The audio-only format makes it easier to listen to YouTube videos while doing other tasks like driving, exercising, cooking, etc. Users don’t have to look at the screen.

Convenience – YouTube audio can be played in the background on mobile devices, allowing continuous playback even when switching apps or locking the phone. The video format stops when not in the app.

Statistics show the growing usage of YouTube’s audio features. As per Semetis, “In 2021, more than 100 million people have used YouTube to listen to music and podcasts while being offline.” YouTube also revealed that “watchtime of YouTube Originals content in an audio-only format is up over 250% year over year.” This indicates the format’s rising popularity.

Limitations of YouTube Audio

While YouTube offers a massive library of audio content, there are some limitations users should be aware of:

Certain content may not be available as audio-only, especially newly released music or videos. This is due to licensing restrictions set by content owners. As noted in this Quora discussion, YouTube must comply with copyright laws, which affects the availability of some audio.

YouTube Premium subscription may be required for ad-free, uninterrupted listening of certain audio. As mentioned in this YouTube Help article, availability of audio-only content depends on factors like location and platform.

Stable internet connection is necessary for streaming audio. Downloaded audio can be listened to offline, but requires initial download and storage space on device.

Overall, while limitations exist, YouTube offers a free and extensive music library if users understand what content may be restricted or require subscriptions.

Alternatives to YouTube Audio

Some popular alternatives to YouTube Audio for royalty-free background music and audio include:

Incompetech – This free site offers a large library of creative commons licensed music that can be used in videos. It has a simple search and filtering system to find tracks by genre, mood, instrument, etc.

ecrett music – A subscription service that provides access to a catalog of high-quality, copyright cleared music for $9.99/month. More affordable than many similar services.

ccMixter – A community music site where artists upload their tracks under Creative Commons licenses. You can search for free music to use in videos.

Other options like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and Soundstripe provide subscription access to music and audio clips. While pricier, they offer high production value content. The key differences come down to library size, licensing terms, and costs. Evaluating your audio needs can help determine the best alternative service.

FAQs about YouTube Audio

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about using YouTube for audio:

Is it legal to download audio from YouTube videos?

YouTube’s Terms of Service prohibits downloading videos or audio from the platform without permission from the copyright holder. However, YouTube does offer features like YouTube Music and YouTube Studio that give creators ways to legally share audio content.

Why can’t I hear sound on some YouTube videos?

If you’re not getting any audio on YouTube videos, first make sure the volume is turned up on your device. Also check that the video itself contains audio – some videos are muted or silent. Try refreshing the page or watching the video in another browser. If the issue persists, it could be a problem with your specific device, headphones, or speakers.

How can I download audio from YouTube videos?

While downloading audio from YouTube violates their terms, third party websites and apps exist that allow you to enter a YouTube URL and convert or “rip” just the audio portion. However, use caution as quality can vary and it’s best to avoid potentially illegal usage.

Can I use YouTube audio in my own videos?

In most cases, you need permission from the copyright holder to reuse audio from YouTube videos. Exceptions include videos with Creative Commons licenses that allow reuse. When in doubt, it’s best to use original audio or royalty-free music to avoid copyright issues.

For more YouTube audio FAQs, check out Google’s official YouTube Help.

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