install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install nowplaying-cli

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#nowplaying-cli

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/no/nowplaying-cli/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Retrieves currently playing media, and simulates media actions

Project links

Commands and aliases

nowplaying-cli

history

Project history and usage

nowplaying-cli is a macOS command-line utility for reading the system's active media metadata and sending media actions such as play, pause, next, previous, togglePlayPause, and seek. The GitHub repository was created on 2023-02-02 and the first GitHub release, v1.0.0, was published on 2023-02-03.

The project is intentionally macOS-specific and depends on private media frameworks. Its README warns that private-framework use may break with future macOS updates, and lists tested macOS versions from Ventura 13.x through Tahoe 26.3.

Project history

The 1.x series shipped quickly in 2023, with releases v1.0.0 on 2023-02-03, v1.1.0 on 2023-02-08, v1.2.0 on 2023-04-18, and v1.2.1 on 2023-06-30. Releases v2.0.0 and v2.1.0 followed on 2026-04-05 and 2026-04-06.

The README credits ungive's mediaremote-adapter for restoring support on macOS 15 and 26, with derived files under src/mediaremote-mini licensed BSD-3-Clause. That note explains why a small CLI had a 2026 maintenance bump: macOS private media APIs are a moving target.

Adoption history

For a narrow macOS utility, Homebrew adoption is notable. The formula API reported 2,614 install-on-request events in its 365-day analytics window, and the GitHub repository had 284 stars and 21 forks when queried on 2026-07-01.

The tool's adoption is practical rather than ecosystem-forming. It fits shell scripts, status bars, menu bar widgets, terminal prompts, automation shortcuts, and Stream Deck-style workflows that need a simple command to read or control the active media session.

How it is used

Common commands are nowplaying-cli get title artist album, nowplaying-cli get-raw for all non-nil media properties, and action commands such as play, pause, togglePlayPause, next, previous, and seek. The README maps friendly property names to MediaRemote constants such as title, artist, album, duration, elapsedTime, artworkData, playbackRate, shuffleMode, and repeatMode.

Package nerds should notice the maintenance risk: this is a convenient CLI over Apple's private MediaRemote behavior, not a stable public macOS API. Homebrew is the easiest install path, while source builds use make and make install to place the binary, helper script, and dylib together.

Why package nerds care

nowplaying-cli is a classic tiny macOS utility: high usefulness, small surface area, and fragile internals because it wraps private platform behavior. Its Homebrew usage suggests a real demand for scriptable now-playing metadata that Apple does not expose cleanly as a standard CLI.

Timeline

2023-02-02: GitHub repository created.
2023-02-03: v1.0.0 released.
2023-06-30: v1.2.1 released.
2026-04-05: v2.0.0 released.
2026-04-06: v2.1.0 released.

Related projects

MediaRemote
mediaremote-adapter
Homebrew

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:media

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 4 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`nowplaying-cli`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version2.1.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv2.1.0

https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:nowplaying-cli
Version	2.1.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/nowplaying-cli
Homepage	https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli
Repository	https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli
Upstream docs	https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli#readme
License	GPL-3.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli/archive/refs/tags/v2.1.0.tar.gz
Bottle	available (on arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	nowplaying-cli
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	macos
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

nowplaying-cli

nix profile install nixpkgs#nowplaying-cli

normalized package name match
Matched by: Nowplaying Cli

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/no/nowplaying-cli/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/nowplaying-cli.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install nowplaying-cli with Homebrew, Nix