A vinyl record widget for MacYour music,
on the record.

Desk Vinyl for Mac is a vinyl record widget for the macOS 26 desktop. Whatever's playing in Spotify or Apple Music turns on a turntable beside your work, with the album cover as its label.

Coming soon Pro coming soon

Pro is $6.99 launch week, then $9.99 · macOS 26+

Now spinning · Walnut ’68
For macOS 26Medium, small & large widgets · Control Center · 57 decks plus ClassicEst. 2026

01 · What it does

A turntable widget that keeps time with Spotify and Apple Music.

It sits on your Mac desktop, quiet and to scale, and changes the moment the song does.

Players

Spotify and Apple Music

It reads what your Mac is already playing and follows whichever player you touched last. Nothing to connect.

Controls

Play it from the deck

Play and pause, previous, next, shuffle and repeat sit beside the record. Or just click the record itself.

Artwork

The cover is the label

Every track presses a new record: the album art sits at the centre and turns with it.

Gallery

Double-click for the gallery

Double-click the widget to open the Theme Gallery and swap turntables, or cassette decks, in a second. It's also where you pick how the deck rests when nothing's loaded in your music app.

Battery

Light on the battery

The record spins only while music plays, on the system's own clock effect rather than a loop of redraws.

Privacy

Private by design

Reads what's playing on your Mac itself. No accounts, no analytics, no tracking. What it sends.

The tonearm

Pause the song and the needle lifts.

Press play and the needle drops back on and the record starts to turn. Pause, and the arm lifts back to its rest while the record stops. Just like the real thing, minus the dust.

02 · Setup

Add the widget: three steps, one minute.

  1. 1

    Download and open Desk Vinyl

    A notarized app for macOS 26. It runs in the background: no Dock icon, no window to manage.

  2. 2

    Add the widget

    Right-click the desktop, choose Edit Widgets, find Desk Vinyl and drag the medium widget into place.

  3. 3

    Press play

    Start a song in Spotify or Apple Music. Allow Desk Vinyl to see it once, and the record starts turning.

Works with SpotifyWorks with Apple MusicLight, Dark, Clear & Tinted widget styles

03 · The crate

57 turntable and cassette decks, plus Classic. Three on the house.

57 decks: 45 turntables in walnut, oak, painted enamel, aluminium and coloured vinyl, and 12 cassette decks with turning reels, plus Classic (58 cards below). Classic, Walnut Bare and Nordic Oak are free. Desk Vinyl Pro unlocks the other 55.

  • The widget as the Classic turntable
    01ClassicFree
  • The widget as the Walnut Bare turntable
    02Walnut BareFree
  • The widget as the Nordic Oak turntable
    03Nordic OakFree
  • The widget as the Walnut ’68 turntable
    04Walnut ’68Pro
  • The widget as the Walnut Frame turntable
    05Walnut FramePro
  • The widget as the Rosewood Noir turntable
    06Rosewood NoirPro
  • The widget as the Whitewashed Ash turntable
    07Whitewashed AshPro
  • The widget as the Smoked Oak turntable
    08Smoked OakPro
  • The widget as the Light Oak and Cork turntable
    09Light Oak & CorkPro
  • The widget as the Ivory ’62 turntable
    10Ivory ’62Pro
  • The widget as the Sage ’59 turntable
    11Sage ’59Pro
  • The widget as the Snow White turntable
    12Snow WhitePro
  • The widget as the Seafoam ’57 turntable
    13Seafoam ’57Pro
  • The widget as the Paprika ’73 turntable
    14Paprika ’73Pro
  • The widget as the Mustard ’66 turntable
    15Mustard ’66Pro
  • The widget as the Scarlet Case ’61 turntable
    16Scarlet Case ’61Pro
  • The widget as the Radiogram ’58 turntable
    17Radiogram ’58Pro
  • The widget as the Satellite ’69 turntable
    18Satellite ’69Pro
  • The widget as the Aluminium Linear turntable
    19Aluminium LinearPro
  • The widget as the Gloss Minimal turntable
    20Gloss MinimalPro
  • The widget as the Club Matte turntable
    21Club MattePro
  • The widget as the Concrete Slab turntable
    22Concrete SlabPro
  • The widget as the Carbon Weave turntable
    23Carbon WeavePro
  • The widget as the Midnight Anodised turntable
    24Midnight AnodisedPro
  • The widget as the Porcelain turntable
    25PorcelainPro
  • The widget as the Clear Acrylic turntable
    26Clear AcrylicPro
  • The widget as the Milano ’86 turntable
    27Milano ’86Pro
  • The widget as the Marbled Vinyl turntable
    28Marbled VinylPro
  • The widget as the Splatter Clear turntable
    29Splatter ClearPro
  • The widget as the Egg Yolk turntable
    30Egg YolkPro
  • The widget as the Oxblood and Bone turntable
    31Oxblood & BonePro
  • The widget as the Tri-Stripe turntable
    32Tri-StripePro
  • The widget as the Sea-Glass Quad turntable
    33Sea-Glass QuadPro
  • The widget as the Nebula turntable
    34NebulaPro
  • The widget as the Smoke turntable
    35SmokePro
  • The widget as the Gold Dust turntable
    36Gold DustPro
  • The widget as the Sunset Haze turntable
    37Sunset HazePro
  • The widget as the Starburst turntable
    38StarburstPro
  • The widget as the Ruby turntable
    39RubyPro
  • The widget as the Cherry Blossom turntable
    40Cherry BlossomPro
  • The widget as the Mint and Cream turntable
    41Mint & CreamPro
  • The widget as the Coffee and Cream turntable
    42Coffee & CreamPro
  • The widget as the Lava turntable
    43LavaPro
  • The widget as the Midnight Gold turntable
    44Midnight GoldPro
  • The widget as the Ocean Swirl turntable
    45Ocean SwirlPro
  • The widget as the Aurora turntable
    46AuroraPro
  • The widget as the Silver Classic cassette deck
    47Silver ClassicPro
  • The widget as the Sunset Sport cassette deck
    48Sunset SportPro
  • The widget as the Crystal Clear cassette deck
    49Crystal ClearPro
  • The widget as the Matte Black Pro cassette deck
    50Matte Black ProPro
  • The widget as the Champagne Classic cassette deck
    51Champagne ClassicPro
  • The widget as the Glacier Sport cassette deck
    52Glacier SportPro
  • The widget as the Smoke Crystal cassette deck
    53Smoke CrystalPro
  • The widget as the Graphite Pro cassette deck
    54Graphite ProPro
  • The widget as the Hi-Fi Deck cassette deck
    55Hi-Fi DeckPro
  • The widget as the Shoebox ’74 cassette deck
    56Shoebox ’74Pro
  • The widget as the Field Utility cassette deck
    57Field UtilityPro
  • The widget as the Cherry Lacquer cassette deck
    58Cherry LacquerPro

