Controlling iTunes (installed via Retroactive)

Questions & Suggestions
1

Here's a weird one. At work I use my iPhone as my music library but listen to it via my Mac with the plugged-in headphones. This always worked great, as I was able to view the library on the iPhone in iTunes with the column browser. The newer Music app doesn't support that. The Retroactive app allows you to install iTunes on later versions of macOS and it actually works and allows me to access my music like before. But, I'm having trouble coming up with macros in KM to do things like pause, play, next track, etc., with the keyboard. It works of course with Music.app, but I can't figure out how to set up controls for iTunes without bringing it to the foreground. Basically, for example, 'Ctrl-Opt-Cmd-Space' pauses and plays music in iTunes, no matter what app I'm currently using. Can anyone think of a way to make this work?

Also completely open to some third party app that would natively allow me to do this.

Thanks.

1 Like
2

Nearly identical problem here. I'd really like to be able to use Keyboard Maestro at some point to do this since it's definitely the long-game player in town, but for the time being the old beloved Sizzling Keys 5.1.4 still works in macOS 13.4 Ventura in May 2023:

Still lovin' iTunes via Retroactive and no plans to change anytime soon as long as the gears keep turning on this much superior music player compared to trash Music.app.

3

I have it working via AppleScript. Here's an example of Play/Pause:

Execute AppleScript
tell application "iTunes"
    playpause
end tell