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YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

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Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#31

Post by chatmasta »

pirates wrote: post #20
chatmasta wrote: post #3

Vinegar extension still works on iOS. It restores the native HTML5 element to websites like YouTube that go out of their way to circumvent it or add listeners to pause it when focus leaves the page. Since it’s the native video element, it works with the native iOS picture-in-picture. It should frankly be illegal for Google to interfere with this like they try to do, but luckily this extension solves the problem.

This does work with the screen on. But at least for me Vinegar background audio while locked hasn’t worked for the past several weeks. Once you lock it no longer recognizes there’s any media to play.

It has a lot of issues and sometimes it seems like there are two copies of the video – the one I’ve backgrounded and the one on the main page. So if I lock my phone it’ll go back to the part of the video the last time the phone was locked or start at 0:00. This is definitely annoying but if I fiddle with it enough I can get it to work okay-ish.

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#32

Post by bm3719 »

jagraff wrote: post #9
bm3719 wrote: post #7

It seems crazy and impossible now, but imagine this notion: Software should serve the needs of the user. Software that does things the user doesn't want, like try to trick money out of him, waste his bandwidth, or fill his screen with unwanted ads used to have a name: Malware. We've redefined that term to mean when a non-BigTech firm does those things, but the definition used to be functional, not attributional. RMS…

Would it be better if youtube removed the free, ad supported version entirely, and only allowed paid users?

There is no free Google product. You pay for all of them with your data, your privacy, and your attention.

Your data is worth far more to them than a $13/month subscription fee. In fact, if you do pay it, the data becomes even more valuable, because you're now guaranteed to always be logged in. You're also likely to use it more to get more "value" out of your purchase, generating even more value (for them). Finally, you've also identified yourself as the kind of person that pays for things that should be actually free.

Worse than all of this, when you use Google (or any of these malware/spyware companies), thanks to network effects, you don't just pay for it with your freedom, you pay for it with some of everyone else's too.

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#34

Post by tengbretson »

Diti wrote: post #33
tengbretson wrote: post #13

Who cares about what free users want?

Google is an advertising company. Its goal is to create growth and maximize profits. How do you get more money if the free users leave? Raise the subscription prices.

If in the current arrangement the free users represent a majority of the costs, hassle and noise and a shrinking or stagnant share of revenue, then you get more money by turning the screws and seeing how many convert.

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#35

Post by tomstockmail »

regenschutz wrote: post #23
hkmaxpro wrote: post #4

Some alternatives recently discussed: NewPipe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47020218 PipePipe: https://pipepipe.dev/ As recommended by https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47021252 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47020412 I haven’t used any of these alternatives myself.

If you're fine with a paid option (although it's source-available and distributed for "free" on their website), then Grayjay [0] is my personal favourite. I can't remember the last time I saw an error. On NewPipe, I can't say the same. [0]: https://grayjay.app/

Alternatively if you're interested in paying, YouTube Music has a subscription option, or YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music.

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#36

Post by shawn_w »

kotaKat wrote: post #5

“Last year, video watchers using them were greeted by longer video loading times and increased buffering on YouTube.” Ah yes, the Five Second Gaslight. “Experiencing interruptions? Find out more!” when it’s the site intentionally shoving a 5 second delay in and getting people to blame their ISPs for connectivity issues when YouTube was the one dicking around.

Huh, I thought the delay was Google trying to make using non-Chrome browsers a pain. Didn't realize it was because of ublock origin, not Firefox.

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#37

Post by chocochunks »

chatmasta wrote: post #3

Vinegar extension still works on iOS. It restores the native HTML5 element to websites like YouTube that go out of their way to circumvent it or add listeners to pause it when focus leaves the page. Since it’s the native video element, it works with the native iOS picture-in-picture. It should frankly be illegal for Google to interfere with this like they try to do, but luckily this extension solves the problem.

Still seems to work with Firefox on Android and the Video Background fix extension too.

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#38

Post by wiredpancake »

protimewaster wrote: post #16
tengbretson wrote: post #13

Who cares about what free users want?

I honestly don't know if this is sarcasm or not, but I would think, just based on the fact that 96% of users are free users, they shouldn't try too hard to piss them off.

[dead]

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#39

Post by qsera »

bm3719 wrote: post #32
jagraff wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it be better if youtube removed the free, ad supported version entirely, and only allowed paid users?

There is no free Google product. You pay for all of them with your data, your privacy, and your attention. Your data is worth far more to them than a $13/month subscription fee. In fact, if you do pay it, the data becomes even more valuable, because you're now guaranteed to always be logged in. You're also likely to use it more to get more "value" out of your purchase, generating even more value (for them). Finally,…

> There is no free Google product.

You can take great advantage of them if you can resist the "payment".

It is a bit of freeloading. The product exists because there are multitude of humans that cannot help but "pay".

Re: YouTube Blocks Background Listening Workaround for Free Users

#40

Post by kevinfiol »

jagraff wrote: post #9
bm3719 wrote: post #7

It seems crazy and impossible now, but imagine this notion: Software should serve the needs of the user. Software that does things the user doesn't want, like try to trick money out of him, waste his bandwidth, or fill his screen with unwanted ads used to have a name: Malware. We've redefined that term to mean when a non-BigTech firm does those things, but the definition used to be functional, not attributional. RMS…

Would it be better if youtube removed the free, ad supported version entirely, and only allowed paid users?

I actually think yes.
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