Now Playing
by raphyy
Now Playing shows the song that is playing on the computer inside Minecraft, so the player no longer needs to Alt-Tab to check it.
What it does
A small overlay in the game displays the track currently playing on the PC. Because the information stays on screen, a player can keep a shuffled playlist going while mining or building without leaving the game. Playback controls for play, pause and skip are included, and the overlay lets the player check what is playing on the computer at any time.
The mod runs entirely on the local computer and does not need a music service sign-in or any extra authorization. A companion console application runs in the background to read what the PC is playing, and the mod hosts that data on a local web server, which it queries over HTTP. Because everything stays local, no outside URLs need to be opened to see the action. Settings can be adjusted through Mod Menu when it is installed, which gives control over the overlay and its behavior. The mod is published for Fabric only, across the 1.21.1 – 1.21.8 range, and its source code is open under the MIT License.
Key features
Track overlay in game
An on-screen overlay shows the song playing on the computer, so the player can read it without switching windows.
Play and pause controls
Playback can be paused, resumed or skipped with the controls the mod provides, from inside the game.
Local data only
Track information comes from a local web server and a background console application, with no music service sign-in.
Mod Menu settings
When Mod Menu is installed, a settings screen lets the player adjust the overlay and related options.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Playing while mining
A player keeps a playlist running and sees the current track on screen while mining or building.
Headphone listening
The overlay shows what is playing on the computer when the player is listening through headphones.
Who it’s for: Players who listen to music on their computer while playing Minecraft and want the track information visible in the game instead of in another window.
How it compares
Steam Helper is client-side only and open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1 only, for 1.21 – 1.21.4. Music Manager is also client-side only, under the MIT License, but is not open source and covers 1.21.6 – 1.21.8. MinecraftMPRIS is client-side only, open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 or later, and covers 1.20.1 – 1.21.11, which reaches further than Now Playing.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now Playing | Fabric | 1.21.1 – 1.21.8 | Not published | 2025-08-08 |
| Steam Helper | Fabric | 1.21 – 1.21.4 | Client-side only | 2025-01-11 |
| Music Manager | Fabric | 1.21.6 – 1.21.8 | Client-side only | 2025-08-31 |
| MinecraftMPRIS | Fabric | 1.20.1 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-01-19 |
Questions
Does Now Playing need a music service account?
Which Minecraft versions does Now Playing support?
Does Does Now Playing need Mod Menu?
In the catalog
Now Playing is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 17,695 mods support Minecraft 1.21.8.
Similar mods
What the author says
This mod lets you view what song is currently playing on your PC without the need for you to Alt-Tab all the time to check. It displays a clear overlay in-game to allow you to keep the shuffle going on and not have to interrupt your mining to check who, what, where, when is playing in your headphones! No weird…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/now-playing-mod
- Owner
- raphyy
- Published
- 2025-07-02
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-08-08
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15