How to speed up videos on any website
Most websites let you speed up video to 2x at best. Some block speed changes entirely. Here is how to change video playback speed on any site, with no limits, using a free browser extension.
Install PlayFaster — free video speed controller
0.1x to 42x. No sign-up. The extension contains no analytics or telemetry; settings are stored locally.
Add to Chrome
Add to Firefox
Why you need a video speed controller
Every modern browser can play HTML5 video, and the underlying media API supports a wide range of playback speeds. Many websites only expose a small slice of that range — YouTube tops out at 2x, Coursera and LinkedIn Learning at 2x, and so on. A handful of e-learning platforms (EasyLlama is the clearest example) go further: they poll the playback rate and reload the page if they detect a value above their cap.
A video speed controller is a browser extension that gives you direct control over the underlying playbackRate property. With the right extension, you can pick a speed that matches your needs instead of being limited to the dropdown the site happens to offer.
Where a video speed controller works
PlayFaster works on any page that uses standard HTML5 <video> or <audio> elements. The table below breaks down what that looks like in practice. “Speed control” means PlayFaster sets the rate directly. “Spoof bypass” means PlayFaster also lies to a script that polls the rate and would otherwise reload the page or reset the speed.
| Site type | Examples | Speed control | Spoof bypass needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video platforms | YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, Dailymotion | Yes | No — no enforced cap |
| Streaming services | Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max | Usually — varies by player | No — no enforced cap |
| Online courses | Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare, Khan Academy | Yes | No — UI-only limit |
| Compliance training | EasyLlama, KnowBe4, Workday Learning, Go1, SCORM players | Yes | Yes — for sites that poll the rate |
| Podcasts and audio | Spotify web player, Apple Podcasts web, podcast sites | Yes | No — no enforced cap |
| Social media | Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit | Yes | No — no enforced cap |
DRM-protected players (Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max) sometimes behave unpredictably at extreme speeds because the decoder reacts to buffer pressure. Results vary by service and by browser.
How to speed up videos — step by step
- Install PlayFaster from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons. It also works on Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera, and Vivaldi.
- Open any page with video or audio. Navigate to YouTube, Netflix, your training platform, or any other website.
- Click the PlayFaster icon in your browser toolbar. Use the arrow buttons to step speed up or down, scroll the mouse wheel for fine adjustments, or type any exact value from 0.1 to 42.
- Your speed saves automatically. Each website remembers its own speed. Come back tomorrow and it is already set.
Change playback speed on sites that block it
A small number of e-learning platforms actively defend a speed cap. EasyLlama is the canonical example: a background check polls the playback rate every few seconds, and if it reads a value above 2x, it reloads the page. Generic speed controllers fail on these sites because the platform reads the real rate and triggers the reload.
PlayFaster spoofs the playbackRate getter on HTMLMediaElement.prototype. When the platform checks the rate it sees a value capped at 2; the setter still applies whatever speed you actually chose. Your video plays at 4x or 8x while the polling code reads 2x and stays quiet.
The override is injected into the page’s JavaScript context (the “MAIN world”) and runs in every frame on the page, including cross-origin iframes. That covers most SCORM players and Go1 wrappers. A few SCORM packages run inside heavily sandboxed iframes that strip native getters and setters from HTMLMediaElement.prototype; in those frames the spoof can’t install and PlayFaster falls back to setting the rate directly.
Keyboard shortcuts and advanced controls
Clicking the popup works, but power users want faster access. PlayFaster includes an on-page speed overlay that you activate with a customizable keyboard shortcut. Once the overlay appears, you can:
- Use arrow keys or scroll the mouse wheel to adjust speed
- Hold Shift for larger speed steps
- The overlay shows your current speed and disappears after a few seconds of inactivity
You can configure the small step size (used by scroll and arrow keys) and the large step size (used with Shift) in the settings panel. The default small step is 0.1x and the large step is 1x.
Pitch preservation — no chipmunk audio
A common concern with speeding up videos: will the audio sound high-pitched and unnatural? Not with PlayFaster. It enforces the preservesPitch property on every media element, which tells the browser to keep audio at its natural pitch regardless of playback speed. Voices remain clear and intelligible even at 4x or 8x.
Some sites override this setting to disable pitch preservation. PlayFaster spoofs the preservesPitch getter the same way it spoofs playbackRate, so the browser always preserves pitch no matter what the site tries to do.
Frequently asked questions
How do I speed up videos on any website?
Install a video speed controller extension like PlayFaster. It adds speed controls to every page with HTML5 video or audio, letting you set any playback speed from 0.1x to 42x. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and other Chromium browsers.
What does PlayFaster do that the built-in speed menus don’t?
Three things. First, it sets the playback rate at the prototype level on HTMLMediaElement, so it works regardless of what speeds the site exposes in its UI. Second, it injects into every frame on the page, which matters for SCORM and Go1 wrappers that nest the player inside cross-origin iframes. Third, it spoofs the playbackRate getter so platforms that poll the rate and reload on values above 2x — EasyLlama is the clearest example — read the value they expect.
Can I change playback speed on streaming sites like Netflix?
Usually yes. Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and most streaming services use standard HTML5 video, which PlayFaster can control directly. Some DRM-protected players become unstable at extreme speeds because the decoder reacts to buffer pressure — results vary by service and browser.
Does speeding up videos make audio sound weird?
Not with PlayFaster. It enforces pitch preservation by spoofing the preservesPitch getter so the browser keeps audio at its natural pitch even at high speeds. Voices sound clear, not sped-up.
Can I slow down videos too?
Yes. PlayFaster goes down to 0.1x for language learning, transcription, or detailed analysis.
Does it work on training and e-learning platforms?
Yes for the common ones — EasyLlama, KnowBe4, Workday Learning, Go1, and most SCORM players. A few SCORM packages run inside heavily sandboxed iframes that strip the prototype getters PlayFaster needs to install the spoof; in those frames the spoof can’t run, though direct rate control still works on platforms that don’t poll.
Is PlayFaster free?
Yes. PlayFaster is completely free. No account required, no subscription, no hidden costs. Optional supporter licenses exist for users who want to chip in; they unlock nothing today.
Does PlayFaster collect any data?
The extension contains no analytics or telemetry. Settings are stored locally on your device via chrome.storage. The only outbound network call from the extension is when a user voluntarily activates a supporter license, which sends the license key and a per-install device UUID to our licensing service. The marketing site you are reading uses standard analytics (Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, LogRocket); the extension does not. See the privacy policy for details.
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Free video speed controller for Chrome and Firefox. Works in seconds.