Apple Music · as of Oct 2026

Control Apple Music from the Mac notch: skip, pause, and see the track

Yes. The notch can control Apple Music and Spotify on the Mac. The bundled Safari extension also connects Apple Music, Spotify, NetEase Cloud Music, and QQ Music on the web. One-time price: US$3.99. As of Oct 2026.

Facts

Price	US$3.99, one-time purchase, not a subscription
System	macOS 13 or later
Download	Mac App Store, app id 6780394254. This is the current public release
Chinese	English by default. Switches to Simplified or Traditional Chinese to match the system language
Apple Music	Since 2026-09-30 (version 1.3.2). View the current track, including artwork, and pause, resume, skip, seek, and change volume.
Notch tools	File shelf, file filters, clipboard, Mirror Mode, plus Apple Music and Spotify. These are built-in notch tools, not a third-party widget store

What you can do without bringing Apple Music forward

While a song is playing, you do not have to bring the Apple Music window to the front. MyNotchBar keeps the current track on the notch at the top of the screen: you can see which song is playing (track info and artwork) and pause, resume, or skip.

The 1.3.2 notes also include seeking and volume. Playback still happens in Apple Music. MyNotchBar does not replace an Apple Music library, subscription, or account.

When this shipped

The site changelog puts Music in version 1.3.2 on September 30, 2026: view Apple Music track details, control playback, skip tracks, seek, and adjust volume. That is the date this page means by supported since 2026-09-30.

Version 1.3.3 on October 13, 2026 adds Safari web music. After you enable the bundled extension and allow access to music websites, it can connect to Apple Music and Spotify on the web. Seeking and volume depend on that player.

Version 1.3.4 on October 15, 2026 connects the Spotify desktop app in the notch, shows the current song, and controls playback. The same release adds NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music on the web through that Safari extension. Settings can open those sites and show player icons. When nothing is playing, the music panel keeps only Music Settings.

If music is missing from the notch

First confirm Apple Music is actually playing. Starting in 1.3.2, the panel can show three of four main features, in an order you choose. If music is not on the notch, open Settings and make sure Music is one of the three.

MyNotchBar is built for the MacBook notch. The panel unfolds from the notch and also runs in the menu bar. It requires macOS 13 or later.

Open MyNotchBar by moving the pointer to the notch, or use the shortcut set in the app.
Confirm Apple Music is playing and the notch shows the current track.
Pause, resume, or skip from the panel. Use the seek and volume controls there when you need them.
If there is no music entry, select Music among the main features shown in Settings.

Other notch apps

Other notch utilities also offer media controls. NotchNook’s site, for example, says it follows macOS Now Playing, including Apple Music and Spotify. This page only describes the controls listed in the MyNotchBar changelog. It does not rate other apps, and it does not call MyNotchBar free.

The current public download is the one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. A TestFlight link describes an older test build, not today’s release.

Questions

Can I pause and skip from the notch?

Yes. Since version 1.3.2 on 2026-09-30, MyNotchBar can view Apple Music track details and control playback, skip, seek, and volume.

Does it show album artwork?

The notch music panel shows the current Apple Music track so you can tell which song is playing, including the artwork used to identify it. The 1.3.2 notes say: view track details, control playback, skip, seek, and adjust volume.

Does it control Spotify?

Yes. Since 1.3.4 (2026-10-15), the notch can connect to the Spotify desktop app on the Mac. Since 1.3.3, the bundled Safari extension can connect to Apple Music and Spotify on the web, and 1.3.4 adds NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music on the web. Seeking and volume on the web depend on the player.

Is there a separate MyNotchBar subscription?

No. MyNotchBar is a one-time Mac App Store purchase: US$3.99. An Apple Music subscription, if you have one, is still billed by Apple.

Is the public release still TestFlight?

No. Download it on the Mac App Store, app id 6780394254. A TestFlight link is an older test channel, not the current public download.

References

Apple, Apple Music, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc. MyNotchBar is provided by Beijing Baiwan Technology Co., Ltd. and is not affiliated with Apple. As of Oct 2026.