foobar2000 can play YouTube right inside your playlist, next to your own music, with one free component.
That component is 3DYD YouTube Source, and setting it up takes about five minutes.
Since mid-2025 it also relies on a small free helper called yt-dlp - the step most guides skip, and the usual reason a YouTube link refuses to play.
Below is the full setup, the fix for when links stop working, and the built-in way to play internet radio while you are at it.
What You Need
- foobar2000. Any version from 1.5 onward, 32-bit or 64-bit - download foobar2000 first if you do not have it yet.
- The YouTube Source component. On the 3DYD YouTube Source download page, pick the file marked as the foobar2000 component, the one ending in .fb2k-component.
- yt-dlp. The component can download and update it for you, so there is nothing to fetch by hand - Step 2 shows where to switch that on.
Skip the installer on that page. The 3DYD YouTube Source installer and portable files are DirectShow filters for other video players. foobar2000 only needs the .fb2k-component file.
Step 1 - Install the Component
- Open foobar2000, then go to File, Preferences, Components.
- Click Install... and pick the .fb2k-component file you downloaded.
- Click OK and let foobar2000 restart.
Double-clicking the downloaded file does the same job in one move. If you have never added a component before, our guide on installing foobar2000 components covers the 32-bit and 64-bit catch.
Keep foobar2000 open for this. Some guides say to close the player before installing a component, but the Install button lives inside foobar2000, and it restarts the player for you.
Step 2 - Switch On yt-dlp
Version 3.10 of the component, released in July 2025, dropped its own YouTube reader and handed that job to yt-dlp. Without yt-dlp set up, YouTube links simply will not open.
- Go to File, Preferences, Tools, Youtube Source.
- Open the Maintenance tab and find yt-dlp in the list of third-party binaries.
- Right-click it and choose Managed. The component then downloads yt-dlp and keeps it updated by itself.
- Click OK.
Prefer to manage it yourself? Download yt-dlp, choose External instead of Managed, and point it at the folder holding yt-dlp.exe.
Step 3 - Play a YouTube Link
Copy the video's address from your browser. In foobar2000, go to File, Add location, paste the link and click OK.
The video lands in your playlist with its title, its thumbnail shows up as album art, and it plays like any other track.
To add several at once, use File, Add multiple URL(s) instead. Whole YouTube playlists and channels work too, not just single videos.
Want the picture as well as the sound? View, Visualizations, Video opens a video window, and the video itself is decoded by LAV Filters, which you can install normally or set to Managed on the same Maintenance tab.
Step 4 - Save Your YouTube Picks as a Playlist
Once you have a mix you like, go to File, Save playlist... and give it a name. Next time, File, Load playlist... brings it straight back.
A saved playlist holds only the links, so it takes up almost no space. The audio is fetched fresh each time you press play.
When a YouTube Link Stops Playing
YouTube changes its site regularly, and yt-dlp is the part that keeps up with it. So when links that worked yesterday fail today, the fix is usually an update, not your PC.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Nothing plays at all after installing | yt-dlp is not set up. Go back to Step 2. |
| Links that used to work now fail | Update yt-dlp - Managed does this itself, External needs a fresh yt-dlp.exe. Then check for a newer component. |
| Unable to open item for playback (Object is not seekable) | Go to Preferences, Advanced, Networking and tick Allow seeking over HTTP. |
| Decoding failure at ... (Connection error) | In Preferences, Advanced, Networking, raise the delay for Keep reconnecting dropped connections. |
| Sound stutters on a slow connection | Go to Preferences, Playback, Output and raise the Buffer length. |
| Video window stays black | Install LAV Filters, or set them to Managed on the component's Maintenance tab. |
| One particular video will not play | Open it in a private browser window. If it does not play there either, it is removed, private or blocked where you are. |
The error text itself appears in View, Console. The developer keeps a short troubleshooting page for anything the table does not cover.
Internet Radio Needs No Component at All
Radio stations are the easy half of online music. foobar2000 plays them out of the box through the same File, Add location command - just paste the station's stream URL.
The tricky part is finding that URL, since station websites tend to hide it behind their own web player. X Radio Stream Finder lets you browse stations, copy the stream link, or export an M3U8 or PLS playlist that foobar2000 opens directly.
Quick questions
Is the YouTube component for foobar2000 free?
Yes. 3DYD YouTube Source is freeware, and yt-dlp is free and open source.
Does it work with 64-bit foobar2000?
Yes. The component comes in 32-bit and 64-bit builds and needs foobar2000 1.5 or newer, so any current version of the player is fine.
Can I save YouTube audio as an MP3 with foobar2000?
YouTube's terms of service do not allow downloading its content unless YouTube itself offers a download option or the rights holder agrees. For music files you already own, foobar2000's converter is excellent - see converting audio with foobar2000.
Does it work with sites other than YouTube?
Its documentation lists Vimeo and Dailymotion links as well. Paste them through File, Add location exactly as you would a YouTube link.
Can I search YouTube from inside foobar2000?
Yes. The component adds a search window under the View menu, and the results can go straight into a playlist.
Why do my YouTube tracks suddenly stop working after weeks of use?
YouTube changed something and your copy of yt-dlp has not caught up yet. Setting yt-dlp to Managed keeps it updated automatically, which prevents most of these breaks.
Setting up foobar2000 from scratch, or want to try DSD and batch converting next? Our foobar2000 guides hub puts every step in order.
One component, one setting for yt-dlp, and YouTube becomes just another source in your foobar2000 playlist.
Get 3DYD YouTube Source and paste your first link, or tell us what you are streaming in the comments.
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