Extension that plays only the audio, blocking the video, on YouTube
I have made a browser extension that plays only the audio, blocking the video on YouTube, YouTube Music and all embedded YouTube videos in third party sites. It can also hide the thumbnails and avatars and skip the ads. It is compatible with Chrome, most of the Chromium browsers and Firefox. Additionally, it can be installed in smartphones using the Kiwi browser that supports extensions from the Chrome Web Store. I released the extension back in October, 2019 but from now the source code is available on GitHub as well.
Extension that plays only the audio, blocking the video, on YouTube launched on January 9, 2024 with 12 votes, #1,192 of 4,437 launches that month and more than 75% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 2 years on.
In plain words
This browser extension for Chrome, Chromium-based browsers, and Firefox disables video playback on YouTube, YouTube Music, and embedded YouTube videos while allowing audio to play. It can hide thumbnails and avatars and skip advertisements. The extension works on smartphones through the Kiwi browser and is open-source on GitHub, making it useful for users who want audio-only streaming to reduce bandwidth and distraction.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Browser extension for hiding the video on YouTube and blocking the video and playing only the audio on YouTube Music - GitHub - Thunderarea/music-mode-for-youtube: Browser extension for hiding the video on YouTube and blocking the video and playing only the audio on YouTube Music
Does a similar job
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Hi HN! Since Youtube no longer allows AdBlockers, I built my own extension to get around their video ads. If there is an ad it temporarily manipulates the video; Mutes the volume, sets speed to 10x, and skips it if there is a button. Chrome Webstore link: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ad-accelerator/gpbo... Code: https://github.com/rkk3/ad-accelerator
Music Mode for YouTube2019 · chromewebstore.google.com · ▲115A distraction-free way to listen to music
Music Mode for Youtube™2019 · chromewebstore.google.com · ▲5The best way to listen to music on Youtube
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PlayTube2014 · chromewebstore.google.com · ▲69Makes YouTube into great music streaming service (chrome)
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