YouTube Music nonetheless hasn’t launched an official desktop app. Whereas you need to use the online model in your browser, it feels clunky and lacks the polish you’d anticipate from a devoted music participant. Thankfully, the neighborhood has stepped up with three free third-party options that rework your YouTube Music expertise.
YTMDesktop was one of many first widespread options to hit the scene, and it established itself because the go-to selection for a lot of customers in search of a easy YouTube Music desktop expertise. The app wraps YouTube Music’s net interface in a clear, native-feeling software that runs independently in your browser.
What I actually recognize about YTMDesktop is its no-nonsense strategy. The builders centered on delivering core performance with out getting caught up in flashy extras. You get media key assist that really works reliably, which suggests your keyboard’s play, pause, and skip buttons combine seamlessly with the app. Desktop notifications pop up when tracks change, providing you with that genuine desktop music participant expertise you are most likely lacking from the online model.
Moreover, once you decrease YTMDesktop to your system tray, your music retains enjoying within the background—identical to any correct desktop music software ought to. And the built-in lyrics characteristic works nicely sufficient to cowl all of the performance I sometimes use in YouTube Music’s net app.
As somebody with out devoted media keys on my keyboard, one factor I don’t like about YTMDesktop is that its keybindings apply system-wide. There doesn’t appear to be an computerized technique to pause or disable these keybindings when the app isn’t lively or in focus. So, if I set my spacebar because the play/pause button, I can not use it for typing in different functions.
Nonetheless, this actually isn’t a giant downside so long as you employ key mixtures that you simply don’t use wherever else, like: Ctrl + Spacebar for play/pause, Ctrl + arrow keys for quantity, or Ctrl + U for thumbs up. After all, you may at all times set up a custom volume hotkey on Windows, however utilizing YTMDesktop’s app makes the method less complicated.
Total, YTMDesktop serves as a strong desktop different to YouTube Music’s webapp. Although it does really feel prefer it doesn’t provide far more performance than installing YouTube Music as a Progressive Web App (PWA), YTMDesktop nonetheless manages to face out by offering a extra built-in desktop expertise, particularly with its dependable media key assist, polished taskbar controls, and background playback that feels extra pure than what you get from a browser-based resolution.
The Customized YouTube Music Desktop app, developed by th-ch on GitHub, takes a very totally different strategy by turning YouTube Music right into a plugin-powered platform. This isn’t only a easy wrapper round YouTube Music. As an alternative, it’s a full-featured desktop software that allows you to customise almost each side of your listening expertise.
The plugin system is the place this app really stands out in my expertise. Proper out of the field, you get a built-in advert blocker that eliminates all YouTube adverts with out requiring any extra setup. The downloader plugin permits you to save tracks instantly as MP3 information via the interface, which I’ve discovered extremely useful for offline listening. These two options alone justify utilizing this app over the usual net model.
There are much more plugins you may activate on this app. Throughout my testing, the SponsorBlock integration mechanically skipped non-music parts of music movies, like prolonged intros or outros that interrupt your listening circulate. The Discord Wealthy Presence plugin exhibits your mates what you are at the moment enjoying, including a social ingredient to your music expertise. And the Crossfade plugin creates clean transitions between tracks, making your playlists really feel extra professionally blended.
I additionally love the quantity of visible customization you are able to do with the out there plugins. For instance, the Album Shade Theme plugin dynamically adjustments the app’s look primarily based in your present album’s colour palette. The Ambient Mode plugin creates refined lighting results that reach past the app window, turning your whole display into a visible extension of your music.
In case you’re a streamer, the Equalizer plugin supplies detailed audio management, and the OBS integration plugins make it simple to show your present observe data throughout broadcasts.
What’s nice is that the app retains YouTube Music’s authentic interface whereas including all these enhancements. This implies you don’t have to relearn navigate your music library.
The one draw back to all this performance is the added complexity. With so many plugins out there, the app makes use of extra system sources than less complicated alternate options due to the additional options working within the background. Turning on options you aren’t aware of may trigger confusion about what’s occurring to the participant. This isn’t essentially the app’s fault. So long as you persist with plugins you perceive, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Venipa’s YouTube Music Desktop App strikes a center floor between simplicity and options, specializing in delivering an excellent music expertise with rigorously chosen enhancements. This app supplies an honest YouTube Music expertise that features a number of additional options with out being overwhelming.
The standout characteristic is the absolutely useful Last.fm scrobbling assist, which mechanically tracks your listening habits and builds your music profile. This makes it an easier way to discover new songs on YouTube Music. Nonetheless, it’s solely really beneficial when you already use Final.fm for music discovery or its social options. That mentioned, I used to be capable of register to my Final.fm account with none points, and it synced seamlessly with the desktop app.
Past the Final.fm integration, the app contains different useful options like Discord Wealthy Presence, which helps you to share your present observe with associates. The mini-player supplies a compact interface for controlling playback when you do not need the total software taking over display house. I particularly like that the mini-player has an choice to at all times keep on high, which is useful after I’m multitasking.
In case you’re extra technically inclined than I’m, you may additionally recognize its customized CSS assist, which helps you to personalize the app’s look. The OBS integration additionally contains browser supply information and correct API endpoints, making it simple to show your present observe data throughout streams.
Venipa’s app is strong total. Sadly, after in depth testing and repeated sign-ins, logging into my YouTube account solely labored about half the time. After trying into it, it seems that electron-based apps (like this one) are at the moment experiencing points with Google authentication. A current patch (model 0.17.1) was launched to handle the issue. It didn’t absolutely resolve the difficulty in my case, however at the least it exhibits that the builders are engaged on a repair.
My Private Advice
After testing all three choices extensively, my private advice is Customized YouTube Music Desktop, primarily due to its complete plugin system. The built-in advert blocker alone makes it worthwhile, however the capability to obtain tracks, skip sponsor segments, and customise the visible expertise transforms YouTube Music into one thing far more highly effective than the usual net model.
YTMDesktop stays a strong selection when you merely need a useful desktop app for YouTube Music. That is very true in case your keyboard has devoted media keys. However even when it doesn’t, you may nonetheless use key mixtures like I did.
I might skip Venipa’s YouTube Music Desktop App for now till it matures additional. Whereas the Final.fm integration is interesting, the authentication points make it onerous (until you don’t wish to register) to make use of it as your major method of accessing YouTube Music. The venture appears promising, however model 0.17.1 feels too early in improvement for dependable on a regular basis use.
Total, whether or not you need one thing easy or crave extra customization, these desktop apps show that the YouTube Music neighborhood is stuffed with inventive options. Give one a shot and at last get pleasure from your favourite tracks proper out of your desktop.
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