diff --git a/.env.EXAMPLE b/.env.EXAMPLE
index d9d5761..3c8bec1 100644
--- a/.env.EXAMPLE
+++ b/.env.EXAMPLE
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 HASHTAG_FILTER = ichlausche,music,musik,nowplaying,tunetuesday,nowlistening
 URL_FILTER = song.link,album.link,spotify.com,music.apple.com,bandcamp.com
 YOUTUBE_API_KEY = CHANGE_ME
+YOUTUBE_DISABLE = false
 MASTODON_INSTANCE = 'metalhead.club'
 BASE_URL = 'https://moshingmammut.phlaym.net'
 VERBOSE = false
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 74328ed..e6b97eb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -95,7 +95,9 @@ and set your `User`, `Group`, `ExecStart` and `WorkingDirectory` accordingly.
 
 Copy `.env.EXAMPLE` to `.env` and add your `YOUTUBE_API_KEY`.
 To obtain one follow [YouTube's guide](https://developers.google.com/youtube/registering_an_application) to create an
-_API key_. As soon as #13 is implemented, this will be optional!
+_API key_.
+If `YOUTUBE_API_KEY` is unset, all YouTube videos will be assumed to contain music links.
+If this is unwanted, set `YOUTUBE_DISABLE` to `true`).
 
 Run `npm run build` and copy the output folder, usually `build` to `$APP_DIR` on your server.
 
diff --git a/src/lib/server/db.ts b/src/lib/server/db.ts
index c2655ab..b6271c3 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/db.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/db.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { env } from '$env/dynamic/private';
 import type { Account, Post, Tag } from '$lib/mastodon/response';
+import { isTruthy } from '$lib/truthyString';
 import sqlite3 from 'sqlite3';
 const { DEV } = import.meta.env;
 
 const db: sqlite3.Database = new sqlite3.Database('moshingmammut.db');
 
-if (DEV && env.VERBOSE === 'true') {
+if (DEV && isTruthy(env.VERBOSE)) {
   sqlite3.verbose();
   db.on('change', (t, d, table, rowid) => {
     console.debug('DB change event', t, d, table, rowid);
diff --git a/src/lib/server/timeline.ts b/src/lib/server/timeline.ts
index 7806a92..59bd80d 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/timeline.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/timeline.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ import {
   HASHTAG_FILTER,
   MASTODON_INSTANCE,
   URL_FILTER,
-  YOUTUBE_API_KEY
+  YOUTUBE_API_KEY,
+  YOUTUBE_DISABLE
 } from '$env/static/private';
 import type { Post, Tag, TimelineEvent } from '$lib/mastodon/response';
 import { getPosts, savePost } from '$lib/server/db';
 import { createFeed, saveAtomFeed } from '$lib/server/rss';
+import { isTruthy } from '$lib/truthyString';
 import { WebSocket } from 'ws';
 
 const YOUTUBE_REGEX = new RegExp(
@@ -17,6 +19,11 @@ export class TimelineReader {
   private static _instance: TimelineReader;
 
   private static async isMusicVideo(videoId: string) {
+    if (YOUTUBE_API_KEY === undefined) {
+      // Assume that it *is* a music link when no YT API key is provided
+      // If it should assumed to not be YOUTUBE_DISABLE needs to be set to something truthy
+      return true;
+    }
     const searchParams = new URLSearchParams([
       ['part', 'snippet'],
       ['id', videoId],
@@ -50,6 +57,9 @@ export class TimelineReader {
   }
 
   private static async checkYoutubeMatches(postContent: string): Promise<boolean> {
+    if (isTruthy(YOUTUBE_DISABLE)) {
+      return false;
+    }
     const matches = postContent.matchAll(YOUTUBE_REGEX);
     for (const match of matches) {
       if (match === undefined || match.groups === undefined) {
diff --git a/src/lib/truthyString.ts b/src/lib/truthyString.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55e4aab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/truthyString.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+export function isTruthy(value: string | number | boolean | null | undefined): boolean {
+  if (typeof value === 'string') {
+    return value.toLowerCase() === 'true' || !!+value; // here we parse to number first
+  }
+
+  return !!value;
+}