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# Use macOS Media Keys for Third-party Apps
[[md]](/techblog/2026/06/03/macos-media-keys/index.md "view this page as markdown")
 

> _June 03, 2026_

 

Do you use an app other than Apple Music to listen to music on your Mac? Personally I use [Feishin](https://feishin.org/), sometimes [TauonMusicBox](https://tauonmusicbox.rocks/) or [Manet](https://tilosoftware.io/manet/).

Perhaps you've experienced the same frustration I've dealt with: sometimes your media keys work to skip, play, and pause. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they launch Apple Music, right when you're trying to pause your music before a video call!

To grant full access to media keys on your mac:

1. Open **System Settings**.

2. Navigate to **Privacy & Security**.

3. Open **Media & Apple Music**.

4. Click the **+** button and add each of your music-playing apps (the dialog helpfully opens up the `/Applications folder` after you authenticate).

5. Click the **\< (back)** button to navigate back to the **Privacy & Security** menu.

6. Open **Accessibility**.

7. Click the **+** button and add each of your music-playing apps (the dialog helpfully opens up the `/Applications folder` after you authenticate).

Quit and re-open your music apps. In their settings, make sure you enable 'global media hotkeys' (or similar; that's what Feishin labels it).

If Apple Music keeps launching when you hit the media keys, consider installing [noTunes](https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes) to stop that annoying behavior.