Clean, responsive media controls at the notch — no kitchen sink attached.
Our take
Does one job with restraint. If all you want from the notch is better now-playing control, this is the small, cheap answer.
- Price
- €6.99 one-time
- License
- Proprietary
- Requires
- macOS 13 or later
- Get it via
- Direct · GitHub
- Developer
- Wouter Hennen
Do you use MediaMate?
Who made this
Belgium
Solo developer of MediaMate, based in Belgium per his GitHub profile. A member of the CodeEditApp open-source organization.
What it does
Volume & Brightness
The default macOS HUDs are replaced with new, compact ones.
Keyboard Brightness
Control keyboard backlight with its own HUD and shortcut.
Now Playing
A quick look at whatever’s playing, tucked into the notch.
External-monitor compatibility
A compatibility mode for Lunar and BetterDisplay lets MediaMate work with their brightness controls.
The deal
- One-time purchase — €6.99 (pay-what-you-want) via Gumroad
- A Tryout Mode lets you test features before buying
- Does not require disabling SIP (System Integrity Protection)
MediaMate — questions people ask
Do I need to disable SIP to use MediaMate?
No — unlike some HUD-replacement tools, MediaMate doesn’t require tampering with System Integrity Protection.
Can I try it before buying?
Yes — download the app and activate Tryout Mode.
Does Now Playing work with Spotify and other apps?
Yes — it displays whatever app is outputting audio, including browsers, though some apps may not show album art.
Is MediaMate free?
MediaMate costs €6.99 one-time.
Can I run MediaMate together with another notch app?
No — MediaMate draws at the notch, so it takes the place of any other notch app (hubs included). Apps that live in the menu bar or on screen stack alongside it fine.
Where can I download MediaMate?
MediaMate is available via Direct, GitHub.
Reviews
No public ratings yet. Reader reviews are coming to Kitsmith soon.
Listing hand-verified July 27, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
How MediaMate compares
Not sold on MediaMate? These swap in
Notch apps run one at a time — pick one of these instead, not as well.
Keep MediaMate — stack these next to it
These live in the menu bar or on screen, so they run happily alongside any notch app.
