How can I play music and YouTube at the same time?

The goal of playing music and YouTube videos simultaneously is often to allow people to enjoy music while also watching video content. This type of media multitasking has become increasingly common, especially among younger internet users who like to listen to their favorite playlists or albums while also catching up on YouTube videos and social media. The ability to combine audio and visual media can make media consumption more immersive and customizable to individual preferences. However, research has shown that chronic media multitasking can reduce cognitive control and hurt productivity in the long run [1]. Therefore, it is important to find an effective balance between focused media consumption and controlled multitasking.

Using Multiple Devices

A simple way to play music and YouTube at the same time is to use multiple devices. For example, you can play music on your smartphone or tablet while watching YouTube videos on your laptop or desktop computer.

According to Pew Research, 97% of Americans own a cellphone and 85% own a smartphone as of 2021. With widespread smartphone ownership, most people now have access to a music player and a separate device like a computer that can be used for streaming video. This makes it easy to consume both audio and video content simultaneously.

To play music on your mobile device while watching YouTube on a computer, simply open both apps and start playing content. Your phone/tablet will continue playing audio via its speakers or headphones while the YouTube video plays with its own sound through your computer. With two separate devices, you can easily control the audio and video independently.

The main downside to this method is that you’ll need to supply your own headphones if you don’t want to listen to phone audio through its external speakers. You’ll also need to manage two separate playback screens. But for many, using multiple personal devices is a simple and effective way to multitask music and video streaming.

Picture-in-Picture on iOS

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) is a feature available on iPhones and iPads running iOS 14 or later that allows you to watch videos or FaceTime calls in a small floating window while simultaneously using other apps (Apple Support). This lets you multitask and continue consuming media while sending a text, browsing the web, or using other apps.

To use PiP, start playing a video or FaceTime call and then swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go to the Home screen or open another app. The video will shrink down into a small window that you can drag around and reposition. Tap on the PiP window to open the video full screen again.

Not all video apps support PiP, but it generally works with the built-in Video app, FaceTime, and YouTube, among others. You can continue listening to the audio from a PiP window even when your iPhone/iPad is locked.

PiP is supported on iPhone models XS and later running iOS 14+. It’s available on all iPad models that can run iOS 14+. So if you have a recent iPhone or iPad, PiP makes it easy to multitask and continue enjoying media while getting other things done.

Split Screen on Android

Android users can take advantage of split screen mode to use multiple apps at the same time, including playing YouTube videos while doing another task. This feature is available on Android 7.0 and higher.

To activate split screen mode, first open the YouTube app and start playing a video. Then, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold to access the recent apps view. Tap the app icon at the top of the YouTube preview and select “Split screen”. This will split the screen between the YouTube app and your home screen or last used app.

From there, you can open another app in the second window. For example, open the Spotify app to play music at the same time as the YouTube video. Resize the windows by dragging the divider to adjust how much space each app gets on the screen.

You can also access split screen directly from the recent apps view by tapping the icon above two app previews at once. This will automatically enter split screen mode with those two apps.

The capability to use multiple apps simultaneously in split screen makes it easy for Android users to play YouTube videos while doing other tasks, like listening to music on Spotify. Just be aware that split screen uses more system resources and may drain battery life faster.

For more tips, see Google’s guide on multi-window support.

Browser Extensions

One way to play music and YouTube videos at the same time is by using browser extensions. Extensions like SoundCloudify and Streamus allow you to play audio from streaming services while browsing the web and watching YouTube. These extensions work by creating a floating player that sits above your browser window.

SoundCloudify specifically lets you play SoundCloud tracks and playlists while browsing. The extension opens a popout window with playback controls and your current SoundCloud queue. This audio continues playing as you browse to other sites like YouTube.

Similarly, Streamus opens a small YouTube player that persists as you visit other tabs and sites. You can queue up YouTube videos to play in the background. Streamus continues playing this audio even if you start watching a different video in the main YouTube site.

The advantage of extensions like these is you can continue listening to music playlists while simultaneously watching or queueing YouTube videos. They effectively allow multitasking by splitting the audio and video playback. The downside is they only work for specific sites like SoundCloud and YouTube.

