{"slug": "notunes", "name": "noTunes", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "Open-source macOS utility that stops Apple's Music app (formerly iTunes) from launching automatically.", "recommenders": 8, "commenters": 8, "warners": 0, "score": 7.301, "rising": -2.62, "first": "2026-06-08", "latest": "2026-06-12", "why": "HN commenters recommend it as a tool they have relied on for years, calling it the original app of its kind and easy to install via Homebrew.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 8, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 8, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": ["Long-term reliability", "Original tool"], "caveat": "Launch handling", "short_quote": "I've been using noTunes to do this for years, works like a charm", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/tombonez/notunes", "official_url": "https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["noTunes"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters recommend it as a tool they have relied on for years", "cites": [{"id": 776024352, "item_id": 48501522, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48501522", "by": "carte_blanche", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using noTunes to do this for years, works like a charm", "excerpt": "I've been using noTunes to do this for years, works like a charm: https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Also a bit unfortunate that a software like this has to exist in the first place.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking Apple Music launch", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775228752, "item_id": 48451797, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451797", "by": "brikym", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I'be been using a tool called NoTunes for years.", "excerpt": "I'be been using a tool called NoTunes for years. https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Fuck that app and fuck your subscription Apple.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking Apple Music launch", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775215824, "item_id": 48450989, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48450989", "by": "abhinavsns", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There is another app called notunes that I have been using for ages.", "excerpt": "There is another app called notunes that I have been using for ages.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775174416, "item_id": 48448401, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48448401", "by": "verdverm", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using this for a while now", "excerpt": "I've been using this for a while now: https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Source code for this one: https://github.com/FuzzyIdeas/MusicDecoy", "context": "", "use_case": "stop Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}, {"text": ", calling it the original app of its kind and easy to install via Homebrew.", "cites": [{"id": 775215712, "item_id": 48450982, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48450982", "by": "flawn", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "this is the OG app.", "excerpt": "https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes this is the OG app.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775264640, "item_id": 48454040, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48454040", "by": "ElijahLynn", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "brew install notunes", "excerpt": "brew install notunes Then launch it once to say you approve startup Ventura and later: Navigate to System Settings Select General Select Login Items Click the + under Open at Login and select noTunes https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes", "context": "", "use_case": "stop Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}, {"text": " The only caveat raised is that an alternative app says it blocks the launch outright rather than killing it after it starts, and it uses no menu bar icon.", "cites": [{"id": 775223312, "item_id": 48451457, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451457", "by": "ghrl", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac.", "excerpt": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac. But the page explicitly states the benefits of this approach (preventing it from launching all together without doing anything vs listening for the launch and killing it). It also does not use a menu bar icon, which is also good considering the limited space.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Long-term reliability", "summary": "Several commenters say they have used it for years and it works like a charm.", "quotes": [{"id": 776024352, "item_id": 48501522, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48501522", "by": "carte_blanche", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using noTunes to do this for years, works like a charm", "excerpt": "I've been using noTunes to do this for years, works like a charm: https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Also a bit unfortunate that a software like this has to exist in the first place.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking Apple Music launch", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775228752, "item_id": 48451797, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451797", "by": "brikym", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I'be been using a tool called NoTunes for years.", "excerpt": "I'be been using a tool called NoTunes for years. https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Fuck that app and fuck your subscription Apple.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking Apple Music launch", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775215824, "item_id": 48450989, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48450989", "by": "abhinavsns", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There is another app called notunes that I have been using for ages.", "excerpt": "There is another app called notunes that I have been using for ages.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}, {"label": "Original tool", "summary": "One commenter calls it the OG app for this job.", "quotes": [{"id": 775215712, "item_id": 48450982, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48450982", "by": "flawn", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "this is the OG app.", "excerpt": "https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes this is the OG app.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}, {"label": "Easy install", "summary": "It installs with brew install notunes and can be added to Login Items.", "quotes": [{"id": 775264640, "item_id": 48454040, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48454040", "by": "ElijahLynn", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "brew install notunes", "excerpt": "brew install notunes Then launch it once to say you approve startup Ventura and later: Navigate to System Settings Select General Select Login Items Click the + under Open at Login and select noTunes https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes", "context": "", "use_case": "stop Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Launch handling", "summary": "An alternative's page claims it is better to stop the launch altogether than to watch for it and kill it.", "quotes": [{"id": 775223312, "item_id": 48451457, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451457", "by": "ghrl", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac.", "excerpt": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac. But the page explicitly states the benefits of this approach (preventing it from launching all together without doing anything vs listening for the launch and killing it). It also does not use a menu bar icon, which is also good considering the limited space.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}, {"label": "Menu bar space", "summary": "A commenter preferred an alternative that adds no menu bar icon, given the limited space.", "quotes": [{"id": 775223312, "item_id": 48451457, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451457", "by": "ghrl", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac.", "excerpt": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac. But the page explicitly states the benefits of this approach (preventing it from launching all together without doing anything vs listening for the launch and killing it). It also does not use a menu bar icon, which is also good considering the limited space.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}], "who": [], "tags": ["for Mac users", "Homebrew installable"], "use_cases": ["blocking apple music launch", "prevent apple music launching", "stop apple music launching"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48447935", "title": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching", "mentions": 8}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 8}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 776024352, "item_id": 48501522, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48501522", "by": "carte_blanche", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using noTunes to do this for years, works like a charm", "excerpt": "I've been using noTunes to do this for years, works like a charm: https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Also a bit unfortunate that a software like this has to exist in the first place.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking Apple Music launch", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775264640, "item_id": 48454040, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48454040", "by": "ElijahLynn", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "brew install notunes", "excerpt": "brew install notunes Then launch it once to say you approve startup Ventura and later: Navigate to System Settings Select General Select Login Items Click the + under Open at Login and select noTunes https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes", "context": "", "use_case": "stop Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775228752, "item_id": 48451797, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451797", "by": "brikym", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I'be been using a tool called NoTunes for years.", "excerpt": "I'be been using a tool called NoTunes for years. https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Fuck that app and fuck your subscription Apple.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking Apple Music launch", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775223312, "item_id": 48451457, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451457", "by": "ghrl", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac.", "excerpt": "Yeah, I used that too on my last Mac. But the page explicitly states the benefits of this approach (preventing it from launching all together without doing anything vs listening for the launch and killing it). It also does not use a menu bar icon, which is also good considering the limited space.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775215824, "item_id": 48450989, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48450989", "by": "abhinavsns", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There is another app called notunes that I have been using for ages.", "excerpt": "There is another app called notunes that I have been using for ages.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775215712, "item_id": 48450982, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48450982", "by": "flawn", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "this is the OG app.", "excerpt": "https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes this is the OG app.", "context": "", "use_case": "prevent Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775200176, "item_id": 48450011, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48450011", "by": "delduca", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes", "excerpt": "I use https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking Apple Music launch", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}, {"id": 775174416, "item_id": 48448401, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48448401", "by": "verdverm", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using this for a while now", "excerpt": "I've been using this for a while now: https://github.com/tombonez/noTunes Source code for this one: https://github.com/FuzzyIdeas/MusicDecoy", "context": "", "use_case": "stop Apple Music launching", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop the Apple Music app from launching"}]}