Video Speed Controller gives you fine-grained control over any HTML5 video or audio element, on any site.
TL;DR -- faster playback translates to better engagement and retention.
The average adult reads at 250-300 words per minute (wpm). Speech averages ~150 wpm; slide presentations often closer to 100 wpm. Given the choice, most viewers speed up playback to ~1.3-1.5x to close the gap. Accelerated viewing keeps attention longer -- faster delivery means higher engagement. With practice, many settle at 2x or above and find it uncomfortable to return to 1x.
HTML5 media elements expose a native playback rate API, but most players hide or artificially limit it. Speed adjustments should be effortless and frequent: we don't read at a fixed pace, and we shouldn't watch at one either.
- Universal - works on any site with HTML5 media: YouTube, Netflix, Coursera, podcasts, local files, etc.
- Video and audio - controls both
<video>and<audio>elements. - Fine-grained speed - 0.07x to 16x in configurable increments.
- Per-site speed rules - set a default playback speed for specific domains (e.g., always 2x on lecture sites).
- Per-site disable - turn off the controller on sites where you don't want it.
- Remember speed - optionally persist your last speed across sessions and tabs.
- Speed fightback - automatically re-applies your chosen speed when a site's player tries to reset it.
- Draggable overlay - reposition the on-video speed indicator anywhere you like.
- Fully customizable shortcuts - remap every key, add modifier combos (Ctrl, Shift, Alt), create multiple preferred-speed toggles.
- Custom controller CSS - style or reposition the overlay with your own CSS rules.
- S - decrease playback speed
- D - increase playback speed
- R - reset playback speed to 1.0x
- Z - rewind video by 10 seconds
- X - advance video by 10 seconds
- G - toggle between current and preferred speed
- V - show/hide the controller
- M - set a marker at current position
- J - jump back to the previously set marker
All shortcuts are fully customizable in the extension's settings page. You can reassign keys, add modifier combinations, and define multiple preferred-speed shortcuts with different values for quick toggling. Click Add New in settings to create additional bindings. Refresh the page after making changes for them to take effect.
(MIT License) - Copyright (c) 2014 Ilya Grigorik