MacOS – Use media keys on Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for Spotify

keybindingskeyboardmacosspotify

Recently I installed the Microsoft Intellitype drivers for OSX so that I could use my keyboard more naturally (e.g., media keys, etc.). However, this seems to have broken some functionality.

Prior to installing these drivers, I could at least use the play/pause button to control Spotify (the goal was to also gain access to the forward/back keys to skip tracks). Now, however, any media key will automatically attempt to open up iTunes, regardless if Spotify is active or not.

Is there a fix or remedy for this, or should I uninstall the Intellitype drivers?

Edit: I suppose this is fairly similar to this unanswered question.

Best Answer

You can create AppleScript's that do things such as play/pause, next track, previous track and then using the Microsoft keyboard pref panel set the key settings for the media keys to use command "Open Item" and then choose the apple script that corresponds with the media key you wish to use.

Here is a link to what the apple scripts should look like.
http://www.jack.sh/2011/07/21/spotify-applescripts-0-5-2/

Honestly, I simply opened Automator, create new application, added action "run appleScript" and for the area where the script goes, added:

tell application "Spotify" to playpause

Next, I assigned that application to the play/pause media key.

For next track and previous track the script should just be

tell application "Spotify" to next track

or

tell application "Spotify" to previous track
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