# Musickit > Integrate Apple Music playback, catalog search, and Now Playing metadata using MusicKit and MediaPlayer. Use when adding music search, Apple Music subscription flows, queue management, playback controls, remote command handling, or Now Playing info to iOS apps. - Skill: `om-scogo/musickit` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add om-scogo/musickit` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/om-scogo/musickit/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: om-scogo (https://skillmd.com/u/om-scogo) - Updated: 2026-09-08 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/om-scogo/musickit --- # MusicKit Search the Apple Music catalog, manage playback with `ApplicationMusicPlayer`, check subscriptions, and publish Now Playing metadata via `MPNowPlayingInfoCenter` and `MPRemoteCommandCenter`. ## Contents - [Setup](#setup) - [Workflow](#workflow) - [Authorization](#authorization) - [Catalog Search](#catalog-search) - [Subscription Checks](#subscription-checks) - [Playback with ApplicationMusicPlayer](#playback-with-applicationmusicplayer) - [Queue Management](#queue-management) - [Now Playing Info](#now-playing-info) - [Remote Command Center](#remote-command-center) - [Common Mistakes](#common-mistakes) - [Review Checklist](#review-checklist) - [References](#references) ## Workflow 1. Verify the MusicKit App Service, bundle identifier, purpose string, and background-audio mode before debugging code. 2. Request authorization, then model every non-authorized state explicitly. 3. Search or load catalog content and check `MusicSubscription.current` before queueing playback. 4. Choose `ApplicationMusicPlayer` for app-scoped playback; wire Now Playing and remote commands only when the app owns those surfaces. 5. Test authorized, denied, unsubscribed, offline, queue failure, interruption, and track-change states. Fix the smallest failing layer, restore the fixture, and rerun the same state matrix. ## Setup ### Project Configuration 1. Enable the **MusicKit App Service** for the app's explicit bundle ID in the Apple Developer portal so MusicKit can generate developer tokens automatically. 2. Add `NSAppleMusicUsageDescription` to Info.plist explaining why the app accesses the user's media library. 3. For background playback, add the `audio` background mode to `UIBackgroundModes`. ### Imports ```swift import MusicKit // Catalog, auth, playback import MediaPlayer // MPRemoteCommandCenter, MPNowPlayingInfoCenter ``` ## Authorization Request permission before accessing the user's music data or playing Apple Music content. `request()` presents Apple's consent dialog when necessary; use `currentStatus` to read the current setting without prompting. ```swift func requestMusicAccess() async -> MusicAuthorization.Status { let status = await MusicAuthorization.request() switch status { case .authorized: // Full access to MusicKit APIs break case .denied, .restricted: // Show guidance to enable in Settings break case .notDetermined: break @unknown default: break } return status } // Check current status without prompting let current = MusicAuthorization.currentStatus ``` ## Catalog Search Use `MusicCatalogSearchRequest` to search the Apple Music catalog. Catalog lookup can fetch Apple Music resources, but playback of subscription catalog content must still be gated on `MusicSubscription.current.canPlayCatalogContent`. ```swift func searchCatalog(term: String) async throws -> MusicItemCollection { var request = MusicCatalogSearchRequest(term: term, types: [Song.self]) request.limit = 25 let response = try await request.response() return response.songs } ``` ### Displaying Results ```swift for song in songs { print("\(song.title) by \(song.artistName)") if let artwork = song.artwork { let url = artwork.url(width: 300, height: 300) // Load artwork from url } } ``` ## Subscription Checks Check whether the user has an active Apple Music subscription before offering playback features. ```swift func checkSubscription() async throws -> Bool { let subscription = try await MusicSubscription.current return subscription.canPlayCatalogContent } // Observe subscription changes func observeSubscription() async { for await subscription in MusicSubscription.subscriptionUpdates { if subscription.canPlayCatalogContent { // Enable full playback UI } else { // Show subscription offer } } } ``` ### Offering Apple Music Present the Apple Music subscription offer sheet when the user is not subscribed. Check `canBecomeSubscriber` first, and pass `MusicSubscriptionOffer.Options` or `onLoadCompletion` when the sheet needs contextual metadata or load-error handling. ```swift import MusicKit import SwiftUI struct MusicOfferView: View { @State private var showOffer = false var body: some View { Button("Subscribe to Apple Music") { Task { let subscription = try? await MusicSubscription.current showOffer = subscription?.canBecomeSubscriber == true } } .musicSubscriptionOffer( isPresented: $showOffer, options: .default, onLoadCompletion: { error in if let error { // Surface loading errors in app UI or diagnostics. print(error) } } ) } } ``` ## Playback with ApplicationMusicPlayer `ApplicationMusicPlayer` plays Apple Music content independently from the Music app. It does not affect the system player's state. ```swift let player = ApplicationMusicPlayer.shared func playSong(_ song: Song) async throws { player.queue = [song] try await player.play() } func pause() { player.pause() } func skipToNext() async throws { try await player.skipToNextEntry() } ``` ### Observing Playback State ```swift func observePlayback() { // player.state is an @Observable property let state = player.state switch state.playbackStatus { case .playing: break case .paused: break case .stopped, .interrupted, .seekingForward, .seekingBackward: break @unknown default: break } } ``` ## Queue Management Build and manipulate the playback queue using `ApplicationMusicPlayer.Queue`. ```swift // Initialize with multiple items func playAlbum(_ album: Album) async throws { player.queue = [album] try await player.play() } // Append songs to the existing queue func appendToQueue(_ songs: [Song]) async throws { try await