How do I stop Apple Music from launching whenever I connect a Bluetooth headset to my MacBook?

You can use Feedback - Apple Music - Apple to share your thoughts with Apple in this regard. While I would encourage everyone affected to send feedback personally I would use the third party tool rather than waiting for a change that may never come.

tt2

Bummer... I'm using a MacBook with M1. The Music app looks a little different and the icons do not change color. But for me when the icon has that dot in it indictating auto-advance is off then connecting headphones doesn't open the program.

Last thing to try... Set the icon to red and play a song. Let the song end and make sure another one does not start playing automatically. Then close the program and test to see if that works. Maybe even though auto-advance is turned off the program still assumes you want to continue listening where you left off?

The app lives in /System/Applications.

Unfortunately looks like System Integrity Protection (SIP) prevents you from removing or making it so this is not an executable file.

% sudo chmod -x /System/Applications/Music.app/Contents/MacOS/Music
Password:
chmod: Unable to change file mode on /System/Applications/Music.app/Contents/MacOS/Music: Operation not permitted

You can reboot to recovery, disable SIP with `csrutil disable` and then you can probably remove it... but chances are this will break other things as apple seems to want to hard-wire their music app/service into macos so you can't remove it or turn it off.

You should be able to select a default music player in the same way you can select default video player or browser. And the bug about auto-starting the music player when bluetooth headphones hang up a call should be fixed. Really annoying if you need to escape the apple music login prompt and quickly quit the apple music app before the login prompt pops up again a second later.

[Edited by Moderator]

In my case, I've NEVER used apple music. It opens and prompts me to sign in. You have to escape the signin window and quickly hit CMD-Q to quit Apple Music before the signin popup comes back. Nightmare if you aren't fast with key combos as you can't close the app.

So while it seems you are addressing the but from within apple music, there should be a solution for people that have never used it. For instance in the old days there was an option about autoplaying (or not) CDs and DVDs in the optical drive. Default was autoplay which was annoying, but you could turn it off.

What I don't understand here is there is nothing for Apple Music to play. So even if I hit the play button or something on my headphones or keyboard... I wouldn't expect apple to try and force me into an app I have never used that has no music in it. Pretty lousy experience.

They need to have an option to disable auto-opening music/video apps so I can use whatever audio/video app I want (perhaps varying by file extension) and then allow media controls (play/pause/etc) to affect whatever the open and most recently used app is. If no app is open, don't do anything unless I have enabled the "auto-open" option and selected a default app.

Just dreaming here.

Apple music is not in my log-in items, but launches each time I connect BT headphones (for a meeting)

You might try https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes.

tt2

This was a useless suggestion that has nothing to do with the problem.

With Apple Music open, in the menu bar, to the right of  click the word "Music" > Settings >general >> uncheck "show music and iTunes"

Issue resolved

JAGO

As noted previously, try https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes.

tt2

This is my solution. I added to "Privacy & Settings / Bluetooth" application Music and toggled it off. Now it works perfectly <3

Please install a video player for mac such as: Infuse, Kodi, VLC media player, Total Video Player, QuickTime Player, Total Video Player, MKPlayer, Elmedia Video Player,...

It will replace Apple Music and will not launch any apps when you connect bluetooth headset

I use Infuse, I feel very satisfied, Apple Music not start automatically whenever macOS detects a bluetooth headset is connected and I using Infuse to watch OTT IPTV television

Ugh... had such high hopes this would work, but did not. My Bluetooth soundbar, every time it goes into standby, then off, the music app launches, this happens at least 10 times a day to the point I'm ready to un-install Apple Music app.

I was so hoping this would work as it launches several times throughout the day - but it didn't and when I click the icons, close Apple Music then open, and look again they are not red, like it resets. I can't believe Apple is not supporting a fix for this yet.

This thread has been quite enlightening and really highlights some of my issues of "Apple knows best". Their software makes no sense to a clear thinking individual who actually wants a say in how they use the computer they pay for. I did have the same issue plugging in USB audio, I would be listening to one app, and apparently it wasn't Apple Music. Apple in their lack of wisdom said, no, you need to listen to our app. Beyond the fact Apple Music is a 2 star at best app that is nothing more than a non-intuitive cloud sales tool, there is a workaround that is sure fire that I found, it just took me almost 6 years to find it. I'm going back to Windows, at least their Operating System gives me control over what I'm doing and don't have to deal with this "Apple knows best and you can't change it" nonsense. The same thing happens on my iPhone, take a call and Apple Music stupidly comes up. Yes, I would love to just blast music into my call when I answer it. Wow, glad people at Apple make a lot of money for an overpriced product and then provides this much innovation in annoyance.

My new favorite issue is when I am watching a Udemy video on Safari that CrApple Music decides it needs to interrupt and start playing. On refresh of the Safari page, CrApple music also kicks in.

Here is the fix:

• Do not use CrApple Safari, Use Edge or Chrome, which is a browser actually known to work. If you are using a real operating system such as Windows, then you will be able to sync your passwords and settings there also.
• Do not load any of your music in CrApple Music. Use a third party solution which CrApple doesn't manage, and really has no awareness of. Honestly, it has no awareness of its own products as is proven by this thread.
• When you are finally done with CrApple products and want something that works, Windows has worked for me for decades. Microsoft doesn't seem to have the "We know best" complex on its users like CrApple does.

Also to secure your Macintrash from theft, humble yourself and tell everyone you have one. Nobody will want it, or want to steal it. You'll be stuck with it that way, unfortunately.

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