Media torrents, like videos, often come with a sizeable file size. This means that you will have to sit through the download hours before you can play the media.
Then there are instances where you download gigabytes of data only to realize it's a poor quality video or the content isn't what you expected. Now, what if you could start streaming torrent files without downloading them?
A torrent streaming app can help you do just that. Whether you want to watch a video from the Internet Archive or listen to Creative Commons audiobooks, here's how you can stream torrent files right away without waiting for the download to complete.
Note: Here at MakeUseOf, we don't condone hacking. This article is for educational purposes only. We urge you to download torrents responsibly, ensuring that the content is not pirated.
1. Desktop WebTorrent
WebTorrent Desktop is one of the first clients to offer streaming torrent functionality. It is an open source and ad-free cross-platform application available for Windows, macOS and Linux systems.
Written entirely in JavaScript, WebTorrent uses WebRTC for peer-to-peer transport and accepts both WebTorrent and BitTorrent connections.
To stream torrent, you can drag or drop the magnet link on the player. Alternatively, go to File > Open torrent address and paste the torrent magnet link.
then click okay and wait for the torrent to load. Then click on the Play to start streaming the video while WebTorrent downloads the file in the background.
Besides, you can also create your own torrent to share videos with family or friends. On the other hand, WebTorrent still does not support all media formats. So if you try to stream an unsupported video, it will redirect you to play it in VLC Media Player by default.
Download: Desktop WebTorrent For Windows | Linux | Mac OS (Free)
2. soda player
If you want a torrent streaming client with better file compatibility and additional privacy features, Soda Player is a good alternative to WebTorrent.
With Soda Player, you can stream BitTorrent videos instantly and it comes with a built-in SOCKS5 proxy for privacy and bypass your ISP restrictions. It also features support for Chromecast and Apple TV, automatic subtitle matching, and native support for AceStream links.
To stream torrent, drag and drop the magnet link into the player or add the link manually. After a momentary load, your video will start playing. The player will also display the bandwidth speed and an option to enable the built-in SOCKS5 proxy.
While you can use it to play saved videos, the media player interface is minimal. Therefore, it is better to use it for torrenting than as a media player.
Download: soda player for Windows | Mac OS (Free)
Webtor is a free online torrent web player that allows you to watch torrent content without downloading it. It's a great alternative if you don't want to download a separate torrent client to stream content or watch torrents on a tablet or smartphone.
It is free to use and does not require a user account. To stream a torrent, paste the magnet link into the address bar and click Open.
Webtor will take a few seconds to load the video and supported subtitles. Webtor's web player is nothing fancy, but it does offer basic pause, play, subtitle, and volume control functions.
However, what is worth mentioning is the direct download option. You can click the Download button on the top right corner of the web player to directly convert and download the content to your computer.
Support AVI and MKV video and FLAC audio format. Additionally, you can install the Chrome extension that automatically opens all magnet links in a new tab.
4. Player Rox
Rox Player is an all-in-one media player that can play files from your local drive or from the Internet. To stream torrent, click File > open torrent and then paste the magnet link.
It will buffer the content and start playing the video shortly. Similar to WebTorrent, the video is downloaded in the background and saved to your local hard drive.
Rox Player supports all common video and audio codecs. Also, you can customize video and audio settings, add subtitles, set download location and download speed.
Download: Rox player for Windows (Free)
Seedr is a torrent filtering service that offers free 2GB of cloud storage. It works very similar to Webtor but is more customizable.
Instead of directly streaming the content, it downloads the torrent to your Seedr account and allows you to stream online or download the file to your PC.
Unlike other online torrent streaming services, once downloaded, the content remains in your cloud account in case you choose to pause and resume at a later interval.
It is a premium service. So once you use up your 2GB quota, you'll need to subscribe to one of three plans to get more storage. Or you can delete the old content to reclaim used storage space.
6. Brave Browser
If you use Brave Browser, it comes with the WebTorrent extension installed. You can use it to view torrents directly in the browser.
The WebTorrent extension is enabled by default. To manually enable it, click the menu icon (three horizontal bars) in the upper right corner and select Settings. In the left pane, open the Extensions tab. In the right pane, scroll down and change the WebTorrent switch to turn it on.
To stream a torrent file through Brave Browser:
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Copy and paste the torrent magnet link into the address bar and hit enter.
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In the torrent preview window, click start torrent and wait for the download to start.
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Click the video file to play it in a new tab. You can also use PiP (Picture-in-Picture) mode to view the video in a floating window.
Download: brave navigator for Windows | Mac OS | Linux (Free)
Now you can use torrents without downloading them
Torrent streaming clients work like an on-demand streaming service for torrents. You can copy and paste the magnet links and start streaming the video right away.
This eliminates the hassle of waiting for the download to finish before you can start viewing the content. Also, you can use it to preview the torrent file to determine the quality and legitimacy of the content.
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