player.queue.insert(songs, position: .tail) } // Insert song to play next func playNext(_ song: Song) async throws { try await player.queue.insert(song, position: .afterCurrentEntry) } ``` ## Now Playing Info Update `MPNowPlayingInfoCenter` so the Lock Screen, Control Center, and CarPlay display current track metadata. This is essential when playing custom audio (non-MusicKit sources). `ApplicationMusicPlayer` handles this automatically for Apple Music content. ```swift import MediaPlayer func updateNowPlaying(title: String, artist: String, duration: TimeInterval, elapsed: TimeInterval) { var info = [String: Any]() info[MPMediaItemPropertyTitle] = title info[MPMediaItemPropertyArtist] = artist info[MPMediaItemPropertyPlaybackDuration] = duration info[MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyElapsedPlaybackTime] = elapsed info[MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyPlaybackRate] = 1.0 info[MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyMediaType] = MPNowPlayingInfoMediaType.audio.rawValue MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = info } func clearNowPlaying() { MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = nil } ``` ### Adding Artwork ```swift func setArtwork(_ image: UIImage) { let artwork = MPMediaItemArtwork(boundsSize: image.size) { _ in image } var info = MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo ?? [:] info[MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork] = artwork MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = info } ``` ## Remote Command Center Register handlers for `MPRemoteCommandCenter` to respond to Lock Screen controls, AirPods tap gestures, and CarPlay buttons. ```swift func setupRemoteCommands() { let center = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared() center.playCommand.addTarget { _ in resumePlayback() return .success } center.pauseCommand.addTarget { _ in pausePlayback() return .success } center.nextTrackCommand.addTarget { _ in skipToNext() return .success } center.previousTrackCommand.addTarget { _ in skipToPrevious() return .success } // Disable commands you do not support center.seekForwardCommand.isEnabled = false center.seekBackwardCommand.isEnabled = false } ``` ### Scrubbing Support ```swift func enableScrubbing() { let center = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared() center.changePlaybackPositionCommand.addTarget { event in guard let positionEvent = event as? MPChangePlaybackPositionCommandEvent else { return .commandFailed } seek(to: positionEvent.positionTime) return .success } } ``` ## Common Mistakes | Mistake | Fix | |---|---| | Debugging authorization before configuring the App Service and purpose string | Verify service, bundle ID, and `NSAppleMusicUsageDescription` first. | | Queueing catalog content without a subscription gate | Check `canPlayCatalogContent`; offer subscription only when `canBecomeSubscriber`. | | Using `SystemMusicPlayer` for app-owned playback | Use `ApplicationMusicPlayer`; the system player changes the Music app's global queue. | | Publishing Now Playing metadata once | Refresh it on track, duration, rate, and elapsed-time changes. | | Registering unsupported remote commands | Disable them; supported handlers must perform the action and return `.success`. | ## Review Checklist - [ ] MusicKit App Service enabled for the app's explicit bundle ID - [ ] `NSAppleMusicUsageDescription` added to Info.plist - [ ] `MusicAuthorization.request()` called before any MusicKit access - [ ] Subscription checked before attempting catalog playback - [ ] `canBecomeSubscriber` checked before presenting a subscription offer - [ ] `hasCloudLibraryEnabled` checked before library writes - [ ] `ApplicationMusicPlayer` used (not `SystemMusicPlayer`) for app-scoped playback - [ ] Background audio mode enabled if music plays in background - [ ] Now Playing info updated on every track change (for custom audio) - [ ] Remote command handlers return `.success` for supported commands - [ ] Unsupported remote commands disabled with `isEnabled = false` - [ ] Artwork provided in Now Playing info for Lock Screen display - [ ] Elapsed playback time updated periodically for scrubber accuracy - [ ] Subscription offer presented when user lacks Apple Music subscription ## References - Extended patterns (SwiftUI integration, genre browsing, playlist management): [references/musickit-patterns.md](references/musickit-patterns.md) - [MusicKit framework](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit) - [Using automatic developer token generation for Apple Music API](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/using-automatic-token-generation-for-apple-music-api) - [MusicAuthorization](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/musicauthorization) - [ApplicationMusicPlayer](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/applicationmusicplayer) - [MusicCatalogSearchRequest](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/musiccatalogsearchrequest) - [MusicSubscription](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/musicsubscription) - [canPlayCatalogContent](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/musicsubscription/canplaycatalogcontent) - [canBecomeSubscriber](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/musicsubscription/canbecomesubscriber) - [hasCloudLibraryEnabled](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/musicsubscription/hascloudlibraryenabled) - [MusicCatalogChartsRequest initializer](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/musickit/musiccatalogchartsrequest/init(genre:kinds:types:)) - [musicSubscriptionOffer(isPresented:options:onLoadCompletion:)](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/swiftui/view/musicsubscriptionoffer(ispresented:options:onloadcompletion:)) - [MPRemoteCommandCenter](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/mediaplayer/mpremotecommandcenter) - [MPNowPlayingInfoCenter](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/mediaplayer/mpnowplayinginfocenter) - [NSAppleMusicUsageDescription](https://sosumi.ai/documentation/bundleresources/information-property-list/nsapplemusicusagedescription)