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

axiom-now-playing-musickit