epheterson/applemusic-mcp

MCP server for Apple Music. It gives any MCP client (Claude, Cursor, Cline, Windsurf) control of your playlists, library, catalog, discovery, playback, and the Up Next queue. Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
**A Mac or an Apple Music subscription is all you need.** Four engines, chosen per call: Music.app and Safari on a Mac, the Apple Music API and Chrome on any OS.
Features
Four engines back the server. **Native** drives the local Music.app on macOS via AppleScript. **API** uses Apple Music's web API (amp-api.music.apple.com) on any OS. **Safari** drives your signed-in Safari's MusicKit on macOS (DRM-native, zero install). **Chrome** runs a local Google Chrome window with MusicKit for DRM audio on any OS. One mode preference picks the engine — auto (default) mixes the best of each: native Music.app for playback on macOS, Safari for the Up Next queue, the API for data, Chrome off-mac. Pin one with native / safari / chrome / api, or override a single playback/queue call with engine=. In the table below, the **Browser** column covers both the Safari and Chrome web players. ✓ supported, ✗ not possible on that engine, — not applicable there.
|Capability|Native (Music.app) macOS|API (amp-api) any OS|Browser (Safari macOS / Chrome any OS)|
|---|:---:|:---:|:---:|
|**Catalog search / browse**|✓|✓ (+ tokenless resolve)|—|
|Recommendations / charts / suggestions|✗|✓|—|
|**Library search / browse**|✓|✓|—|
|Genre search|✓|✗|—|
|Recently played / added|✓|✓|—|
|**Add catalog → library**|✓|✓|✓ (in-page POST)|
|Remove from library|✓|✓|—|
|Love / dislike|✓|✓|—|
|**1–5 star ratings**|✓|✗|✗|
|Favorites list|✓|✗|✗|
|**Playlist** create / add / remove / rename|✓|✓|—|
|Playlist copy|✓|✗|—|
|Playlist delete|✓|✓ (web token)|—|
|Folders: single level + move in/out|✓|✓|—|
|Folders: nested paths / tree / path|✓|✗|✗|
|**Playback**: play song / album / playlist / URL|✓|—|✓|
|Controls: pause / stop / next / prev / seek|✓|—|✓|
|Settings: volume / shuffle / repeat|✓|—|✓|
|now_playing|✓|—|✓|
|**Up Next queue**: view / next / last / remove / jump / clear / autoplay|✗|—|✓|
|Reveal in app|✓|—|✓ (navigates page)|
|AirPlay device select|✓|✗|✗|
|Library snapshot / integrity|✓|✗|✗|
|**Works with no Apple account**|✓|✗|✗|
|**Cross-platform (Win/Linux)**|✗|✓|✓|
Everything in the **API** column runs anywhere, no browser and no Music app. Browser playback and the queue need a desktop session and a web player — **Safari on macOS** (no install) or **Google Chrome** elsewhere.
Setup
**Requirements:** Python 3.10+, plus either a Mac or an Apple Music subscription. The Chrome web player (cross-platform playback + Up Next queue) needs Google Chrome + Playwright. **On macOS you can skip both** — sign in via Safari and play through the Music app — so the default macOS install is lightweight (no ~500 MB Playwright). Windows/Linux include Playwright automatically (it's the only path there).
**Claude Code**, one line:
**Claude Desktop / Cursor / Cline / Windsurf**, install once, then add the config block:
Restart your client and try *"List my Apple Music playlists"* or *"Play my favorites."* On macOS the local library and playback work immediately. To add catalog music or run on any OS, sign in.
Sign in
Two paths capture the credentials for the cross-platform API.
**Apple Developer token (preferred).** The sanctioned route, an Apple Developer Program membership with a MusicKit key. One guided command writes the config, mints a 6-month token, and authorizes:
See the appendix for getting the MusicKit key.
**Web sign-in.** The quick path, and what plain applemusic-mcp login does. Your password never touches this tool, sign-in persists, and tokens re-fetch before they expire. You can also sign in conversationally — just ask your assistant. (Web sign-in uses Apple's web-player API, the same path as open-source clients like Cider and Music Assistant.)
- **macOS — reads from a signed-in Safari (no Chrome, no ~500 MB Playwright):**
One-time Safari setting (a security toggle — *you* enable it, the tool never flips it): **Safari → Settings → Advanced → "Show features for web developers"**, then the **Develop** menu → **"Allow JavaScript from Apple Events."** Sign into Apple Music at music.apple.com in Safari first. That setting only lets the tool read **one cookie** — your Apple Music token — from your own signed-in Safari, and you can switch it back off afterward. If it's off or you're not signed in, login prints exactly how to fix it (or use --dev, or --chrome). Prefer Chrome on a Mac? pip install 'applemusic-mcp[browser]', then applemusic-mcp login --chrome. Combined with native Music.app playback, a Mac needs no Chrome at all.