Frequently asked questions

Short answers about what YTFast is, what it needs, and what to know before you use it.

Getting it

Can I download YTFast now?

Yes. Get it from the download page. It comes as a zip, and the step-by-step guide covers the first run.

Which platforms does it run on?

Windows, and Macs with Apple Silicon.

Is YTFast free?

Yes, if you build and run it yourself from GitHub. YTFast Pro is $4 once for ready-made installers, automatic updates, priority email support, and early access to new features, and is open for pre-order. See pricing.

Do I need YouTube Music Premium?

Yes. YTFast is for Premium accounts and does not work with free ones, whichever plan you choose.

Can you build a custom app for my company?

Yes. We build low-power desktop apps in Rust to order. See custom apps, or email us with what you need.

Is the source code public?

Yes. It is on GitHub, written in Rust.

Why does Windows need Firefox?

YTFast uses the YouTube Music sign-in from your browser. On Windows, Chrome, Edge and Brave lock that data so other programs cannot read it, and Firefox does not.

Performance

How light is it?

YTFast idles at 0% CPU and uses less than 200 MB of memory. These are our own figures, and yours will vary with your computer.

How fast is it?

It aims to open in under a second. Songs start in about a second, and a song you rest the pointer on is made ready ahead of time.

How is it different from YouTube Music in a browser?

The website is a web page running in a browser. YTFast draws its own screens and plays the audio itself, so it uses far less CPU and memory and uses no CPU while paused.

Features

Does it play videos?

No. YTFast plays songs only.

Can I download songs for offline listening?

No. Offline downloads and casting are left out on purpose.

Will my history and recommendations still work?

Yes. YTFast reports your plays to YouTube as the website does, so History, Home and your mixes keep learning.

Where do the lyrics come from?

From YouTube Music, or from LRCLIB, a free lyrics database, when YouTube Music has none that follow the song.

YouTube and your data

Is YTFast an official YouTube Music app?

No. YTFast is an independent project. It is not made, sponsored, or endorsed by Google or YouTube.

What does YTFast read from my browser?

Only YouTube's sign-in. Every other site's data is dropped the moment it is read, and the sign-in is only ever sent to YouTube. See the privacy page.

Something else?

Email hello@ytmfast.com, or open an issue on GitHub.