Playback controls for multiple apps

My main use for BTT is to control the playback of a video in a background window while I take notes in the active window so I don't have to switch windows to pause/rewind the video. My question is what is the best way to set this up if I use multiple players. For example sometimes I'm taking notes on a Youtube video in Chrome, a local file in VLC, or an iTunesU course in iTunes, etc.

Right now I have one set of triggers for Chrome and one for VLC but each uses a different modifier combo. If I use another app I have to manually change the target app for all the triggers for the Chrome or VLC ones.

While this gets the job done it feels kind of messy. Is there a more elegant way to do this so I could have one set of triggers to control whatever video player I'm using?

Something like "Send [space bar] to app with the top Z-order from the following list [Chrome, VLC, or iTunes]. Since the app playing the video will usually be just under my note taking app this would allow a single command to dynamically go to the right window.

Is something like this possible? If not feel free to move this to the feature request forum. Is there a better way to do what I'm trying to achieve?

I think that's the default action for the "play/pause" button macOS offers since High Sierra, the unified play/pause button.


Try quitting BTT for a bit and add it to the control strip, check if that works for you (without BTT).

I personally hated this unified play and pause feature, used BTT to only control iTunes, maybe that's suited for you though :laughing:

I don't think the Mac play/pause button works inside videos playing in Chrome so that's not really an option for me.

Also, I have commands for Faster/Slower and jump Forward/Back 10seconds so I still need to use BTT triggers for that.