Yout

Many of us spend a lot of time watching videos or listening to music on YouTube, and using a web browser for this purpose is not always the best solution, especially if you are trying to minimize desktop clutter.

Yout is a nifty application that presents you with an alternative, as it enables you to watch YouTube playlists from a streamlined, borderless window that can be resized freely.

Because the program is contained within a borderless window, it takes up a minimal amount of screen space. The toolbar is hidden automatically when switching to another window, thus eliminating any unnecessary interface elements.

It is possible to change between the standard and compact modes with a single mouse click, but it would have been great if you had the option of customizing the window’s preset dimensions.

Yout is kept in the foreground at all times, so you can keep watching your videos even while performing other tasks. However, some users might have preferred to disable this function, and it would also help if it were possible to send the program to the system tray when listening to music.

You can add as many playlists as you like, and they are all displayed in separate tabs that you can cycle through easily. Each playlist can also be assigned a unique name to make it easier to recognize.

The playback controls are identical to those you have become accustomed to from YouTube, and the same hotkeys can also be used. However, global keyboard shortcuts are not available.

While Yout is a great choice for those who have already compiled their playlists, it might be a good idea, for future releases, to allow users to watch mixes or search for content.

In conclusion, this is a well-designed application that enables you to watch YouTube playlists easily from your desktop. There is still room for improvement, but, on the whole, Yout is easy to use, lightweight and very unobtrusive.