Shown with sample labels. On your desktop, the label is the cover of the song you're playing. See every theme

04 · Pricing

Free to play. Pay once for every pressing.

Desk Vinyl

Free

  • The full widget, spin and tonearm
  • Play, pause, skip, shuffle and repeat, plus click-the-record play and pause
  • Spotify and Apple Music
  • Classic, Walnut Bare and Nordic Oak, plus three scenes for when nothing's loaded
Coming soon
Launch week

Desk Vinyl Pro

Every deck

$6.99launch week,
then $9.99
  • All 55 Pro decks, every scene for when nothing's loaded and the scene builder
  • Customize: spin speed, finish (even a picture disc), lights and layouts
  • A progress bar with tap-to-seek, a Photo Slipmat, and Dead Wax etching with your name or a message, plus ring wear
  • The large widget's liner notes and back cover, and share cards without the wordmark
  • Pay once and keep it. Nothing renews
  • License key by email, for one Mac at a time
Coming soon

Secure checkout by Polar, merchant of record. Prices in USD; local tax is added at checkout. Not for you? Full refund within 7 days, no questions asked.

05 · Questions

Mac widget questions, answered.

What it is
A desktop widget for Mac that spins the song playing in Spotify or Apple Music on a turntable or cassette deck, with the album cover as its label.
Works with
Spotify and Apple Music, the Mac apps. No other players.
Requires
macOS 26 or later, on any Mac. Medium, small and large widgets, plus Control Center controls.
Price
Free with three decks. Desk Vinyl Pro unlocks the other 55: $6.99 launch week, then $9.99, paid once.
License and refunds
One Mac at a time, key by email. Full refund within 7 days, no questions asked.
Updated
. Signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple; not on the Mac App Store.
What is Desk Vinyl?

Desk Vinyl is a macOS 26 desktop widget that shows the song playing in Spotify or Apple Music as a record spinning on a turntable, with the album cover as its label. Pause the song and the tonearm lifts. There are 57 decks plus Classic, cassette decks included.

Is there a Spotify widget for Mac?

Spotify doesn't make a desktop widget for the Mac, but Desk Vinyl is one. Add it from Edit Widgets and whatever's playing in Spotify spins on your desktop, with play, pause and skip beside the record. It works with Spotify Free or Premium and with Apple Music. More on the Spotify widget for Mac.

How do I add a music widget to my Mac desktop?

Open Desk Vinyl, then right-click the desktop, choose Edit Widgets, find Desk Vinyl and drag the medium widget into place. Start a song in Spotify or Apple Music and allow Desk Vinyl to see it once. That's the whole setup.

