Save bandwidth while listening to YouTube music with uListen for Android

Martin Brinkmann
Nov 24, 2013
Updated • Jul 16, 2019
Apps, Google Android
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I don't play videos on my Galaxy Note II usually for a number of reasons. First, they drain a lot of battery. Second, they waste lots of bandwidth. And third, I prefer to watch videos on a larger screen.

What I like on the other hand is to listen to music while commuting or going for my daily walk. Up until now, I used local music and audiobooks for that experience exclusively.

Update: uListen is no longer available. You could try an alternative such as AN Player instead. End

uListen for Android

youtube ulisten app android youtube music save bandwidth

Some time ago I discovered uListen, and it changed that for the better. The uListen application is a third party YouTube play app that offers a distinct advantage over other apps -- like the excellent YouTube 5 or YouTube Keep Alive -- for that.

The app -- somehow, I'm not entirely sure how -- manages to only stream the audio of YouTube music videos to your Android device, saving lots of bandwidth in the process. It is likely that it is using a server to split the audio from the video before it streams it to the Android device, but that is just a guess on my part.

A fact is however that you save bandwidth if you are using the application instead of other YouTube apps on Android. You can test this yourself if you like by installing a per-app traffic monitor such as Bytes Insight.

Depending on your mobile plan and your use of YouTube, this app can save you lots of bandwidth. That's not the only cool feature that the app provides though.

When you first start it, you can search for music that you want to play right away. It displays a list of suggestions right after you have entered your search term, and a tap on any of the videos will load its audio afterwards.

It usually takes a second or two before audio starts to play, but that is quite ok in my opinion.

You can load playlists into the app as well, so that you can enjoy a continuous stream of music instead of having to select title after title manually using the application.

There is no option to create your own playlists using the application, you either have to do so on YouTube directly or rely on third party playlists instead.

The app will load HD audio whenever possible. If you do not like that, disable the preference in the settings to save even more bandwidth.

Here you can also switch away from the dark theme, and use clear buttons to clear the cache or clear playlists buttons.

What you may also like about the application is that it can play while it is in the background. So, all you have to do is start a playlist using it and turn off your phone's screen afterwards to save battery while still listening to music.

Verdict

If you like to listen to YouTube music, this application is for you, especially if you do so in situations where you are on the go. It saves you bandwidth and battery at the same time without sacrificing the music experience in any way.

What you may not like are the ads displayed at the bottom of each screen. There is currently no pro version available to get rid of those.

Now Read: Hide YouTube annoyances with Adblock Plus

Summary
software image
Author Rating
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Software Name
uListen
Operating System
Android
Software Category
Multimedia
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Comments

  1. bruh said on August 18, 2023 at 1:25 pm
    Reply

    Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.

    He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.

    Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?

  2. 💥 said on August 18, 2023 at 3:55 pm
    Reply

    Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?

    Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.

  3. 45 RPM said on August 19, 2023 at 6:29 pm
    Reply

    The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.

    It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.

    1. owl said on August 20, 2023 at 12:51 am
      Reply

      > The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…

      Sadly, I have to agree.

      Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
      Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.

      If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
      Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!

      We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.

  4. chessandonions said on August 20, 2023 at 12:40 am
    Reply

    because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…

  5. Frank Rizzo said on August 20, 2023 at 11:52 pm
    Reply

    “Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.

  6. Ashray said on August 21, 2023 at 4:06 pm
    Reply

    How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.

  7. Paul(us) said on August 21, 2023 at 5:16 pm
    Reply

    Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
    Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
    These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.

    1. Paul(us) said on August 21, 2023 at 5:18 pm
      Reply

      Sorry posted on the wrong page.

  8. Marc said on August 21, 2023 at 6:00 pm
    Reply

    such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time

  9. plusminus_ said on August 21, 2023 at 7:54 pm
    Reply

    I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.

  10. John G. said on August 21, 2023 at 11:43 pm
    Reply

    I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S

  11. Tom Hawack said on August 23, 2023 at 2:28 pm
    Reply

    Quoting the article,
    “As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”

    Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?

    I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.

    1. Tom Hawack said on August 23, 2023 at 2:34 pm
      Reply

      @John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]

      This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.

  12. Tom said on August 24, 2023 at 11:53 am
    Reply

    > Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.

    Firefox did this long before Safari.

  13. Mavoy said on September 16, 2023 at 2:17 pm
    Reply

    Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.

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