The Music app on Mac is a great way to listen to all your audio content: music, podcasts, audiobooks, and more.

When you want to enjoy your tunes, the last thing you want to do is fiddle around in menus or figure out how to pause, skip, or otherwise control your media.

That's why we've put together this ultimate cheat sheet. It contains all the shortcuts you will ever need to control the Music app on Mac.

FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download Music for Mac: All the Keyboard Shortcuts You Need to Know.

Music for Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

GENERAL

Command + Comma

Open preferences

Command + Q

Quit the app

Command + E

Eject

Command + ?

Open help

Option + Command (while opening Music)

Open a different music library

Command + R

Refresh

PLAYING

Return

Play from beginning

Space

Play/pause

Option + Command + Right/left arrow

Track forward or back

Command + Full stop

Stop

Right/left arrow

Play the next/previous song

Option + Right/left arrow

Play the next/previous album

Command + L

Display currently playing

Option + Command + U

Display the Playing Next list

Command + Up arrow

Increase volume

Command + Down arrow

Decrease volume

Option + Command + E

Open the equalizer

Shift + Command + Right/left arrow

Go to the next or last chapter

Command + U

Stream an audio file from a URL

PLAYLISTS

Command + N

Create a new playlist

Shift + Command + N

Create a playlist from a selection of songs

Option + Command + N

Create a new Smart Playlist

Option + Space

Start Genius Shuffle

Command + Delete

Delete the selected playlist

Option + Delete (on a playlist)

Delete the selected playlist, and its songs, from your library

Option + Delete (on a song)

Delete the selected song from your library and all playlists

MANAGE LIBRARY

Command + O

Import a file to your library

Shift + Command + R

Show where a song file is located

Command + F

Select the search field

Command + Z

Undo your last input when editing

Command + X

Cut information or artwork

Command + C

Copy information or artwork

Command + V

Paste information or artwork

Command + A

Select all the songs in the list

Command + B

Show or hide the column browser

Shift + Command + A

Deselect all the songs in the list

Command + click the checkbox

Select or deselect all the songs in a list

LAYOUT

Option + Command + M or Shift + Command + M

Open mini player

Shift + Command + F

Open full screen player

Control + Command + F

Enter or exit full-screen view

Option + click the green button in the top + left corner of the Music window

Switch between custom and maximum window sizes

Control + click a column heading

Change the song information columns

Command + /

Show or hide the status bar

Command + I

Open the Info window for the selected song

Command + N/P

See the information for the next or previous song in the list

Shift + Command + Left/right bracket

Go to the previous or next pane

Command + J

Open the View Options window for the selected source

Command + T

Turn the visualizer on or off

?

See more options when a visual effect is showing

Command + 0

Open the Music window

Command + W

Close the Music window

Command + M

Put the Music window in the Dock

Command + H

Hide the Music window

Option + Command + H

Hide all other applications

ITUNES STORE

Type in the search field and press Option + Return

Search in the iTunes Store

Command + Right/left bracket

Next or previous page

Command + R

Reload

The Best Alternative Music Players

Not convinced by the Music app? You should check out the other free music apps that you can download for macOS, like Vox Player and Musique.