> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getmotif.page/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Track YouTube

> Follow a YouTube channel in Tracked, from your subscriptions or by a public channel link, listen to its uploads and save a beat as MP3.

# Track YouTube

YouTube is one of the five services you can follow in **Library → Tracked**, alongside Discord, Telegram, Google Drive, and Dropbox. A YouTube source is one channel. Motif shows that channel's uploads as a list you can play, browse back through, and download from.

You must be signed in to Motif to track a YouTube channel.

## Add a channel

1. Open **Library → Tracked**.
2. Choose **Track YouTube**. When you have no Tracked sources yet, choose the **YouTube** tile instead.
3. In the **Track YouTube** dialog, choose a channel from your subscriptions or add a public channel by link.

### From your subscriptions

To choose from the channels you subscribe to, Motif needs read-only access to your YouTube subscriptions.

* If YouTube is not connected yet, select **Connect YouTube** and approve access in your browser.
* If YouTube is connected but has no subscription access, select **Allow subscription access**.

After access is granted, Motif lists your subscriptions. Use **Search channels...** to filter the list, and **Load more subscriptions** when more are available. A channel you already follow shows **Tracked** and cannot be added twice.

### By public channel link

You can also follow any public channel without connecting YouTube:

1. Select the **+** button next to the search field.
2. In **Public channel link or @handle**, paste the channel link (for example `youtube.com/@producer`) or type its @handle.
3. Select **Track channel**.

Motif accepts only `youtube.com` channel links over https. If you paste a video or another kind of page, Motif shows **That YouTube link is not a channel. Open the channel page and copy its link.** Open the channel's own page and copy that link instead.

## Listen to a channel

Open the channel's card in **Library → Tracked**. Motif names the source after the channel and uses its avatar as the initial cover. You can change the cover later like any other Tracked source.

The newest uploads appear first. Scroll down to load older uploads. If loading stops, select **Load older uploads**, or **Retry** after an error.

Playing a YouTube upload works like any other Tracked audio. It does not add the upload to your local Library.

## Save a beat as MP3

Right-click an upload and choose **Download**. Motif saves an MP3 copy in `Documents\Motif\YouTube`. After the download finishes, the menu shows **Show in folder** instead.

See [Save Tracked music locally](https://docs.getmotif.page/tracked/save-locally.md) for what a local copy does and does not change.

## Manage the source

A YouTube source card has the same **More** actions as other Tracked sources: **Refresh**, **Rename**, **Change cover art**, **Remove cover art**, and **Remove**. See [Manage Tracked sources](https://docs.getmotif.page/tracked/manage-sources.md).

Removing the source from Motif does not unsubscribe you from the channel on YouTube.


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