Block ads on YouTube Music

Browser ad blockers are a running battle with YouTube, and they do nothing for you if you would rather not keep a browser tab open all day. The desktop app blocks ads at the client level, and the blocker is on by default.

Here is the setup, plus what to do on the rare occasion an ad gets through after a YouTube change.

Steps

1. Install the desktop app

   Get the app for Windows, macOS or Linux. The Ad Blocker plugin is enabled out of the box.

2. Confirm the Ad Blocker plugin is on

   Open the menu → Plugins and check that Ad Blocker is enabled. This is what removes audio ads, video ads and the tracking requests that come with them.

3. Switch blocking method if ads reappear

   The plugin offers more than one blocking backend. If YouTube changes something and ads return, switch to the alternative method in the plugin options — that fixes it in most cases.

4. Enable Ad Speedup as a safety net

   Turn on the Ad Speedup plugin as well. If anything slips through, it mutes the ad and plays it at 16x, so it is over in about two seconds.

5. Keep the app updated

   Ad delivery changes over time. Updating to the latest release is the single most effective fix when blocking degrades.

Tips

• The blocker also stops tracking requests, so it reduces telemetry as well as interruptions.
• None of this replaces Premium features such as official offline downloads or mobile background play.
• If you rely on the service daily, consider supporting the artists you listen to — the ad revenue you are skipping is part of how they get paid.