Music MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for controlling Apple Music on macOS using AppleScript. This connector provides a structured interface for AI assistants like Claude to interact with the Music app, enabling playback control, library management, and music information retrieval.

Features

• Playback Control: Play, pause, skip tracks, and control volume
• Current Track Information: Get detailed track metadata and playback status
• Library Management: Search tracks, albums, artists, and browse your library
• Playlist Management: Create, manage, modify, and play playlists
• Enhanced Queue Management: Add tracks to play next, view queue status, and control playback order
• Smart "Play Next" Feature: Queue tracks to play after the current song using temporary playlists
• Diagnostic Tools: Built-in info command for troubleshooting

Requirements

• macOS (required for Apple Music and AppleScript)
• Node.js 18.0.0 or higher
• Apple Music app installed and accessible
• Automation permissions granted to your terminal/app

Installation

Via npm (Recommended)

npx @pedrocid/music-mcp@latest

For Development

git clone https://github.com/pedrocid/music-mcp.git
cd music-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Building as Desktop Extension

If you want to create a Desktop Extension (.dxt) for distribution:

# Install the DXT CLI tool
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/dxt

# Initialize Desktop Extension (if not already done)
dxt init

# Build the project
npm run build

# Package the extension
dxt pack

This creates a music-mcp.dxt file that can be installed directly in Claude Desktop or submitted to the Anthropic extension directory.

Note: The .dxt file is not included in the repository as it's a build artifact. Users who want the Desktop Extension should build it themselves using the instructions above.

Configuration

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this to your Claude Desktop MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "music": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@pedrocid/music-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables (Optional)

All environment variables are optional. The server uses stderr logging by default and works without any configuration.

Variable	Default	Description
MUSIC_MCP_LOG_LEVEL	info	Log level (debug, info, warn, error)
MUSIC_MCP_FILE_LOGGING	false	Enable file logging (disabled by default)
MUSIC_MCP_LOG_FILE	~/Library/Logs/music-mcp.log	Log file location (only used if file logging enabled)
MUSIC_MCP_CACHE_TTL	300	Cache timeout in seconds
MUSIC_MCP_MAX_SEARCH_RESULTS	50	Maximum search results
MUSIC_MCP_TIMEOUT_SECONDS	30	Default timeout for operations
MUSIC_MCP_ARTWORK_EXPORT	true	Enable album artwork export
MUSIC_MCP_LENIENT_PARSING	true	Accept variations in parameter names

Available Tools

info

Get diagnostic information about the MCP server status.

{
  "command": "info"
}

Returns version information, Music app availability, and configuration status.

execute_music_command

Execute music playback control commands.

{
  "command": "play|pause|next|previous|toggle_playback",
  "volume": 75,
  "position": 30,
  "shuffleMode": true,
  "repeatMode": "all",
  "rating": 4
}

get_music_info

Retrieve information about current playback or library.

{
  "infoType": "current_track|playback_status|queue|library_stats",
  "format": "simple|detailed"
}

search_music

Search the music library.

{
  "query": "artist name or song title",
  "searchType": "all|track|album|artist|playlist",
  "limit": 25
}

manage_playlist

Create and manage playlists.

{
  "action": "create|add_track|remove_track|rename|delete|list|get_tracks",
  "playlistName": "My Playlist",
  "trackId": "search term for track",
  "newName": "New Playlist Name"
}

queue_music ✨ NEW

Enhanced queue management and playlist control.

{
  "action": "view_queue|add_to_queue|play_queue|clear_queue|play_playlist",
  "trackSearchTerm": "song or artist name",
  "playlistName": "My Playlist",
  "shuffle": true
}

Queue Actions:

• view_queue: See current track, playlist context, and playback status
• add_to_queue: Add tracks to a temporary "Up Next" queue for sequential playback
• play_queue: Play the tracks you've added to the queue
• clear_queue: Clear all tracks from the up next queue
• play_playlist: Play a specific playlist (with optional shuffle)

Permissions

When first using the MCP server, macOS will prompt you to grant automation permissions. You need to:

1. Allow your terminal app (Terminal.app, iTerm2, etc.) to control "Music"
2. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Automation
3. Ensure your terminal app has permission to control "Music"

Troubleshooting

Check Server Status

npx @pedrocid/music-mcp@latest
# Then use the info tool to check status

Common Issues

"Music app is not running"

• The server automatically launches the Music app when needed
• If issues persist, manually open the Music app first

"AppleScript execution failed"

• Grant automation permissions in System Preferences
• Ensure Music app is accessible and not restricted

"No tracks found"

• Check that you have music in your library
• Verify your Apple Music subscription is active

Debugging

The server logs to stderr by default, which Claude Desktop captures. For additional debugging, you can:

1. Check Claude Desktop's MCP logs
2. Enable file logging by setting MUSIC_MCP_FILE_LOGGING=true environment variable
3. Use the info tool to check server diagnostics

Example Usage

Here are some example interactions you can have with Claude using this MCP server:

Basic Playback:

• "Play my music and set the volume to 50%"
• "What song is currently playing?"
• "Skip to the next track"

Library & Search:

• "Search for songs by Taylor Swift"
• "Show me my library statistics"

Playlist Management:

• "Create a playlist called 'Road Trip' and add some upbeat songs"
• "Play my 'Chill' playlist with shuffle enabled"
• "Remove all tracks by [artist] from my 'Favorites' playlist"

Queue Management (NEW):

• "Add 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to play next"
• "Show me what's in my up next queue"
• "Clear my queue and add these 3 songs to play after the current track"
• "Play my 'Party Mix' playlist next"

Development

Building

npm run build

Testing

npm test              # Unit tests
npm run test:e2e      # Integration tests

Linting

npm run lint

Release Preparation

npm run prepare-release

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature-name
3. Make your changes and add tests
4. Run the test suite: npm test
5. Run the release preparation: npm run prepare-release
6. Commit your changes: git commit -am 'Add feature'
7. Push to the branch: git push origin feature-name
8. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

• GitHub Issues
• Documentation

Related Projects

• Model Context Protocol
• Claude Desktop