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[Fix] Media Keys Not Working in Spotify, iTunes and Other Media Players

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Today in this article, I’m going to address this annoying issue 3rd time. Many readers have contacted me regarding this issue, so today I decided to create an all-in-one troubleshooting article to fix this issue. I’ll try to discuss all possible reasons and solutions to resolve this annoying issue.

The issue is related to multimedia keys or buttons present on computer keyboard and media player software such as Spotify, iTunes, VLC, Amazon Music Player, etc.

Generally when a user is playing songs, etc in these media playing programs, the user can press multimedia keys present in the computer keyboard (such as Play/Pause/Stop/Previous/Next/Mute/Volume Up/Volume Down, etc) to control the playback.

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Suddenly the user notices that multimedia keys stopped working in these media playing software programs. Nothing happens when he presses media keys on his PC keyboard. It becomes very frustrating as the user needs to switch to the main app every time he wants to change or pause the song.

Multimedia_Keyboard_Problem_Spotify_Itunes_Google_Chrome.png

If you are also facing similar problem in Spotify, iTunes, etc programs, following solutions will help you:

SOLUTION 1: Fix Using Google Chrome Web Browser

First this issue occurred due to a new feature introduced in Google Chrome web browser. Newer versions of Chrome come with a new feature called “Hardware media key handling” which enables users using media keys to control the active media session on web pages. This feature also allows Chrome to display a fly-out or overlay showing currently playing media information as well as playback control buttons on computer screen and Windows 10 Lock Screen.

This new feature caused Chrome to hijack multimedia keys on user’s keyboard and the user was unable to use the media keys in other media player software.

If you are also using Google Chrome browser in your system, first try to disable this new feature with the help of following tutorial and it should resolve the issue:

[Fix] Multimedia Keys Stopped Working in Spotify, iTunes After Updating Google Chrome

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If you are not using Google Chrome browser or the above mentioned solution doesn’t work for you, try other solutions given below.

SOLUTION 2: Fix Using Mozilla Firefox Web Browser

Similar to Google Chrome, newer versions of Mozilla Firefox web browser also come with this new “Hardware media key handling” feature which can cause the same issue.

If you are using Mozilla Firefox browser in your system, you can disable the new feature and fix the issue using following tutorial:

[Fix] Multimedia Keys Not Working in Apps After Upgrading Firefox Browser

If you are not using Mozilla Firefox browser or the above solution doesn’t fix the issue, try following solutions:

SOLUTION 3: Uninstall Other Media Player Software Programs

Now-a-days almost all media playing programs allow users to control media playback using multimedia keys present on the keyboard and if a new media player software is installed in a computer, it can automatically take over the multimedia keys on keyboard and can block other (previously installed) media players to use the multimedia keys.

For example, you were using Spotify program and multimedia keys were working fine. Now you installed iTunes or any other media player program, in such situation, multimedia keys might stop working in Spotify as iTunes or other newly installed media player program will take over the control of multimedia keys.

So if you want to restore multimedia keys support in your previous media playing software, uninstall other media playing software programs which you installed recently.

SOLUTION 4: Disable Desktop Overlay When Using Media Keys Option

A few readers reported that disabling an option in Spotify Settings/Preferences can fix media keys not working issue in Spotify app.

If you are facing this issue in Spotify app, following steps will help you in fixing the issue:

1. Open Spotify and click on 3-dots menu present at the top-left corner. Now select “Edit -> Preferences” option. It’ll open Spotify Preferences page.

Alternatively, you can direct open Spotify preferences page by pressing Ctrl+P keys together.

2. Now scroll down to bottom and under Display Options section, look for “Show desktop overlay when using media keys” option. This option is enabled by default.

Disable_Desktop_Overlays_When_Using_Media_Keys_Spotify_Settings.png

Our readers suggested that we should disable this option to fix the issue. So set the toggle button to OFF.

Now check multimedia keys and they should work now without any problem.

SOLUTION 5: Uninstall Google Play Music App from Google Chrome

Some readers suggested that if we install Google Play Music, Plex or other extensions in Google Chrome browser, these extensions are installed as apps and can cause media keys not working in other media playing software programs.

If you also installed any such app in Google Chrome, you can try to uninstall and remove it and it should fix the issue:

1. Open Google Chrome browser and click on 3-dots menu. Now select “More tools -> Extensions” option.

Alternatively, you can direct open Extensions page using chrome://extensions/ URL in address bar.

