Keyboard shortcuts and global media keys
Control YouTube Music from anywhere with global hotkeys, media keys and MPRIS on Linux — a full shortcut reference for the desktop app.
A browser tab cannot reliably claim your keyboard’s media keys, and it certainly cannot respond while minimised. The desktop app can, through the Shortcuts plugin.
This page covers the in-app shortcuts, how to make the global media keys work, and the Linux MPRIS integration.
Steps
-
Enable the Shortcuts plugin
Menu → Plugins → Shortcuts (& MPRIS). This is what registers global hotkeys and takes over the media keys.
-
Claim the media keys
Turn on the media-key override so play/pause, next and previous reach this app rather than a background browser tab. Closing or muting other media tabs helps too.
-
Assign custom hotkeys
Set your own combinations per action in the plugin options — useful if your keyboard has no dedicated media row.
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On Linux, enable MPRIS
MPRIS support makes the app visible to GNOME’s media widget, KDE’s media controller and
playerctl, so system-level controls work like they do for native players.
Shortcut reference
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Play / pause | Space or the media play key |
| Next track | Media next key, or your custom hotkey |
| Previous track | Media previous key, or your custom hotkey |
| Search | Ctrl + F (Cmd + F on macOS) |
| Back / forward | Alt + ← / Alt + → (Cmd + [ / Cmd + ] on macOS) with the Navigation plugin |
| Volume up / down | Mouse wheel over the player with the Precise Volume plugin |
| Toggle mini player | Configurable hotkey with the Picture-in-picture plugin |
Tips
- Global hotkeys work while the app is minimised — that is the whole point of the plugin.
- On Linux,
playerctl play-pauseworks once MPRIS is enabled, which makes the app scriptable. - If media keys still go to your browser, another player has registered them first; the override setting resolves the conflict.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my media keys control Chrome instead?
Whichever application registered them last usually wins. Enable the media-key override in the Shortcuts plugin, and pause or close other media tabs.
Can I control playback from a script?
On Linux, yes, through MPRIS and playerctl. On any platform, the API Server plugin exposes local HTTP endpoints for the same purpose.
Do shortcuts work when the window is closed to the tray?
Yes, as long as the app is still running. Global hotkeys are registered with the operating system, not the window.