Stop the Apple Music app from launching • Hacker News Board

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#221

Post by MoonWalk » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 10:43 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #185

thesuitonym wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've only ever used Apple Music with local content. On iOS the only indication to me that non-local content is even possible is the radio tab at the bottom of the screen. On MacOS I think it opens to the online home page, but I use it so infrequently I'm not sure. I pretty much only use it to buy music from iTunes.

I've recently tried syncing local content to my phone, but to find that content on the phone is difficult. The phone really wants to show me Apple Music stuff. I have to Library->Downloaded->Songs. Going to Artists or Albums just shows me "Download Music to Listen Offline". I really just don't want to spend the time I previously spent on my iTunes library all over again. I was really just trying to quick&dirty add co…

Just go to the Library tab in the phone app. That's where your own stuff is located.

I have over 8000 songs synced to my phone, 100% from local files on my computer.

I never activate the "library sync" BS that Apple tries to force on you, because historically it has replaced your copies with incorrect or "remastered" (AKA dynamically compressed to hell) versions from Apple servers.

I've even caught it switching "library sync" on without permission during an update.

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#222

Post by thought_alarm » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 10:47 PM UTC

titzer wrote: post #66

I still can't believe they killed iTunes. I used to have my entire digital music library in iTunes. Most of that was music I had ripped myself from CD, but I had a handful of albums I bought of iTunes and even some TV shows. When they wholesale abandoned iTunes and deleted from Mac OS in favor of...whatever Apple Music is, I knew I'd never trust them again. I searched for some decent mp3 players for a while, and even…

iTunes didn't go anywhere.

Just about everything I watch or listen to is served from the same iTunes Library I've had for over 20 years. It's more important to me now than it has ever been.

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#223

Post by dylan604 » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 10:48 PM UTC

MoonWalk wrote: post #221

dylan604 wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've recently tried syncing local content to my phone, but to find that content on the phone is difficult. The phone really wants to show me Apple Music stuff. I have to Library->Downloaded->Songs. Going to Artists or Albums just shows me "Download Music to Listen Offline". I really just don't want to spend the time I previously spent on my iTunes library all over again. I was really just trying to quick&dirty add co…

Just go to the Library tab in the phone app. That's where your own stuff is located. I have over 8000 songs synced to my phone, 100% from local files on my computer. I never activate the "library sync" BS that Apple tries to force on you, because historically it has replaced your copies with incorrect or "remastered" (AKA dynamically compressed to hell) versions from Apple servers. I've even caught it switching "libr…

Please re-read what I wrote. I know where the local stuff is. It doesn't fix the glitch that app is

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#224

Post by thought_alarm » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 10:58 PM UTC

I use the built-in `hidutil` utility to remap F3-F9 to my preferred keys.

F3/F4 are remapped to the keyboard backlight brightness.

F5-F9 are remapped to be plain old function keys.

This post has a lot of great info: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35555475

This is the mapping I use on an M1 MacBook:

    hidutil property --set '{
      "UserKeyMapping":[
        {"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x0000FF0100000010,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x00FF00000009},
        {"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x0000000c00000221,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x00FF00000008},
        {"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x0000000c000000cf,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x00070000003e},
        {"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x000000010000009b,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x00070000003f},
        {"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x0000000c000000b4,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x000700000040},
        {"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x0000000c000000cd,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x000700000041},
        {"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x0000000c000000b3,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x000700000042}
      ]
     }'

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#225

Post by imglorp » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 11:38 PM UTC

carlosjobim wrote: post #178

imglorp wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems the fans are willing to put up with absolutely unlimited grief and inconvenience to drink the koolaid they're given. Some Apple PM made a edict 11 years ago that Music shalt be thine only audio experience on the platform. Lock it down, boys! The rest of us ask for a customizable experience.

1. Pressing play button plays music "Absolutely unlimited grief and inconvenience!"

I would like to choose which music app opens when I hit play. I my case it is not the locked one.

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#226

Post by ElijahLynn » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 11:43 PM UTC

brew install notunes

Then launch it once to say you approve

startup Ventura and later: Navigate to System Settings Select General Select Login Items Click the + under Open at Login and select noTunes

https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#227

Post by thallavajhula » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 11:54 PM UTC

I really like your approach. Smart. Personally though, I like AM opening up when I hit the PLAY button on my keyboard.

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#228

Post by vachina » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 12:04 AM UTC

Or delete the Music app… zero processes required.

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#229

Post by haunter » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 12:08 AM UTC

titzer wrote: post #66

I still can't believe they killed iTunes. I used to have my entire digital music library in iTunes. Most of that was music I had ripped myself from CD, but I had a handful of albums I bought of iTunes and even some TV shows. When they wholesale abandoned iTunes and deleted from Mac OS in favor of...whatever Apple Music is, I knew I'd never trust them again. I searched for some decent mp3 players for a while, and even…

foobar is the best https://www.foobar2000.org/mac

Re: Stop the Apple Music app from launching

#230

Post by socalgal2 » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 12:29 AM UTC

asdff wrote: post #70

titzer wrote: post #66

I still can't believe they killed iTunes. I used to have my entire digital music library in iTunes. Most of that was music I had ripped myself from CD, but I had a handful of albums I bought of iTunes and even some TV shows. When they wholesale abandoned iTunes and deleted from Mac OS in favor of...whatever Apple Music is, I knew I'd never trust them again. I searched for some decent mp3 players for a while, and even…

Why vibe code anything? VLC would fit the bill. Even quicktime.

I think you must have very different needs if VLC is a substitute for iTunes/Music. For me, iTunes/Music is a music catalog app for managing my 9000+ MP3s with artists, album covers, playlisted based on various criteria, etc... where as VLC is an app for playing back single media files.