Description
You listen in Spotify, press the keyboard play key, and Apple Music pops up to play instead, a macOS quirk that has lasted for years. Music Router is a menu bar utility that fixes exactly that: it catches the media keys before the system acts on them, passes them through untouched if something is already the Now Playing app, and otherwise launches the replacement you choose, such as Spotify, VLC or TIDAL, and forces it to play through AppleScript.
The other half is MusicLauncherGuard, which terminates Music when AirPlay, Handoff or Siri launches it. It is the successor to noTunes, uses the media-control CLI to detect who is playing, and needs Input Monitoring and Accessibility permissions. Open source under the MIT license, macOS only.
Media key tap:A CGEventTap intercepts play, pause, next and previous before macOS can launch Music.
Replacement app:When nothing is playing it launches your chosen app or URL and forces playback.
Passes through when busy:If an app already owns Now Playing, the key goes to it untouched.
Blocks Music launches:Launches from AirPlay, Handoff and Siri are shut down too.
Menu bar settings:Enable toggle, replacement app, launch at login, hide the icon and reset permissions all live in the menu.
The other half is MusicLauncherGuard, which terminates Music when AirPlay, Handoff or Siri launches it. It is the successor to noTunes, uses the media-control CLI to detect who is playing, and needs Input Monitoring and Accessibility permissions. Open source under the MIT license, macOS only.
Features
Media key tap:A CGEventTap intercepts play, pause, next and previous before macOS can launch Music.
Replacement app:When nothing is playing it launches your chosen app or URL and forces playback.
Passes through when busy:If an app already owns Now Playing, the key goes to it untouched.
Blocks Music launches:Launches from AirPlay, Handoff and Siri are shut down too.
Menu bar settings:Enable toggle, replacement app, launch at login, hide the icon and reset permissions all live in the menu.