2. Now look for Google Play Music or any other media playing app installed in Chrome.

Uninstall_Remove_Google_Play_Music_Extension_App_Google_Chrome.png

If you find any such app, either set the toggle button to OFF given under the app to disable the app or uninstall the app by clicking on “Remove” button.

Once you uninstall Google Play Music or other apps installed in Chrome, it should fix the issue.

SOLUTION 6: Set Keyboard Shortcuts to Chrome Only

One reader suggested that if we set Chrome extensions to take over the media keys in Chrome only and not globally, it can fix the multimedia keys stopped working in Spotify and other media player programs.

1. Open Google Chrome browser and click on 3-dots menu. Now select “More tools -> Extensions” option. It’ll open Extensions page. Now click on 3-lines Hamburger menu present at the top-left corner and select Keyboard shortcuts option.

Alternatively, you can direct open the page using chrome://extensions/shortcuts URL in address bar.

2. Now look for Google Play Music, Plex or any other media playing app present on the page.

If you find any app, make sure the keyboard shortcuts given for the app are set to “In Chrome“. If any keyboard shortcut is set to Global, change it to “In Chrome“.

Customize_Extensions_Keyboard_Shortcuts_Google_Chrome.png

Now check media player program and multimedia keys should work fine.

SOLUTION 7: Disable Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service

A reader reported that disabling a Windows service related to Windows Media Player (WMP) can also fix the issue.

1. Press WIN+R keys together to launch RUN dialog box, type services.msc and press Enter. It’ll open Service Manager.

2. Now scroll down and look for Windows Media Player Network Sharing.

Double-click on the service and it’ll open properties window. Click on Stop button to immediately stop the service.

Disable_Windows_Media_Player_Network_Sharing_Service.png

Now set “Startup type” to “Disabled” from the drop-down box and apply changes.

Now check multimedia keys in other media playing programs and it should work now.

I tried to include all possible solutions to fix multimedia keys not working in Spotify, iTunes and other media player software programs. If you know about any other working solution, please share it in comments section and I’ll add the solution to the main topic.

Also Check:

How to Get Windows Media Player (WMP) 12 Taskbar Toolbar (Taskband) Back in Windows 7 and Later?

Published in: Software, Troubleshooting Guides

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

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Comments

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  2. Hello,

    since I switched to a new PC (completely new; so i dont have my old hard drives or solid-state drives in the new PC) I have a problem with the WMP which worked on my old my old PC totally fine. When I press the media button on my mouse (where I linked it to) and I get the Overlay Pop-Up where you see your volume the media which is playing and that grey area which appears when there are more then one media sources active, and thats how I want it to be but the problem is that this grey button to switch to another media source doesn’t work. It is there, it recognizes the click when I click it but it just doesn’t switch to the other media (the two different media sources for me are YouTube opened in Google Chrome and the Spotify App). At first I had the problem that Spotify wasn’t the “default” media (so the one which starts playing or gets paused when I use the button on my mouse; on my old pc it always was the last one which was playing) when Chrome was opened or was completely absent at some point without me doing anything. Then I found out that Spotify as well as Chrome have settings for the Media Player and when I switched them one of that one obviously didn’t work so I switched the switch for Spotify “On” and the one for Chrome back to “Default”; the way they where when I found them. But now the “default” media switched so now when I press the button Spotify is the one playing (the only exception is when I have YouTube (opened in Chrome) in the foreground, the way it were before Spotify stop working completely).

    I know this article is nearly an year old but I hope to receive an answer. I would highly appreciate it if you would help me because every other website I found only showed “fixes” to remove the Windows Media Player completely which is the opposite of what I want.

  4. I want to be able to switch between the media I have opened (Spotify (App) and Youtube (in Google Chrome)) with that grey area on the right side of the this Media Overlay which is shown when I press the button I linked to play/pause media on my system.

  5. ^^ It seems that the problem you are facing has something to do with the new “Hardware media key handling” feature introduced in Chrome browser. Sorry but nothing can be done to bring back those options.

  7. you are missing an easy culprit here – inverted function keys. many persons will not check this and endlessly change services, delete programs, etc. due to all these internet lists touting those type solutions.

    also if folks are flipping between different languages for the keyboard things can be overwritten and folks are not going to look there either. similar goes for keyboard mapping while swapping languages.

  8. Not all laptop manufacturers set function keys standard to media keys
    So it’s part of the RTFM to not know what you’re doing IMHO
    When I started with computers in 1986 only 5% had a computer, but 95% knew or knew someone like me understanding it.
    Now 95% has a computer, but hardly 5% knows what he/she is doing. It’s a pity

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