[Feature Request] Add Format/Bitrate option for background audio playback

[rahqbo]

• [x] I carefully read the contribution guidelines and agree to them.
• [x] I checked if the issue/feature exists in the latest version.

I'm looking for an app that streams the 50kbit/s-opus-stream off youtube videos. I found this app and it does what I want, only a bit inconvinient: I choose the stream to download and then open my music player to play the temp-file. This means no seeking and having to delete the file afterwards.

What I need is a setting that tells the app to stream the 50kbit/s-stream when I click on background-player. All I see at the moment is "preferred audio format" which does not contain bitrate.

It would be awesome if this additional setting would be implemented.

[theScrabi]

NewPipe streams the best stream it can get for a certain format.

[ghost]

I don't see this as useful because audio streaming is such a low-bandwidth activity that choices don't really make much of a difference. It's like the difference between streaming a 2mb audio file and a 7 mb audio file over the duration of the video. It's best to just go with the best stream as it currently does.

Having choices when downloading makes more sense because you are actually saving the file to disk.

[gkeegan]

I'm thinking the reasoning @rahqbo has is so s/he can use a 3g signal or use data if the carrier has lowered speed due to using the monthly amount. It's an interesting idea

[ghost]

@gkeegan 3g is more than enough to stream the best audio in any Youtube video.

[rahqbo]

@Riotous I get limited to 64kbit/s after the data cap. @gkeegan is completely right.

Youtube is the only streaming service I know of that has audio streams that fit in there realtime.

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[opusforlife2]

I came here intending to open an issue on this very topic after I noticed that Invidious lets you choose the bitrate of the audio stream when you open a video URI in audio mode.

@theScrabi

NewPipe streams the best stream it can get for a certain format.

But you've provided an option to select a lower default resolution for videos, as well. This wouldn't be any different.

There should be an option to select default bitrate for background audio playback. Just like "Default resolution" has a "Best resolution" option selected by default, there can be a "Best bitrate" option for audio, which will keep the status quo unchanged with respect to Newpipe's current behavior, unless users actively change it to a lower setting as per their bandwidth limitations.

Also, this setting should only affect the audio stream fetched when the user wants background audio playback. It need not and should not affect the audio stream fetched along with normal video playback.

[n-ce]

This feature should be really implemented given how some people from remote and underdeveloped areas want to have a seamless music listening experience via YouTube. >2years old Issue and still active explains its relevance.

[john-peterson]

A quick and dirty custom APK could help me right now I'm traveling and have zero data it's horrendous

[n-ce]

@john-peterson I got something for you and those looking for 50kbps opus streaming. https://github.com/n-ce/ytify

@rahqbo @ShareASmile

[Pentaphon]

Considering the code refactor going on (which is classified & developer only right now), you should expect this get resolved anyways.

I think it's worth adding a toggle in settings that simply has 2 options for Background Audio.

• Highest Quality available
• Lowest Quality available

You can have it on Highest Quality by default and anybody who wants to save data when streaming audio can just select Lowest Quality if they need it. Definitely a use-case here.