Apple Music keeps opening automatically.

Just to toss this in the general tech troubleshooting should others be searching for the same problem: I had the same problem, apple Music keep popping up seconds after I closed the app. Went in to a massive troubleshooting mode to figure it out only to find out later that the wife had spilled water on the keyboard and the weird signals coming in from a keyboard on the fritz was somehow causing apple music to launch. Changed keyboards, problem disappeared. If you have this problem, check your USB devices. The problem could be there...

I came across this thread because Apple Music started opening at random intervals for me today. It's been happening over the last 30 minutes every few minutes. I was reluctant to resort to installing 3rd party apps to solve the problem, but luckily for me I figured out what was happening. I have a Plantronics USB headset, the headset has inline controls in the wire with volume, answer and hang-up buttons. If you long press the answer button it launches Apple Music. It turns out I was sat on the controls XD.

It might not be as simple as this for everyone, but I thought I'd share.

Like others here, this just happened to me, but not with Bluetooth headphones, with wired headphones! I unplugged my headphones from the audio jack and Music stopped repeatedly opening. These headphones also have a microphone on the wire (in case that matters) and I'm using a 2015 MacBook running Catalina 10.15.7

Boot into Safe Mode by booting with the Shift key held down and check there to see if the problem persists.  Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

Download and run Etrecheck. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.

Copy the report

and use the Additional Text button to include the report in your reply.

IMPORTANT:

Before running Etrecheck assign Full Disk Access to Etrecheck in the Etrecheck's Privacy preference pane so that it can get additional information from the Console and log files for the report:

Also click and read the About info to further permit full disk access.

Then we can examine the report and see if we can determine what might be causing the problem.

I had this “problem” before, and I believe it is a feature in MacOS Yosemite and later. It is called Resume. When you shut down your computer, there is a checked box that says “Reopen Apps when turned on” and disable that. If that does not work, try blocking notifications from music, or turning off a feature that automatically opens notifications, both of which could trigger Music opening up automatically. Also works with iTunes and most other apps.

By doing the following you will save yourself and us a great of deal Q&A and save us all a great deal of time.

Please navigate to the Mac App Store and download the free version of EtreCheck OR please click www.EtreCheck.com where you will find the app. Once you have downloaded the free app and created the report please post it as your reply to this message. In order to post it, please use the following link for more detailed instructions on how to correctly include the results: 

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000211

We can then look for obvious issues that may be causing your problem.

This pain happens to me all the time when I use other output devices than the default Internal Speakers. With other words, when I use my Bluetooth headphones or speakers, alternatively my Apple TV Hifi system - Apple Music kindly interrupts me in the manner you describe. Incredible bug by Apple. Mind-boggling that this problem still exists and needs 3rd party software (please see other posts) to be overcome. Thank you for your post

AI will be the death of us all.

In Sys Prefs>Users & Groups, what all is listed in Login Items?

Sorry you feel that way. We're trying to find a fix for the problem not a workaround as noTunes is. The Etrecheck would give us a detailed, anonymous snapshot of your system to help us evaluate you situation.

This seems to be a very wide spread, reproducible issue from google and apple forums. This seems to have started happening when I started using a bluetooth headset on my Mac. Apple should be able to easily reproduce and do the debug. And comment on this. It would actually be ideal for me to remove apple music altogether. I don't use it. My phone (not apple) will sometimes start playing media when I connect to my cars bluetooth. So I wonder if this is something to do with A2DP or bluetooth device controlling music and apple music is just responding to the request?

My problem, maybe clinically less severe in its effect on mental health, is that Photos pops open when it's not wanted. I do a lot with Photos and would at some point in a session open it but I am puzzled why Catalina opens it when I log in. I am wondering whether there is a setting in Preferences that invokes it or some sort of Artificial Intelligence app is wrongly guessing what I want.

As Artificial Intelligence takes over, I fear we are going to see a lot of wrong guessing by AI powered apps.