problem

I often switch between multiple applications just to control music while working.

motivation

I wanted a lightweight music player that integrates naturally into the IDE without disrupting the development workflow

solution

Built a JetBrains plugin capable of interacting with local media players while remaining lightweight and unobtrusive.

decisions

• Integrated with native Linux tools instead of embedding a complete media player.
• Designed the UI to match the JetBrains ecosystem.
• Prioritised simplicity over feature completeness.
• Added audio visualisation for better UI

challenges

• Working with JetBrains plugin APIs.
• Interfacing with Linux media services.
• Synchronising playback state efficiently.
• Exploiting cava visualisation data

lessons

• Good plugins should feel like a natural extension of the IDE.
• Native integrations often provide better user experience than reinventing existing tooling