Getting tired of YouTube Music Premium price hikes any good alternatives for background audio?

luizamarns

luizamarns

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Joined
Jul 10, 2026
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23
Location
Detroit
Hey everyone,

I’ve been burning cash on YouTube Music Premium for way too long just to get basic features like background playback and no ads while streaming music on my phone. With the recent price adjustments, it's just getting too expensive to justify.

Are there any reliable workarounds, open source configurations, or specific mod setups that you guys use to bypass these restrictions safely without paying the full monthly fee? Would love to know how you manage your mobile audio streaming setups.
 
I use Pandora on my OPPO 93s. It is free and no commercials. I suppose the commercial issues are due to whatever licensing the product pays for as I do get lots of ads on my PC or phone with same account. I also have a terabyte of music I can stream where needed. That said, for background music, I am not too picky about SQ but what comes thru my OPPOs sounds just Fyne.
 
Shadowfax said:
I use Pandora on my OPPO 93s. It is free and no commercials. I suppose the commercial issues are due to whatever licensing the product pays for as I do get lots of ads on my PC or phone with same account. I also have a terabyte of music I can stream where needed. That said, for background music, I am not too picky about SQ but what comes thru my OPPOs sounds just Fyne.
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Thanks for the suggestion, Brian! Pandora is definitely a solid shout for general background listening, especially if you aren't overly critical about absolute sound quality while multitasking.

Someone actually just messaged and suggested I try out a configured youtube premium apk setup on a spare Android device to keep the full YouTube catalog without the ads or background restrictions. I’m going to look into that right now since I really need those specific live acoustic tracks that aren't on typical streaming platforms, but I appreciate you sharing your OPPO setup!
 
Darrel said:
I have YouTube Premium but not for its music. YouTube wil compress the audio stream compared to services like Tidal or Qobuz.
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YouTube's audio compression definitely doesn't hold a candle to the lossless quality on Tidal or Qobuz. For critical listening on a high end setup, those high res platforms are definitely the way to go. I'm mainly looking for a workaround for casual, mobile background playback where getting rid of ad interruptions is more of a priority than absolute fidelity.
 
Like anything in audio is comes down to how much you want to invest. For me going into streaming as my main listening choice ten years ago. I picked up a lifetime subscription to Roon which handles my Tidal, Qobuz and saved music files. I think the price has jumped by a factor of four times since then. But, this allows me to use my phone to access Roon while I'm out and about with Roon ARC. My car can have all of my Tidal music available when driving. Of course Apple and Amazon can handle much of these as well. But, I went the Roon route. If I wanted I can also download an app for my tv to stream Tidal as well as Qobuz. But, I gave up on that option after a short time.
 
Darrel said:
Like anything in audio is comes down to how much you want to invest. For me going into streaming as my main listening choice ten years ago. I picked up a lifetime subscription to Roon which handles my Tidal, Qobuz and saved music files. I think the price has jumped by a factor of four times since then. But, this allows me to use my phone to access Roon while I'm out and about with Roon ARC. My car can have all of my Tidal music available when driving. Of course Apple and Amazon can handle much of these as well. But, I went the Roon route. If I wanted I can also download an app for my tv to stream Tidal as well as Qobuz. But, I gave up on that option after a short time.
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Man, a lifetime Roon setup from ten years ago is legendary, but that ecosystem is definitely a major commitment! For those of us who aren't ready to drop that kind of cash or manage massive local metadata, sticking to quick mobile streaming setups is just more practical. It really comes down to convenience versus absolute audiophile dedication, but you definitely played your cards right early on with that subscription.
 
Like anything doing some homework or getting other peoples experience can give you your own pathway. Most people here have quite a few years of making good and bad choices. We also have had the luxury of stereo stores to listen to and evaluate setups. But, YouTube and audio sites like this can perk up some ideas.

What is your audio playback setup?
 
Darrel said:
Like anything doing some homework or getting other peoples experience can give you your own pathway. Most people here have quite a few years of making good and bad choices. We also have had the luxury of stereo stores to listen to and evaluate setups. But, YouTube and audio sites like this can perk up some ideas.

What is your audio playback setup?
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That's very true, hearing about the trials and errors of others definitely saves a lot of time and money in the long run.

As for my setup, since I spend a lot of time working on music, my main focus has been a decent pair of studio monitors (currently running a pair of KRK Rokits) connected through a Solid State Logic interface for a clean, flat response. On the mobile side, I keep it pretty basic with a pair of Sennheiser IEMs driven by a portable DAC/Amp. It's nothing close to the level of your Magico and Gryphon setup, but it gets the job done for monitoring and clean tracking
 
That's completely understandable from a business standpoint, Mr Peabody. Platforms definitely need revenue to sustain their infrastructure and licensing costs. However, for casual listeners who just can't justify the rising subscription prices for basic background features, open source workarounds or custom configurations like the youtube premium apk setup someone suggested earlier are still great alternatives. It really depends on what fits your budget and setup preferences.
Mr Peabody said:
The only way to avoid ads is to pay for subscription to a service. They have to keep the lights on one way or the other.
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When I see a service like the youtube premium apk, I can't help but wonder about the legality of using it. Not casting any shadows here, because what anybody chooses to do is their own business. This is truly just out of curiosity.
 
JCS123 said:
When I see a service like the youtube premium apk, I can't help but wonder about the legality of using it. Not casting any shadows here, because what anybody chooses to do is their own business. This is truly just out of curiosity.
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That's a fair question, but honestly, I've just been using it since yesterday and it’s working perfectly fine without any issues. For most casual users, it just comes down to a personal choice for background playback.
 
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