How to play YouTube audio only? This article offers 3 quick methods, including using YouTube Premium, using a browser extension, and using a video downloader. The general download steps include inputting the YouTube URL, pasting the link, selecting the output format, and starting the download process.
Recently, I just wanted to listen to the audio content of YouTube videos without watching the visuals. This can help save data and bandwidth or simply focus on the audio without the distraction of video. After reading a lot of relevant articles, I have found 3 quick methods to listen to YouTube audio only. Let’s delve into it!
How to Play YouTube Audio Only (with YouTube Premium)
- Open the YouTube app.
- Subscribe to YouTube Premium.
- Press the Home Button.
One of the easiest ways to play YouTube audio only is by subscribing to YouTube Premium. It lets you listen to YouTube audio in the background while using other apps or when your screen is off, which is a convenient way to enjoy audio content without the distraction of video. This is especially useful for music videos, podcasts, or any content where the visual component isn’t essential.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to utilize YouTube Premium for audio only playback:
1. Go to the YouTube website on PC or the YouTube app on mobile.
2. Look for the option to start a free trial or subscribe to YouTube Premium.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the subscription.
4. Launch the YouTube app on your smartphone. Ensure you are logged into the account with your Premium subscription.
5. Use the search bar to find the video you want to listen to. This can be music, podcasts, lectures, or any other audio content.
6. Tap on the video to start playing it.
7. Press the Home button (iOS) or swipe up to return to Home (Android). The audio will continue to play in the background, and you can switch to other apps.
How to Play YouTube Audio only (with Browser Extensions)
- Add the extension.
- Find the YouTube video.
- Play the YouTube video.
If you mainly watch YouTube on a computer, consider using browser extensions designed for audio only playback. In this section, we’ll talk about two of the popular ones that can help you play YouTube videos in audio only mode easily.
Audio Only Youtube – for Chrome
Audio Only Youtube is a simple and open-source browser extension specially designed for Google Chrome. It modifies the YouTube interface to offer an audio only player, removing video elements for a clearer listening experience. But note that it doesn’t work for YouTube Live videos.
How to install and use this extension to play YouTube audio only on Chrome? Follow these steps:
#Install the Audio Only Youtube extension
1. Open Google Chrome and go to the Chrome Web Store.
2. In the search bar, type Audio Only Youtube and press Enter.
3. Find the extension in the search results and click on it.
4. Click the Add to Chrome button and confirm the installation by selecting Add extension.

Once installed, you should see the extension icon in the upper right corner of your Chrome browser.
#Use the extension on YouTube
1. Navigate to YouTube.
2. Search for the video you want to listen to and click on it to start playing.
3. Click on the Audio Only Youtube extension icon. This should convert the current video to audio only mode, allowing you to listen without the video display.

If you want to watch a video, click the Audio Only Youtube icon to disable the extension. The video page will automatically reload and the video will start playing.
Audio Only for YouTube – for Firefox
Audio Only for YouTube is a Firefox add-on that lets you easily load YouTube videos with audio only content. When you play a YouTube video, the add-on automatically loads only the audio source and prevents the video content from loading. This way, you will save Internet bandwidth since the size of audio content is much smaller than video content.
Here’s a guide on how to listen to audio only on YouTube using this extension:
1. Launch your Firefox browser and search for Audio Only for YouTube.
2. Click on the Audio Only for YouTube add-on in results, hit the Add to Firefox button, and follow the prompts to install it.

3. Go to YouTube and select the video you want to play audio only.
4. Look for the extension icon in the Firefox toolbar. Click it to enable audio only mode.
5. Click the play button on the video, and it should now play the audio only.
How to Play YouTube Audio Only (with YouTube Downloader)
- Open the YouTube app.
- Subscribe to YouTube Premium.
- Press the Home Button.
MiniTool Video Converter is a free and no-ads desktop program that supports downloading YouTube videos and audio files in high quality. Its video download function enables you to download up to 10 videos at the same time, so as to improve your download efficiency. In addition to YouTube, it can also save videos from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
How to play YouTube audio only with MiniTool Video Converter? Follow these steps:
1. Click the download button below to install MiniTool Video Converter on your Windows PC.
MiniTool Video ConverterClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
2. After the installation is complete, open the app and you can find it in the Convert Video module by default. Just switch to the Download Video tab.
3. Go to YouTube on your browser and find the video you want to play audio only. Then, click the Share button and click Copy to copy its link.

4. Click on Paste URL, paste the copied URL into the address box, and click the Download button.

5. In the pop-up window, choose the MP3 or WAV format and your preferred resolution under the Download Audio option. Then, choose whether to download its subtitles and click the Download button.

6. You can check the download progress in the Downloading tab. Once it’s done, it will switch to the Completed tab, and you can click the play icon to play only the audio portion of the video offline. Or, you can click the folder icon to find the save path of the downloaded file.

If you want to convert the downloaded file to other formats, just switch to the Convert Video tab. It supports more than 1,000 video and audio formats. No matter what format you want your YouTube videos to be in, MiniTool Video Converter can help you make it happen!
Conclusion
How to play YouTube audio only? You can easily find a method that works for you. Choose the one that fits your needs best. If you have any problems while using MiniTool Video Converter, please feel free to contact support@minitool.com to ask for help.
People Also Ask
1. Open the YouTube Music app on Android and sign in to your account.
2. Click on your profile picture and select Settings.
3. Choose Data saving from the menu.
4. Toggle Don’t play music videos to the on position.
1. Launch the YouTube Music app from the account you’re signed in to.
2. Select your profile photo and choose Settings.
3. Click the Playback & Restrictions option and switch Don’t play videos to the on position.