Multi-Tasking Software

Multi-tasking software allows users to run multiple audio sources simultaneously. Popular options include BeardedSpice and MuteTab. BeardedSpice is a free Mac app that lets you control web-based media players like YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, and more from your Mac’s keyboard media keys or Touch Bar. This allows you to quickly pause, play, skip tracks, or adjust volume on different media players without having to switch between apps or browser tabs [1]. MuteTab is a free Chrome extension that mutes audio from inactive tabs. This prevents audio sources from different tabs from competing with each other. With MuteTab enabled, you can play music in one tab while watching videos or using other audio sources in other tabs without interference [2]. The ability to selectively mute browser tabs makes it easy to consume multiple audio and video streams simultaneously.

Using a Virtual Audio Cable

One way to play music and YouTube videos simultaneously is by using a virtual audio cable. A virtual audio cable acts as an intermediary between audio applications, allowing you to route audio between programs on your computer. Popular options for virtual cables include VB-Audio Virtual Cable and Virtual Audio Cable (VAC).

To use a virtual audio cable to play music and YouTube together:

  1. Install and configure the virtual audio cable software.
  2. Set your music player or audio source to output to the virtual cable.
  3. Set YouTube or your web browser to take input from the virtual cable.

With this setup, the music will be “fed” into YouTube and both audio sources can be heard simultaneously. You can control the volume of each application independently.

One downside is that virtual cables can impact audio quality. They work by mixing two sources together which can introduce artifacts, distortions or delays, especially at lower sample rates. Some troubleshooting like adjusting buffer sizes or sample rates may help optimize quality.

YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium is YouTube’s subscription service that provides an ad-free viewing experience across all YouTube platforms, including mobile and smart TVs. YouTube Premium also allows users to play videos in the background and offline across devices (Offers Available for YouTube Premium Subscribers). This is a key benefit that allows you to listen to music or other audio from YouTube videos while using other apps or when your device does not have an internet connection.

As of December 2023, YouTube Premium has over 80 million subscribers globally (YouTube Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)). In the U.S. specifically, there were approximately 20 million YouTube Premium subscribers as of 2020, with projections to reach over 25 million by 2024 (U.S. YouTube Premium subscribers 2020-2024).

With a YouTube Premium subscription, you can play YouTube videos and music in the background or offline, allowing you to listen to music while simultaneously using other apps. This provides a seamless music listening experience.

Considerations

When trying to play music and YouTube videos simultaneously, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind:

Your internet connection speed and stability will impact your ability to smoothly stream audio and video at the same time. Faster internet speeds allow for more bandwidth, reducing the likelihood of buffering or quality dips when multitasking. If you struggle with slow internet, reducing video quality may help.1

Your device’s processing power and RAM will also affect its ability to juggle multiple streaming applications. Newer devices with more RAM can typically handle heavier multitasking. Older devices may struggle with consistent playback. Closing other apps can help free up processing power.2

In summary, strong internet and capable devices provide the best experience for simultaneous streaming. But with the right tools and settings adjustments, even basic setups can often achieve smooth playback.

Conclusion

There are a variety of ways to play music and YouTube at the same time, depending on your device and needs. Using multiple devices or utilizing built-in multi-tasking features like Picture-in-Picture on iOS is simplest. On Android, you can use split screen mode. Browser extensions like StreamThis for Chrome allow streaming music alongside YouTube in one tab. Apps like Airflow and Alan also enable easy multi-tasking.

For ad-free and background play, a YouTube Premium subscription is recommended. Consider your device capabilities, need for portability, and budget when deciding on the best approach. In general, utilizing built-in options like PiP or split screen is ideal for most users. With the right tools, streaming music while watching YouTube doesn’t have to be difficult.

In summary, the easiest solutions are using multiple devices or built-in multi-tasking features on mobile. But with browser extensions and third-party apps, even desktop users have options. Evaluate your needs and device setup to determine the optimal way to play music and YouTube simultaneously.

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