YesPlayMusic vs ZY Player
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A third-party desktop and web player for NetEase Cloud Music with a clean interface.
Open source · MIT
Desktop video player for online video sources, with no ads, for Windows, Mac and Linux.
The short answer
Choose YesPlayMusic if you need…
- Existing NetEase Cloud Music users who want a different player interface
- Chinese-speaking users who use NetEase Cloud Music daily
- People who want lyrics, MV playback and daily recommendations in a separate app
- Developers who want to self-host a Vue-based music web player
Choose ZY Player if you need…
- People who want a desktop player for online video sources without ads
- Users on Windows, Mac or Linux who want a single app for browsing and playing
- People who want to import and export their own video source lists and favorites
- Users who want playback shortcuts and a small floating mini window
Side-by-side
| YesPlayMusic | ZY Player | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 33.5k | 14.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Download the app | Download the app |
| Main language | Vue | Vue |
| Last code update | 27 days ago | 4 years ago |
What each one is
YesPlayMusic
YesPlayMusic is a music player that plays songs from the NetEase Cloud Music (网易云音乐) service, with a custom interface. It runs as a desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux via Electron, and can also run in a browser or be self-hosted as a website. You log in with your own NetEase account to use it.
ZY Player
ZY Player is a desktop app built with Electron and Vue that plays videos from online resource sources. It offers poster and list browsing, playback history, favorites, search across sources, and a compact mode. The README says the app itself does not host or upload any content.
Best for
YesPlayMusic
- Existing NetEase Cloud Music users who want a different player interface
- Chinese-speaking users who use NetEase Cloud Music daily
- People who want lyrics, MV playback and daily recommendations in a separate app
- Developers who want to self-host a Vue-based music web player
ZY Player
- People who want a desktop player for online video sources without ads
- Users on Windows, Mac or Linux who want a single app for browsing and playing
- People who want to import and export their own video source lists and favorites
- Users who want playback shortcuts and a small floating mini window
Strengths
YesPlayMusic
- Free and open source under the MIT license, with a large community (about 33k stars)
- Supports Windows, macOS and Linux, plus browser and PWA use
- Includes lyrics, MV playback, Last.fm scrobbling and global shortcuts per the README
ZY Player
- The README describes the app as free and ad-free
- Supports Windows, Mac and Linux from one codebase
- Has keyboard shortcuts and an import/export feature for sources and favorites
Not ideal for
YesPlayMusic
- People who do not use NetEase Cloud Music, since it only plays that service's catalog
- Users who need a social or sharing features, because the README states there are none
- Anyone needing a supported commercial product; the README limits use to personal study and research
ZY Player
- Anyone looking for officially licensed content, since the README says the sources come from the web and the download channel is currently closed
- Users who need active maintenance or security updates, since the last push was in February 2023
- Users who need a supported, documented developer API or plugin system, which the README does not describe
Trade-offs
YesPlayMusic
- Depends on the NetEase Cloud Music API, so it can break if that service changes
- The README says the current version is in maintenance mode, with a 2.0 Alpha announced
- Some features such as the unblocking sources need extra setup, like installing yt-dlp for YouTube sources
ZY Player
- The README says the download channel is temporarily closed, so getting the app may be difficult
- The last code push was 2023-02-09, so the project may not be actively maintained
- Content comes from third-party sources the README does not control, and the README asks users to delete the app within 24 hours
Getting started
YesPlayMusic
macOS via Homebrew
brew install --cask yesplaymusicWindows via Scoop
scoop install extras/yesplaymusicZY Player
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Hunlongyu/ZY-PlayerFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between YesPlayMusic and ZY Player?
YesPlayMusic: A third-party desktop and web player for NetEase Cloud Music with a clean interface. ZY Player: Desktop video player for online video sources, with no ads, for Windows, Mac and Linux. YesPlayMusic suits existing netease cloud music users who want a different player interface, while ZY Player suits people who want a desktop player for online video sources without ads.
Are YesPlayMusic and ZY Player free?
YesPlayMusic: Free and open source. ZY Player: Free and open source.
Is YesPlayMusic or ZY Player more popular?
YesPlayMusic has more GitHub stars (33.5k) than ZY Player (14.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to YesPlayMusic and ZY Player?
Other options people compare them with include Alger Music Player, Vuestic Admin, Koel, iView Admin, Pear Desktop.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.