How to Add an Apple Music Widget to Your iPhone Home Screen

Updated July 14, 2026 · Marquee Guides

Quick answer

Add a widget by long-pressing your home screen, tapping Edit → Add Widget, and choosing a music widget. For a now-playing widget with live album art, play/pause and skip controls, and colors that match your theme, install Marquee and add its Music Player widget instead of the stock one.

A music widget puts what’s playing right on your home screen — album art, track info, and a tap-to-open player. Apple ships a basic Music widget, but it’s limited to promoting recently played playlists and follows Apple’s look, not yours.

Here’s how to add a music widget on iPhone, and how to get one that’s actually worth the space.

Adding any widget on iPhone

  1. Long-press an empty area of your home screen until apps jiggle.
  2. Tap Edit in the top-left corner, then Add Widget.
  3. Search for the app whose widget you want, pick a size, and tap Add Widget.
  4. Drag it where you want it and tap Done.

Why Marquee’s music widgets are better

Marquee’s Music Player widget comes in small, medium, and large — plus lock screen widgets — with live album art and real controls: play and pause from any size, skip on medium and large. And every widget follows your Marquee theme, so your home screen, widgets, and player all match. Pair them with a custom theme and app icon for a completely cohesive setup.

There are two more where that came from: a City Charts widget with the top 25 songs in your city right now, and an Upcoming Releases widget (Marquee Pro) that counts down to release day on your home screen.

  1. Download Marquee free from the App Store and connect Apple Music.
  2. Follow the widget steps above and search for "Marquee".
  3. Pick a widget and size — Music Player, City Charts, or Upcoming Releases.
  4. Set a theme in Marquee and watch your widgets update to match.
Marquee app icon

Try it with Marquee — free

The Apple Music player with themes, Last.fm scrobbling, Library Insights, and Upcoming Releases tracking. Requires an Apple Music subscription.

Download on the App Store

Frequently asked questions

Do the widgets control playback?

Yes. Play and pause work from every Music Player widget size, and medium and large add track skipping — no need to open the app.

Are there lock screen widgets?

Yes — Marquee’s Music Player widget includes circular, rectangular, and inline lock screen widgets alongside the home screen sizes.