Work · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to Background Music
Control the audio on your Mac apps from the menu bar
Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Background Music launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.
- 1
Skip Tunes▲115Control iTunes, Spotify, or Rdio from your Mac's menubar
2015 · skiptunes.com · its alternatives →
- 2
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Simplify for Mac▲220The simplest way to control Spotify, Music, iTunes and Vox
2015 · mmth.us · its alternatives →
- 4
Emcee▲63See what's playing on iTunes or Spotify in you Mac menubar
2015 · ilyabirman.net · its alternatives →
- 5
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Liberate your Headphones
2021 · boze.app · its alternatives →
- 7
Heartbeat▲246Listen to music with your friends together, on Spotify
2017 · getheartbeat.io · its alternatives →
- 8
AudioPriorityBar▲217Priority-based audio switching for macOS menu bar
Dec 2025 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 9
Shazam for Mac▲151Listens and identifies music in the background
2014 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
- 10
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- 15
SoundSource 3.0▲102The sound control that should be built into MacOS
2017 · rogueamoeba.com · its alternatives →
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Dock Party 3▲81Spotify+Apple Music visualizer & controls in your macOS dock
2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
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- 21
VolumeHub▲195Per-app volume control for macOS with no driver installs
Feb 2026 · volumehub.app · its alternatives →
- 22
What's currently playing in your favorite music app
2016 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
- 23
Use your media-keys ⏮⏯⏭ with SoundCloud
2019 · soundcloud.grid.studio · its alternatives →
- 24
Vicinity▲116High Quality Ambient Background Sounds in your macOS MenuBar
2016 · appahead.studio · its alternatives →
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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →