Music Player Widgets for CarPlay
Music is why a lot of people love CarPlay in the first place, so the now-playing widget deserves to look better than a default gray box. A well-designed player widget turns album art into the centerpiece of your dashboard and keeps the controls you actually use within thumb reach.
/images/widgets/players/hero.png1200×800pxCarTheme’s player widgets work with whatever audio app is playing — Apple Music, Spotify, podcasts, audiobooks — and let you choose the layout: art-forward, minimal controls, or a full transport bar. Style the accent color to pull from your album art or your theme, and keep the vibe consistent across your whole screen.
Music Player widget styles
A few looks you can create — or start from and make your own.
/images/widgets/players/1.png600×600px/images/widgets/players/2.png600×600pxArt-forward layout
Big album artwork as the hero of the widget, with subtle controls.
Works with any app
Mirrors the active audio source — music, podcasts or audiobooks.
Minimal controls
A stripped-back play/skip layout for a clean, uncluttered dashboard.
Accent matching
Tint the controls to match your theme or the current cover art.
How to add music player widgets to CarPlay
- Design your music player widget in CarTheme.
- On your iPhone, open Settings → General → CarPlay and select your car.
- Tap Widgets → Add Widget and choose your CarTheme widget.
- Swipe right on the CarPlay screen to see it live.
Music Player widgets — FAQ
Does the player widget control Spotify?
It reflects and controls whatever app currently holds audio focus, including Spotify, as long as that app is playing through your iPhone.
Can I show large album art on CarPlay?
Yes — the art-forward layout is designed to make cover art the centerpiece of the widget on the CarPlay screen.
Is this a replacement for the music app?
No — it’s a glance-and-control widget that sits on your dashboard alongside your map; you still play from your music app.
Related widgets
Ready to upgrade your dashboard?
Download CarTheme and set up your first widget, theme and startup sound in under two minutes.
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