← All posts

Apple Music trackpad controls.

Music is the one app where the trackpad can replace the media keys. Four actions, no account, no keyboard.

Apple Music is the simplest scene in the app: play/pause, previous, next, and mute. Those are the four actions you use while listening, and they map cleanly to two-finger gestures.

The scene is bound to Music, so it switches automatically when Music comes to the front. The Default scene still covers everything else.

What the scene does

TriggerActionSource
Top-left cornerMission ControlDefault
Top-right cornerMuteDefault
Bottom-left cornerShow DesktopDefault
Bottom-right cornerApp SwitcherDefault
Two-finger tapPlay / PauseScene
Two-finger swipe leftPrevious trackScene
Two-finger swipe rightNext trackScene
Three-finger tapMuteScene
Three-finger swipe upMission ControlDefault
Four-finger tapOpen TrackStudioDefault

Built-in scene mapping. “Scene” means the app overrides the default; “Default” means the fallback action is used. Check the scene in the app before you edit it.

How to apply it

  1. Open TrackStudio and select the Music scene.
  2. Use a two-finger tap to play or pause, swipe left for the previous track, swipe right for the next.
  3. Use the right edge for volume and the left edge for brightness. The bottom edge scrubs when the track exposes a timeline.

Where it stops

Make the trackpad do more than point.

TrackStudio maps edges, corners, areas, gestures, and haptics to the app in front of you. $5 once. No subscription, no account.

Start 3-day trialBuy — $5

Questions

Does this work with Apple Music?

Yes. The Music scene binds to com.apple.Music and uses the app's own play, pause, previous, next, and mute actions.

Can I control Spotify too?

Yes, with a separate Spotify scene. Both apps can have their own layout; the frontmost app decides which one is active.

Does it need Accessibility permission?

The media actions work without Accessibility. Accessibility is needed for actions that synthesize keyboard events or move windows.

Does the bottom edge scrub?

The bottom edge is a media scrub rail. It depends on the app exposing now-playing duration and position; if the app does not, the rail has nothing to scrub.

Sources

App behaviour checked November 2026 on macOS 26. Apple changes gestures between releases; confirm on your own Mac.