FAQ
Questions
Short answers. The Guide has the rest.
Basics
Is Playita free?
Yes. No purchase, no subscription, no ads.
What does it need?
macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. Music from Music.app, from folders on this Mac, or from an external drive. Music.app itself is optional.
Do I need an Apple Music subscription?
No. Playita plays files you have. It never streams from the catalog.
Why is there no Dock icon or window?
Playita lives in the menu bar on purpose. Click the glyph, or pin the panel to keep it on screen.
Does it replace Music.app?
No. Music.app still owns your library and every edit. Playita just plays.
Playing music
Some songs are dimmed with a lock.
Older iTunes Store purchases with copy protection. Only Music.app can play those.
Some songs are dimmed with a slashed cloud.
Apple Music songs that are not downloaded. Download them in Music.app and they play.
My new playlist is not showing.
Close the panel and open it again. Playita rereads the library every time.
Can I edit the queue or reorder songs?
No. Pick a playlist or a genre, set shuffle, and let it play.
Drives and folders
Can I play music that is not in Music.app?
Yes. Add a folder or some files and they appear under IMPORTED. See Imported music.
What happens when I unplug the drive?
Its playlists dim until you plug it back in. If a song from it is playing, Playita stops so the drive ejects cleanly.
Does adding a folder copy files or change Music.app?
Neither. Playita reads the files where they are.
The widget and controls
Can I keep the player on screen?
Yes. Tap the pin. See The pinned widget.
The play key controls another app.
macOS gives the media keys to whichever app played last. Play something in Playita and they come back.
Is there a shortcut to open the panel?
Not yet. macOS offers no clean way to give an app one. Pin the widget instead.
Privacy and quitting
Does Playita connect to the internet?
Never. It has no network access at all. See the privacy policy.
How do I quit?
Right-click the glyph and choose Quit, or use Quit at the bottom of Settings.
Something else? Get in touch.