Axiom Now Playing Musickit

MusicKit Integration (Apple Music)

Time cost: 5-10 minutes

Key Insight

MusicKit's ApplicationMusicPlayer automatically publishes to MPNowPlayingInfoCenter. You don't need to manually update Now Playing info when playing Apple Music content.

What's Automatic

When using ApplicationMusicPlayer:

• Track title, artist, album
• Artwork (Apple's album art)
• Duration and elapsed time
• Playback rate (playing/paused state)

The system handles all MPNowPlayingInfoCenter updates for you.

What's NOT Automatic

• Custom metadata (chapter markers, custom artist notes)
• Remote command customization beyond standard controls
• Mixing MusicKit content with your own content

Subscription and Authorization

Check Music Authorization

import MusicKit

func requestMusicAccess() async -> Bool {
    let status = await MusicAuthorization.request()
    return status == .authorized
}

// Check current status without prompting
let currentStatus = MusicAuthorization.currentStatus
// .authorized, .denied, .notDetermined, .restricted

Check Apple Music Subscription

func checkSubscription() async -> Bool {
    do {
        let subscription = try await MusicSubscription.current
        return subscription.canPlayCatalogContent
    } catch {
        return false
    }
}

// Observe subscription changes
func observeSubscription() {
    Task {
        for await subscription in MusicSubscription.subscriptionUpdates {
            if subscription.canPlayCatalogContent {
                // Full Apple Music access
            } else if subscription.canBecomeSubscriber {
                // Show subscription offer
                showSubscriptionOffer()
            }
        }
    }
}

Subscription Offer Sheet

import MusicKit
import StoreKit

// Present Apple Music subscription offer
MusicSubscriptionOffer.Options(
    messageIdentifier: .playMusic,
    itemID: song.id
)

// In SwiftUI
.musicSubscriptionOffer(isPresented: $showOffer, options: offerOptions)

Graceful Fallback Without Subscription

@MainActor
class MusicPlayer: ObservableObject {
    @Published var canPlay = false

    func handlePlayRequest(song: Song) async {
        let authorized = await requestMusicAccess()
        guard authorized else {
            showAuthorizationDeniedAlert()
            return
        }

        do {
            let subscription = try await MusicSubscription.current
            if subscription.canPlayCatalogContent {
                // Full playback
                try await play(song: song)
            } else {
                // Preview only (30-second clips)
                if let previewURL = song.previewAssets?.first?.url {
                    playPreview(url: previewURL)
                }
            }
        } catch {
            handleError(error)
        }
    }
}

Playback

Basic Playback

import MusicKit

@MainActor
class MusicKitPlayer {
    private let player = ApplicationMusicPlayer.shared

    func play(song: Song) async throws {
        // ✅ Just play - MPNowPlayingInfoCenter updates automatically
        player.queue = [song]
        try await player.play()

        // ❌ DO NOT manually set nowPlayingInfo here
        // MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = [...] // WRONG!
    }

    func pause() {
        player.pause()
    }

    func stop() {
        player.stop()
    }
}

Observing Playback State

@MainActor
class PlayerViewModel: ObservableObject {
    private let player = ApplicationMusicPlayer.shared
    @Published var isPlaying = false
    @Published var currentEntry: ApplicationMusicPlayer.Queue.Entry?
    @Published var playbackTime: TimeInterval = 0

    func observeState() {
        // Observe playback status
        Task {
            for await state in player.state.objectWillChange.values {
                isPlaying = player.state.playbackStatus == .playing
            }
        }

        // Observe current entry (track changes)
        Task {
            for await queue in player.queue.objectWillChange.values {
                currentEntry = player.queue.currentEntry
            }
        }
    }
}

Queue Management

Setting the Queue

let player = ApplicationMusicPlayer.shared

// Single song
player.queue = [song]

// Album
player.queue = ApplicationMusicPlayer.Queue(album: album)

// Playlist
player.queue = ApplicationMusicPlayer.Queue(playlist: playlist)

// Multiple items
player.queue = ApplicationMusicPlayer.Queue(for: [song1, song2, song3])

// Start at specific item
player.queue = ApplicationMusicPlayer.Queue(for: songs, startingAt: songs[2])

Queue Operations

// Skip to next
try await player.skipToNextEntry()

// Skip to previous
try await player.skipToPreviousEntry()

// Restart current track
player.restartCurrentEntry()

// Append to queue
try await player.queue.insert(song, position: .afterCurrentEntry)
try await player.queue.insert(song, position: .tail)  // End of queue

// Shuffle and repeat
player.state.shuffleMode = .songs    // .off, .songs
player.state.repeatMode = .all       // .none, .one, .all

Observing Queue Changes

// Current track info
if let entry = player.queue.currentEntry {
    let title = entry.title
    let subtitle = entry.subtitle      // Artist name
    let artwork = entry.artwork         // Artwork for display

    // Get full Song object if needed
    if case .song(let song) = entry.item {
        let albumTitle = song.albumTitle
    }
}

Hybrid Apps (Own Content + Apple Music)

If your app plays both Apple Music and your own content:

import MusicKit

@MainActor
class HybridPlayer {
    private let musicKitPlayer = ApplicationMusicPlayer.shared
    private var avPlayer: AVPlayer?
    private var currentSource: ContentSource = .none

    enum ContentSource {
        case none
        case appleMusic      // MusicKit handles Now Playing
        case ownContent  // We handle Now Playing
    }

    func playAppleMusicSong(_ song: Song) async throws {
        // Switch to MusicKit
        avPlayer?.pause()
        currentSource = .appleMusic

        musicKitPlayer.queue = [song]
        try await musicKitPlayer.play()
        // ✅ MusicKit handles Now Playing automatically
    }

    func playOwnContent(_ url: URL) {
        // Switch to AVPlayer
        musicKitPlayer.pause()
        currentSource = .ownContent

        avPlayer = AVPlayer(url: url)
        avPlayer?.play()

        // ✅ Manually update Now Playing (see axiom-now-playing)
        updateNowPlayingForOwnContent()
    }

    private func updateNowPlayingForOwnContent() {
        var nowPlayingInfo = [String: Any]()
        nowPlayingInfo[MPMediaItemPropertyTitle] = "My Track"
        // ... rest of manual setup
        MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = nowPlayingInfo
    }
}

Common Mistake

// ❌ WRONG - Overwrites MusicKit's automatic Now Playing data
func playAppleMusicSong(_ song: Song) async throws {
    try await ApplicationMusicPlayer.shared.play()

    // ❌ This clears MusicKit's Now Playing info!
    var nowPlayingInfo = [String: Any]()
    nowPlayingInfo[MPMediaItemPropertyTitle] = song.title
    MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = nowPlayingInfo
}

// ✅ CORRECT - Let MusicKit handle it
func playAppleMusicSong(_ song: Song) async throws {
    try await ApplicationMusicPlayer.shared.play()
    // That's it! MusicKit publishes Now Playing automatically.
}

When to Use Manual Updates with MusicKit

Only override MPNowPlayingInfoCenter if:

• You're mixing in additional metadata (e.g., podcast chapter markers)
• You're displaying custom content alongside Apple Music
• You have a specific reason to replace MusicKit's automatic behavior

Default: Let MusicKit manage Now Playing automatically.

Resources

Docs: /musickit, /musickit/applicationmusicplayer, /musickit/musicsubscription

Skills: axiom-now-playing, axiom-now-playing-carplay

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