Spotify Controls in the MacBook Notch: Setup and Fixes

To put Spotify controls in your MacBook notch, install Notchy and play a track in Spotify. The island shows Now Playing at the top of the display, with a hover peek for transport controls and an expanded player when you want more. Spotify supplies the music; Notchy supplies a smaller place to control it.

Set up the player

1. Download Notchy and move it into Applications.
2. Launch Spotify and start a track. Begin with the desktop app so the first test has fewer moving parts.
3. Enable Now Playing in Notchy if you have turned it off.
4. Hover the island to peek at the controls, or open the Music tab for the player.
5. Pause, resume, skip, and seek. Confirm that each action affects the track you intended.

The native app supports Apple Music too. On a Mac without a hardware notch, the same controls live in a floating pill. You can check the visual interaction in our browser demo, where playback is simulated rather than connected to your Spotify account.

When more than one app is playing

A browser video and Spotify can both produce a media session. If the island shows the video instead of your music, inspect the playback source picker in Notchy. Select the source you want, or return to Automatic when you want the app to follow the current media session.

A pinned source is a preference you may forget later. If the player seems stuck after switching apps, check that choice before reinstalling. Close or pause competing media sessions to make the test unambiguous, then play a new track in Spotify.

If the title, artwork, or controls are missing

First confirm that music really plays on this Mac. A Spotify session controlled remotely is a different situation from local playback. Pause and resume in Spotify itself, then check whether Notchy updates. If the desktop app works but a browser player does not, isolate the browser session rather than changing every Notchy setting at once.

Artwork and metadata can arrive separately from playback. Test another track and allow the source to refresh. An absent cover does not necessarily mean the play/pause control is broken. If the problem persists, send the macOS version, Notchy version, playback source, and reproduction steps through support.

Playback controls and volume are different

Skipping a song affects its playback session. System volume affects the output device. App volume changes the level of one app. When a song plays silently, check the selected output and device volume before assuming the player failed.

Notchy’s audio switcher helps move sound between speakers and headphones. Its Sound Mixer provides per-app audio control on supported macOS versions; that feature requires macOS 14.4 or newer. Basic Notchy compatibility and the mixer’s requirement are different.

Keep lyrics optional

Notchy can show synced lyrics using LRCLIB when a matching timed lyric file exists. Coverage depends on the track. Missing lyrics do not indicate a Spotify connection failure. Switch lyrics off when you want a compact player, and use the lyrics feature page when you want the fuller experience.

For a calmer desk setup, combine the player with a countdown using our focus music workflow. The point is fewer interruptions between your music and your work, with controls that remain easy to reach.