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These examples show how to create script commands for controlling media playback across different applications like Apple Music, Spotify, and system audio.

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Apple Music Playback

Control Apple Music directly from Raycast.
Show the currently playing track in your Raycast menu bar with auto-refresh.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Current Track
# @raycast.mode inline
# @raycast.refreshTime 10s
# @raycast.packageName Music
# @raycast.icon images/apple-music-logo.png
# @raycast.description Show currently playing track in Music.

if application "Music" is not running then
    log "Not playing"
    return
end if

property currentTrackName : "Unknown Track"
property currentTrackArtist : "Unknown Artist"
property playerState : "stopped"

tell application "Music"
    try
        set currentTrackName to name of the current track
        set currentTrackArtist to artist of the current track
        set playerState to player state as string
    end try
end tell

if playerState is "playing" then
    log currentTrackName & " - " & currentTrackArtist
else if playerState is "paused" then
    log currentTrackName & " - " & currentTrackArtist & " (Paused)"
else
    log "Not playing"
end if
How it works:
  • Checks if Music app is running before attempting to query it
  • Uses AppleScript’s tell application to communicate with Music
  • Gets current track name, artist, and player state
  • Updates every 10 seconds when displayed in menu bar
  • Shows playback state (Playing/Paused) for context
Quickly increase Apple Music volume by 5%.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# Required parameters:
# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Apple Music Volume Up
# @raycast.mode silent
# @raycast.icon images/apple-music-logo.png
# @raycast.packageName Music

try
    tell application "Music"
        set sound volume to sound volume + 5
        do shell script "echo '⬆'"
    end tell
end try
How it works:
  • Adjusts Music app’s internal volume (separate from system volume)
  • Increases by 5 points per execution
  • Runs in silent mode with just an arrow indicator
  • Uses try block to handle cases where Music isn’t running
  • Can be triggered repeatedly for fine-grained control
Create a companion script: Make a volume-down version by changing + 5 to - 5 and the arrow to ⬇.

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Spotify Integration

Display what’s currently playing on Spotify.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# Required parameters:
# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Current Track
# @raycast.mode inline
# @raycast.refreshTime 30s
# @raycast.packageName Spotify
# @raycast.icon images/spotify-logo.png
# @raycast.description Show currently playing track in Spotify.

if application "Spotify" is not running then
    log "Not playing"
    return
end if

property currentTrackName : "Unknown Track"
property currentTrackArtist : "Unknown Artist"
property playerState : "stopped"

tell application "Spotify"
    try
        set currentTrackName to name of the current track
        set currentTrackArtist to artist of the current track
        set playerState to player state as string
    end try
end tell

if playerState is "playing" then
    log currentTrackName & " by " & currentTrackArtist
else if playerState is "paused" then
    log currentTrackName & " by " & currentTrackArtist & " (Paused)"
else
    log "Not playing"
end if
How it works:
  • Similar to Apple Music script but targets Spotify
  • Refreshes every 30 seconds
  • Handles cases where Spotify is not running
  • Displays track and artist with “by” separator
  • Perfect for menu bar display

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Universal Media Scripts

These patterns work across multiple media players.
Create universal play/pause controls for any media app.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Play/Pause
# @raycast.mode silent
# @raycast.packageName Music

tell application "Music"
    playpause
end tell
How it works:
  • Uses the universal playpause command available in most media apps
  • Toggles between play and pause states
  • Works even when the app is in the background
  • Silent mode for instant execution without UI
Skip tracks forward or backward.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Next Track
# @raycast.mode silent
# @raycast.packageName Music

tell application "Music"
    next track
end tell
How it works:
  • next track and previous track are standard AppleScript commands
  • Work with Apple Music, Spotify, and most media players
  • Execute instantly in silent mode
  • Can be bound to keyboard shortcuts for quick access

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Volume Management

Create custom volume adjustments for precise control.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Set Volume
# @raycast.mode silent
# @raycast.packageName Music
# @raycast.argument1 { "type": "text", "placeholder": "Volume (0-100)" }

on run argv
    set volumeLevel to item 1 of argv as number
    
    if volumeLevel < 0 or volumeLevel > 100 then
        display notification "Volume must be between 0 and 100" with title "Invalid Volume"
        return
    end if
    
    tell application "Music"
        set sound volume to volumeLevel
    end tell
    
    display notification "Volume set to " & volumeLevel with title "Music Volume"
end run
How it works:
  • Takes volume level as argument (0-100)
  • Validates input is within acceptable range
  • Sets Music app volume directly
  • Provides notification feedback
  • More precise than increment/decrement buttons

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Advanced Media Controls

Rate tracks directly from Raycast.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Love Current Track
# @raycast.mode silent
# @raycast.packageName Music

tell application "Music"
    if player state is playing then
        set loved of current track to true
        set trackName to name of current track
        display notification "Loved " & trackName with title "Apple Music"
    else
        display notification "No track is currently playing" with title "Apple Music"
    end if
end tell
How it works:
  • Checks if a track is currently playing
  • Sets the loved property of the current track
  • Shows notification with track name
  • Integrates with Apple Music’s recommendation algorithm
  • Can create similar script for “hate” by setting loved to false

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System Audio Controls

Quickly mute/unmute system audio.
#!/usr/bin/osascript

# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Toggle Mute
# @raycast.mode silent
# @raycast.packageName System
# @raycast.icon 🔇

set currentVolume to output volume of (get volume settings)
set isMuted to output muted of (get volume settings)

if isMuted then
    set volume output volume currentVolume without output muted
    display notification "Audio unmuted" with title "System Audio"
else
    set volume output volume currentVolume with output muted
    display notification "Audio muted" with title "System Audio"
end if
How it works:
  • Gets current system volume and mute state
  • Toggles mute while preserving volume level
  • Provides clear feedback via notifications
  • Works system-wide, affecting all applications

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Media Script Patterns

Inline vs Silent Mode: Use inline mode for status displays (now playing) and silent mode for actions (play/pause, next track). This gives users appropriate feedback without interrupting their workflow.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Bind your most-used media controls to keyboard shortcuts in Raycast settings. For example, Cmd+Shift+Space for play/pause or Cmd+Shift+Right for next track.
App-Specific Commands: Commands like loved and sound volume are specific to Apple Music. Spotify and other players have different properties. Check each app’s AppleScript dictionary in Script Editor.

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Testing Media Scripts

  1. Use Script Editor: Open Script Editor (in /Applications/Utilities) to test AppleScript commands interactively
  2. Check App Dictionary: In Script Editor, go to File > Open Dictionary to see available commands for each app
  3. Handle Edge Cases: Always check if the app is running and if media is playing before executing commands

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See Also

System Scripts

Battery, network, and system monitoring

Developer Utils

Git, Docker, and encoding utilities

App Integrations

Control Bear, Spotify, Safari, and more

Productivity

Todo lists, timers, and password managers

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