ShellBeats — Free YouTube to MP3 Desktop App | Terminal & GUI

Sync on All Devices

ShellBeats Terminal

Linux • macOS • Written in C

• ▶ ncurses-based terminal interface
• ▶ Keyboard-driven, no mouse needed
• ▶ 126KB binary, minimal dependencies
• ▶ Shuffle & Repeat modes
• ▶ SuriSync cloud sync
• ▶ YouTube playlist import
• ▶ MP3 download & batch queue
• ▶ Open source (GitHub)

ShellBeatsNG GUI

Windows • macOS • Graphical Interface • C++ / Dear ImGui

• ▶ Graphical window with tabs and buttons
• ▶ Point and click, keyboard shortcuts too
• ▶ Auto-downloads mpv, yt-dlp, ffmpeg
• ▶ Shuffle & Repeat modes
• ▶ SuriSync cloud sync
• ▶ YouTube playlist import
• ▶ MP3 download & batch queue
• ▶ Single .exe, no installer needed

Simple to Use

No complex configurations. Just install it and start listening. Terminal or GUI, you are up and running in seconds.

Stream from YouTube

Search and play any song from YouTube instantly. No browser needed, no ads, no distractions. Just you and your music.

Download Your Music and Playlists

Save your favorite tracks for offline listening. Download singles or entire YouTube playlists with a single command or click.

Create Playlists

Organize your music into playlists. Export them as MP3 files ready to sync with your portable MP3 player.

MP3 Player Ready

All downloads are optimized and tagged. Just drag and drop to your MP3 player and enjoy your music anywhere.

Lightweight & Fast

Written in C and C++ with minimal dependencies. Uses almost no resources while delivering maximum performance.

Sync Everywhere

Push your playlists to the cloud and pull them on any other computer running ShellBeats or ShellBeatsNG. Desktop, laptop, server — they all stay in sync.

Share with the Community

Your playlists can be discovered by other users on surikata.app. Import playlists shared by others directly into your player.

Privacy First

Built on Surikata — a community designed around maximum creative freedom and privacy, free from big corp influence and marketing.

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#include <passion.h>
#include <family.h>
#include <cigars.h>
#include <chess.h>

int main() {
    while (on_vacation) {
        play_chess(kids);
        smoke_cigar();
        write_code();
    }
    return SHELLBEATS;
}

Christmas Vacation Project

ShellBeats was born during the Christmas holidays of 2025. I wanted to return to writing C code after a long time — there's something special about the simplicity and power of this language.

I was on vacation with my family, and between a cigar and a chess game with my kids, I started writing what would become ShellBeats. The goal was simple: listen to music quickly, without distractions, without opening a browser, without ads interrupting the flow.

What started as a small experiment grew into a full-featured music player. The terminal version came first, then ShellBeatsNG brought the same experience to Windows and Mac with a graphical interface. Same playlists, same sync, different look.

— Made with love and lots of coffee