Is Desk Vinyl free? Is Pro a subscription?

Desk Vinyl is free: the full widget, its controls and three decks (Classic, Walnut Bare and Nordic Oak). Desk Vinyl Pro unlocks the other 55 decks and Customize for $6.99 launch week, then $9.99. You pay once and keep it. Nothing renews.

Which Macs does Desk Vinyl run on?

Any Mac running macOS 26 or later. Desk Vinyl comes as medium, small and large desktop widgets, plus play/pause and next-track controls for Control Center, all built on what macOS 26 provides.

Does it run on macOS Sonoma or Sequoia?

No. Desk Vinyl needs macOS 26 or later, so it won't run on macOS 15 Sequoia, macOS 14 Sonoma or anything earlier.

Does it work on a MacBook Air, or on more than one display?

Yes. Any Mac on macOS 26 or later works, MacBook Air included. Each display needs its own widget, so add one on every display you want it on.

Does it work with Spotify and Apple Music?

Yes, both. Desk Vinyl follows whichever one started playing most recently. You don't need an account, a developer key or Premium. macOS asks once whether Desk Vinyl may see each player; click Allow. If you missed it, turn it on in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation.

Does it work with YouTube Music, Tidal or other players?

No. Desk Vinyl works only with the Spotify and Apple Music apps on your Mac. YouTube Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer and music playing in a web browser won't show on the record.

How is it different from a mini player or a wallpaper app?

A mini player is a window you keep on top of your work, and a wallpaper app replaces your desktop picture. Desk Vinyl is a real macOS widget: it sits on the desktop under your windows, works with both Spotify and Apple Music, and the record spins only while music plays.

Will it drain my battery?

It's light: the record spins only while music plays, stops in Low Power Mode, and the widget refreshes when the song changes. While a song plays the arm steps along every 20 seconds; turn off “Arm follows the song” in Customize to stop that.

Can I use my license on more than one Mac?

A license works on one Mac at a time. Moving to a new Mac? If you still have the old one, choose Deactivate This Mac… in Desk Vinyl (menu bar icon › Desk Vinyl Pro…), then enter your key on the new one. If you don't, deactivate it from your license portal (the link is in your purchase email).

What if it isn't for me?

Refunds are no questions asked within 7 days of purchase. Email us from the address you bought with and we'll refund you; Polar processes it. The details are on the refund page.

Where's my license key?

In the email Polar sends after checkout. Paste it into Desk Vinyl (menu bar icon › Desk Vinyl Pro…) and every theme unlocks. Can't find it? Email us and we'll resend it.

The widget is blank or black

Choose Repair Widget from the menu bar icon. If another copy of Desk Vinyl is keeping the widget for itself, it offers to move that copy to the Trash; for a copy on the disk image, eject the disk image. If the widget is still blank, remove it and add it again from Edit Widgets.

The buttons do nothing

Desk Vinyl needs your OK to see Spotify or Apple Music. In the Theme Gallery's footer (menu bar icon › Theme Gallery…), or in the welcome sheet (menu bar icon › How to Add the Widget…), click Fix… beside a player marked “not allowed” and turn it on in Privacy & Security → Automation. Still nothing? Choose Repair Widget from the menu bar icon.

I can't see the widget

With Stage Manager on, macOS can hide desktop widgets. In System Settings → Desktop & Dock, set Stage Manager › Show desktop items. Each display needs its own widget, so add one on every display you want it on.

Colours look grey

In System Settings → Desktop & Dock, a Widget style of Automatic or Monochrome makes macOS draw desktop widgets in one colour while another app is in front. Desk Vinyl switches to a line-art deck then. For the full wood and colour all the time, choose Full-color.

The widget says Desk Vinyl isn't running

The widget shows “Desk Vinyl isn't running · Click to open” when the app isn't open in the menu bar. Click the widget to open it. To have it start by itself, turn on Open at Login (menu bar icon, or Settings › General).

How do I uninstall Desk Vinyl?

Remove the Desk Vinyl widgets from your desktop, turn off Open at Login and choose Quit Desk Vinyl from the menu bar icon, then drag Desk Vinyl to the Trash. To clear what it saved, also delete the folder ~/Library/Group Containers/KKF9Y4MB4G.com.arand.deskvinyl and the file ~/Library/Preferences/com.arand.deskvinyl.plist. Have a Pro license? First choose Deactivate This Mac… (menu bar icon › Desk Vinyl Pro…, or Settings › Pro), so you can use your key on another Mac.

Why isn't it on the Mac App Store?

The smooth spin uses a technique App Store widgets can't. Desk Vinyl is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens like any other Mac app.

Drop the needle.

Coming soon Pro coming soon

Coming later for Pro: your name in gold script on the deck itself.