Media keys no longer work

[user-removed]

Description

My media keys used to work to play, pause, skip forward/backward, etc. in Spotify, and other applications when Spotify is running. Suddenly, my media keys have no effect.

A more detailed description, using numbered steps

1. Open Spotify

2. Start playing music

3. Click my "Play/Pause" media key

What I expected to happen

Music pauses, and resumes upon another click

What actually happened

Nothing

My Operating System

Windows 7 (64 bit) AND Windows 8.1 (64 bit)

Do you have a Service Pack installed?

Windows 7 is Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 has no Service Pack

My Spotify version

0.9.10.14.g578d350b

My internet provider and country

Service Electric, USA

Did you do a clean install of your current Windows version or did you upgrade from a previous version?

Clean installs on both

My username

snyderxc

Do you have any screenshots you can attach to more clearly explain your issue?

No

[user-removed · Accepted solution]

I have determined that it is an issue with Google Music taking over the media keys when installed as a Chrome App. This thread can be closed, and marked solved.

SnyderXC

[aachterhof · Accepted solution]

Finally, it was driving me crazy having to switch to the screen to change songs or pause, thanks!

For people that maybe can't find how to do it:

"settings" in the chrome browser

Click "Extensions" on the left

search for "google play music" app in the list and either uncheck to disable the app or just delete

[valis2030]

Thank you for this solution! After messing with drivers, windows services, etc. for far too long I finally found this. Simple as can be.

Confirmed as a fix in my case on Windows 8.1. The offending Chrome extension was Google Play v1.232.0.

[DJLad97]

OMFG!!!!! I FREAKING LOVE YOU! THANKS SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!! 😄

[user-removed]

You're welcome 😄

[dsjenson]

THANK YOU!

[shamysoza]

I don't have google musc installed, so that is not the solution for everyone 😞

Any help?

[santipl]

I don't have google music neither, my problem started after the first time running Windows Media Player in Windows 8.1, and after that every time I press the media keys it opens WMP.

I already desactivated WMP from the control panel but it doesn't work the media keys for now...

Also I saw a video that in Win 7 they go to msconfig and unselect the service from there but I don't find it in Win 8.1

Any other guess???

[callawaybh]

I can't freaking believe that **bleep** worked. Thanks a million, man!

[zooming]

Amazing! Thanks man.

[bakerboy123]

Try hitting Alt+Media_Button (Play_Pause, Next, etc.). Works for me, made an autohotkey with it. 

[jtbrown3 · Accepted solution]

See also this fix: "Chrome Hijacking Your Media Keys? Here’s The Simple Fix"

http://www.omgchrome.com/chrome-google-music-media-keys/

This way you can still keep the Google Play Music Chrome app loaded with no interference 🙂

[jdairola]

The thing that is strange about this is that it must be a Spotify issue, or perhaps just a random bug with Google play because my Amazon music player app still worked with my media keys when Spotify did not. Never the less this solved the problem, thanks for the help.

[DjayFresh]

I was having a similar problem but with Plex media extension. Even changing the keyboard shorcuts to 'Global' didn't change it. I had to just disable the plug-in. 😄 Thanks for all the help guys/girls. 

[chaws]

Thank you so much!

[nsnyderxc]

If they're Chrome, they should work in Chrome only (and Spotify should still receive them). If they're global, they'll work everywhere, but Spotify and other media players won't receive them (from my experience)

[gorillacowman]

I had the same problem but the extension was plex. 

To find the extension that is using the keys go to the extension scroll to the end and select Keyboard shortcuts. Then look to see if any of the extensoins use themedia keys. If you find change it from global to in chrome.

[kgooldy]

I was just in the same boat as you, and found this solution from Spotify:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-Community-Blog/Post-of-the-Week-Windows-Media-Keys-Fix/ba-p...

Hopefully it'll work for those of us that didn't have any Google Apps installed.

Best of luck.

[victorlm]

Wonderful!!!!