this is a problemXY type of deal. leave the work PC alone. metrolist on android has everything you mentioned, allows download so it's even available offline, etc.
this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2026
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Only do work on work devices. This is a quick way to lose a job. Always assume the company sees everything that's happening on their device. No way around it, and any attempt to get around it will raise the alarm. Just do the music/podcasts/etc... on another device. Why "need to be able to run it on their work PC"?
As an IT admin, I can confirm that we are everything.
Don't mess with IT, they can make your job even more difficult
What kind of dystopia are you living in that listening to music or podcasts would 'raise the alarm'? Yes, don't do anything inappropriate (definitely no piracy, obviously), or detrimental to productivity, but listening to music? Would definitely quit if an employer had a problem with that.
Is this a thing that's considered 'normal' in the US? (I'm assuming US mainly because other countries are not generally so hostile towards employees)
The issue is not listening to music, the issue is trying to circumvent company IT policy to install software they're not allowed to install, e.g. spottube. So, if they want to use something like that, they need to do so on their own devices.
I don't think the issue is listening to music, but installing potentially dodgy software that could bring a virus into the corporate network. Hence most businesses handling sensitive information try to protect their systems and networks by preventing unauthorised installation of software.
Is spotube just another client for Spotify? Or what does it do? How is it getting rid of Spotify? You could host navidrome on your NAS and access it via webbrowser. If you don't like the interface, there are several subsonic alternatives.
Consider: a bunch of mp3s and a media player
Yeah i do already have that but they want more music than that
Several bunches of mp3s, then.
I also enjoy good old fashioned FM radio from time to time myself.
Best not to go against policy on a work PC. Ideally switch to another alternative who's app actually can just run.
In general running isolated, throwaway things in windows can be done via https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-isolation/windows-sandbox/windows-sandbox-install
Installing unapproved software on your work PC is a good way to get hassled about it. Even worse if it becomes a risk.
Instead of breaking the Acceptable Use policies set by your employer, if this Spotify piracy app can be self hosted at home, then you can serve it to the work PC over the Internet.
Yeah exactly, I wouldnt install it on there anyway because it would block it.
I think the nas route is the way to go.
why not use something web-based? there's navidrome for self hosting, or plenty of other piracy(?) music streaming sites (which some aren't sketchy, or safe enough to use with ublock origin)
Well the work laptops block websites too if they arent corporate. Amazingly the archive is completely unblocked. Anything gaming related is blocked.
I think access through the nas would work best.
If website are blocked properly, then any app running on the device likely also won't connect.