cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/40372957

fyi:

  • https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp lets you download videos (from youtube and also hundreds of other sites)
  • for desktop, https://mpv.io/ is free and lets you watch youtube (or any other video) at even more and faster speeds than youtube premium does, among many other features
  • for android, https://newpipe.net/ lets you play youtube in the background (and download videos, and block ads, …)
  • https://ublockorigin.com/ blocks ads everywhere (and yes it does still work on youtube, at least in firefox anyway)
    • imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      4·
      2 days ago

      We are not. Those features were already free and require no maintenance nor development. Now they are getting paywalled.

      Today you use your calculator on the phone for free. Tomorrow it can be paywalled. You are not owed free stuff.

      • MyBrainHurts@piefed.caEnglish
        3·
        2 days ago

        You are not owed free stuff.

        Thank you. I have no idea why people are surprised that a service that costs hundreds of millions to run would start trying to monetize itself.

        Youtube is as free to shutdown as it is to restrict access to its wares.