Is there a way control iTunes (volume etc.) without leaving your current app? IE: Safari or Mail

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Level 1

13 points

Is there a way control iTunes (volume etc.) without leaving your current app? IE: Safari or Mail

I have been looking for way to control the music on my Mac when I am working in another app... IE: I am on Safari... Music is playing... The phone rings and I want to mute or lower the volume with a keystroke rather than go out of Safari... find music... then lower the volume... there was a app called sizzlingkeys that worked perfectly... but when I upgraded to Catalina the app no longer works and they don't have a update for it... I am not a code writing super computer techy... but I love my music and I love my Macs... Can anyone please help me with this? I have gone into preferences and tried to assign keyboard shortcuts to the music app... but I can't seem to make it work when the music app is not in the front... IE: when I am on Safari or mail and the Music app is in the BG I cant find a way to lower the music without going out oof Safari or Mail and into Music? Any thoughts or suggestions or ideas?

Thanks,

Also I am with a group of people that are sad that we lost the iOS app "Remote"... As I like to play music from my Mac Mini... send the music to a variety of airplay speakers in my home... and then control the music from my iPhone or iPad remotely... adjusting the volume of different zones and changing the songs... the up next list... etc... seems that the "remote" app no longer functions with Catalina and Music... and the Music app on my phone only allows me to send the music to one of the many airplay devises that I have... not multiple... I have over 175gigs of music... I also use iTunes Match so that my music library on the various machines are all synced.... it used to work perfectly and I was a happy camper... Now not so happy... Sadness...

Mac mini 2018 or later

Posted on Nov 25, 2019 11:26 AM

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Answer 1

Teddy_B

Community Specialist

Nov 29, 2019 12:48 PM in response to panahead

Hey there panahead,

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities. I understand you’re looking for an easy way to lower the volume of your Mac. I’ll be happy to help with this.

Command-Down Arrow is the key command to lower the volume of iTunes but I understand you want to be able to do this from a different app. One simple way to do this may be to use the Volume control from the Mac menu bar. Take a look at this article for more info:

Turn your Mac volume up or down

Also, Option–Shift–Volume Up or Option–Shift–Volume Down should allow you to adjust the sound volume in smaller steps as well:

Mac keyboard shortcuts

If you have a Mac keyboard, there may be volume keys that you can use to adjust the volume of your Mac

As for the issue with the Remote no longer working, have you tried using Siri on your Mac to do what you want?

How to use Siri on your Mac

Let me know if this helps.

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Answer 2

panahead Author

Level 1

13 points

Nov 29, 2019 2:34 PM in response to Teddy_B

Hi A13,

Thanks so much for reaching out to help me... My issue is that I have a large library in iTunes... (aprx. 175 gigs with iTunes Match service) and I like to play my music through my house with my Mac mini as a server using multiple airport expresses in the Airplay mode... I have zones for Living room.. Office.. etc... and when I am in iTunes and I want to adjust the volume using Command up arrow or down arrow that works fine... but... if I have the Music or iTunes app in the background and I am in another application like Mail or Safari and the phone rings and I want to quickly lower the volume the command up or down arrows no longer works for the volume of iTunes... and the volume keys on the keyboard only control the system volume... not the airplay volume within iTunes or Music? I am looking for a hot key combo that works to adjust the volume of iTunes or music when it is not in the foreground? I used to have a 3rd party app called Sizzling keys that did just that... but after I updated to Catalina sadly the Sizzling keys app no longer works...

RE the IOS Remote app.. I shave not tried Siri? but not sure how it would work? because mostly when I am wanting to use the remote app I am in a different room than the computers is that is playing the music... If I try to play my music from the IOS app music on my iPhone it only allows to send the music to one zone at a time... I can't play to both Living room and Office airplay zones at the same time?

does this make any sense to you?

thoughts? ideas?

Thanks again...

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Answer 3

panahead Author

Level 1

13 points

Nov 29, 2019 2:41 PM in response to panahead

Also I have gone into the preferences and set up keyboard short cuts for volume control.... but they only seem to work when the iTunes or Music app is in the foreground... not when it is running in the background...

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Answer 4

Nov 29, 2019 1:38 PM in response to Teddy_B

I think that the OP wants to use the iTunes Remote App with Catalina. I have the same issue. Could you please advise on how to control the music from "music" app on iMac Pro from my iPhone.

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Is there a way control iTunes (volume etc.) without leaving your current app? IE: Safari or Mail

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