Listen 1
A Chrome extension that searches several Chinese music platforms and plays songs in one place.listen1/listen1_chrome_extension
- Stars
- 12.1k
- Forks
- 2k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 1.4 years ago
- Type
- App
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
Listen 1 is a browser extension that lets you search and play music from several Chinese streaming services, including NetEase Cloud Music, QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo, bilibili, Migu and Qianqian, from one interface. The README says it was built because songs were often unavailable on one platform and users had to search several sites to find them. It also includes an automatic source-switching feature (Beta) that looks for another platform when a song's source is unavailable.
- Search for a song across several supported platforms from one search box
- Play songs from a platform where the original source is unavailable, using the automatic source switching (Beta)
- Browse curated playlists, rankings and category playlists from supported platforms
- Log in to supported platforms such as QQ Music, NetEase and Migu to open your own playlists, per the changelog
Great for
- People who listen to music on the Chinese platforms listed in the README
- Users who want one player for several music services instead of switching between sites
- Chrome or Edge users comfortable installing an extension from a store or from source
- Firefox users willing to follow the README's manual packaging steps
Not ideal for
- Users who need a supported, licensed service: the README describes copyright takedowns and says the project could disappear, so it is not a stable long-term choice
- People outside China who need the listed platforms' catalogs, since the README does not discuss availability or accounts for them
- Anyone who wants a polished, actively supported app: the README's most recent entries are fixes and a Manifest V3 upgrade, and it is unclear how actively maintained it is
How to get it
- 1
Use it in the browser (or self-host)
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/listen1/listen1_chrome_extension - 2
Run it
- Install from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons or Microsoft Edge Add-ons links in the README, or download the ZIP for manual install
- For manual Chrome install, open chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode, and choose Load unpacked on the extracted folder
- Open the extension and search for a song or playlist
- Use the automatic source switching feature if a track is unavailable
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the search box to query all platforms at once (listed as Beta in the changelog)
- Turn on or configure which platforms the automatic source switching searches (the 2021-04 entry mentions this setting)
- Log in to supported platforms to access your own playlists
- Use the desktop version options such as proxy settings, if you use the Electron build mentioned in the changelog
Downloads
Strengths
- Combines several Chinese music platforms in a single interface
- Has a long changelog showing ongoing bug fixes and platform updates
- Free and MIT-licensed, with source code on GitHub
Trade-offs
- The README reports a 2017 DMCA takedown that temporarily closed the main code repository, and the project says it may not continue
- Installation for Firefox requires manual steps like replacing the manifest file and zipping the folder
- Depends on third-party platform interfaces that change over time, which the changelog shows has caused repeated breakage
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| listen1_chrome_extension (this) | 12.1k | App | beginner | 1.4 years ago | People who listen to music on the Chinese platforms listed in the README |
| pear-desktop | 34k | App | beginner | 5 days ago | People who want YouTube Music in a standalone desktop window |
| YesPlayMusic | 33.5k | App | beginner | 27 days ago | Existing NetEase Cloud Music users who want a different player interface |
| AlgerMusicPlayer | 17.2k | App | beginner | 10 days ago | Chinese-speaking users who want a desktop music player with a separate desktop lyrics window |
| listen1_desktop | 11.4k | App | intermediate | 7 months ago | People who listen to music on Chinese streaming platforms and want one app for them |
| darkreader | 22.6k | App | beginner | 5 days ago | People who browse a lot in low light and want darker pages without changing each site themselves |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.