Skip to main content

Music Shortcuts

This page is a complete keyboard shortcut reference for Music on macOS, covering all 63 shortcuts organized into 6 sections. Whether you’re new to Music or looking to master advanced features, this cheat sheet has every key combination you need — from basic editing and navigation to app-specific power-user actions.

Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work in Music. Every time you use a shortcut instead of reaching for the mouse, you save a few seconds — and those seconds compound into hours over weeks and months. Start with the shortcuts you use most (copy, paste, undo, save), then gradually add app-specific ones as they become relevant to your workflow. Bookmark this page or download the PDF cheat sheet for quick reference.

Using keyboard shortcuts in Music reduces context switching between keyboard and mouse, helping you maintain focus and work more efficiently. Research shows that shortcut-driven workflows can save up to 8 working days per year compared to menu-driven navigation. On macOS, most Music shortcuts follow standard conventions — once you learn the modifier key patterns, new shortcuts become intuitive.

Tips for Learning Shortcuts

  • Practice one new Music shortcut each day. Muscle memory builds faster when you focus on a single combination at a time rather than trying to learn them all at once.
  • Print or bookmark this page for quick reference while working in Music. Having shortcuts visible nearby helps bridge the gap between looking them up and recalling them from memory.
  • Start with the shortcuts you use most. In Music, common actions like copy, paste, undo, and save are worth learning first since they apply across nearly every workflow.

General12

ActionShortcut
Play/Pause⌘Space
Next Track⌘→
Previous Track⌘←
Volume Up⌘↑
Volume Down⌘↓
Go to Current Song⌘L
New Playlist⌘N
Search⌘F
Repeat Mode⌘R
Shuffle⌘S
Songs⌥⌘1
Albums⌥⌘2

Playback17

ActionShortcut
Play the selected song from the beginningEnter
Play the previous song in a listLeft
Increase the volume⌘Up
Stream audio file at a specific URL⌘U
Move forward within a song⌥⌘Right
Show the currently playing song⌘L
Decrease the volume⌘Down
Move backward within a song⌥⌘Left
Show the queue⌥⌘U
Open the equalizer⌥⌘E
Stop playing the selected song⌘.
Play the next album⌥Right
Go to the next chapter⇧⌘Right
Start playing or pause the selected songSpace
Play the next song in a listRight
Play the previous album⌥Left
Go to the previous chapter⇧⌘Left

Playlists8

ActionShortcut
Create a playlist from a selection⇧⌘N
Delete without confirming⌘Delete
Create a new Smart Playlist⌥⌘N
Delete from library and all playlists⌥Delete
Start Genius Shuffle⌥Space
Refresh a Genius Playlist⌘R
Create a new playlist⌘N
Delete the selected song from playlistDelete

Library10

ActionShortcut
Add a file to your library⌘O
Copy song information or artwork⌘C
Show where a song file is located⇧⌘R
Paste song information or artwork⌘V
Select the search field⌘F
Select all songs in the list⌘A
Undo last typing change⌘Z
Show or hide the column browser⌘B
Cut song information or artwork⌘X
Deselect all songs⇧⌘A

View12

ActionShortcut
Show or hide the status bar⌘/
Open the Info window⌘I
Open or close MiniPlayer⌥⌘M
Open or close Full Screen Player⇧⌘F
Info window: show previous song⌘[
Info window: show next song⌘]
Open the View Options window⌘J
Turn the visualizer on or off⌘T
Open the Music window⌘0
Close the Music window⌘W
Hide the Music window⌘H
Hide all other applications⌥⌘H

Other4

ActionShortcut
Open Music settings⌘,
Quit Music⌘Q
Eject a CD⌘E
Open Music Help menu⌘?

Frequently Asked Questions

Access Music shortcuts from your menu bar

KeyShortcut detects the active app and shows its shortcuts instantly. No memorization needed.