macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install nowplaying-clilocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 2547
Install nowplaying-cli with Homebrew, Nix
Retrieves currently playing media, and simulates media actions. Version 2.1.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#nowplaying-cli.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#nowplaying-clinixpkgs 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
- https://api.github.com/repos/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli
- https://api.github.com/repos/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli/releases?per_page=8
- https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/nowplaying-cli.json
- https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli/main/README.md
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 bottle metadata was recorded.
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 | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
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 generated2026-08-03
manager version2.1.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:nowplaying-cli |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.1.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli |
| Repository | https://github.com/kirtan-shah/nowplaying-cli |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
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
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.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation