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When Music Assistant asks for a Username, Cookie, Token, or Server URL, it is not asking for parts of one universal Music Assistant login. Each field belongs to a particular music source, and similarly named fields can serve different purposes.
The key distinction is between two configuration layers:
- Shared source settings control how a source behaves inside Music Assistant.
- Provider-specific inputs identify or authenticate an external account, authorize library access, support playback, or locate a helper service.
Apple Music and YouTube Music show why terms such as “token” and “cookie” must be read in the context of the provider’s documentation.
Evidence scope: This explanation is based on Music Assistant documentation retrieved on October 4, 2026. No authentication flow was tested.
What the documented fields mean
| Source | Stated login method | Provider-specific inputs or flow | Role of generic source settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Music | OAuth or Cookie | Sign in with an Apple ID and grant access to the Apple Music library, or manually provide a Music User Token copied from the documented media-user-token cookie. A paid subscription is required. The interactive handoff must use Music Assistant’s web address on port 8095. (Apple Music documentation) |
Controls the source instance and its library-import behavior; it does not replace Apple Music authentication. |
| YouTube Music | Token + Cookie | Provide a Gmail address or brand-account ID and an authenticated login cookie. A separate Proof of Origin token service supports playback requests, and the PO Token Server URL points Music Assistant to that service. Free accounts are unsupported. (YouTube Music documentation) | Places provider-specific fields alongside shared source controls; it does not create a general Music Assistant username, cookie, or token. |
These are bounded examples, not an authentication matrix for every provider. Other sources can have different requirements and assign different meanings to their fields.
Generic settings configure the source instance
Music Assistant defines a music source as somewhere music lives, including a streaming service, local storage, a media server, or a directory of other media. Sources are added through Settings → Music Sources → Add a music source. (Music Sources documentation)
The shared settings include controls for:
- A custom source name
- Enabling or disabling the source
- Log level
- Importing supported media types
- Importing album or playlist tracks
- Synchronizing supported library changes back to the originating source
These controls govern a configured source inside Music Assistant. The general Music Sources page directs readers to each provider page for source-specific settings; it does not define one account credential that applies to every provider. (Music Sources documentation)
Interface placement can therefore be misleading. A provider-owned value may appear under a section called Generic Settings, but that does not make it a Music Assistant-issued credential or something that can be reused with another source.
Apple Music: two documented authorization paths
The Apple Music source signs Music Assistant into an Apple Music account, making that account’s saved artists, albums, and playlists available alongside other sources while also providing catalogue search and browsing. The source requires a paid subscription and lists its login method as OAuth or Cookie. (Apple Music documentation)
Interactive Apple ID authorization
The normal flow starts with Authenticate with Apple Music. The user signs in with an Apple ID and grants Music Assistant access to the Apple Music library. The documentation says the remaining required information is collected automatically.
For Apple to return the user to Music Assistant, the process must be started from Music Assistant’s own web address:
http://<YOUR_MA_IP>:8095
When Music Assistant is installed as an app, the documentation says port 8095 must first be opened as described in the core settings. This address enables the authentication handoff; it is not another account credential. (Apple Music documentation)
Manual Music User Token
If the normal flow is unavailable, Music Assistant accepts a Manual Music User Token. The provider page instructs the user to copy the value of Apple Music’s media-user-token cookie and enter it as the Music User Token. (Apple Music documentation)
That token belongs specifically to the Apple Music account connection. It is not documented as a Music Assistant password, a generic cookie for other sources, or a substitute for import and synchronization settings.
YouTube Music: separate fields for separate jobs
The YouTube Music summary lists Token + Cookie as its login method, but its detailed setup assigns different roles to those items. Connecting an account exposes its library and playlists to Music Assistant and permits catalogue searches. Free accounts are unsupported. The page also warns that YouTube provides no official API for retrieving data and streams, so this source operates on a best-effort basis. (YouTube Music documentation)
Username identifies the provider account
For this source, the Username field contains either:
- A Gmail address
- A brand-account ID when using a YouTube brand account
The field identifies the relevant provider account. It is not a general Music Assistant username, even though it appears in the Generic Settings section. (YouTube Music documentation)
Login Cookie authenticates the account
The Login Cookie is copied from an authenticated YouTube Music request. The provider page describes cookie authentication as the only supported third-party login path for this source. The username identifies the intended account, while the cookie supplies the account authentication. (YouTube Music documentation)
PO token supports playback requests
The Proof of Origin token is not documented as an alternative to the login cookie. Its stated role is to show that a playback request came from a real YouTube application. A separate PO Token service generates these tokens for Music Assistant.
For self-hosted installations, the retrieved documentation specifies PO Token server version 1.2.1. Because this is configuration-sensitive guidance, the current provider page should be checked before deployment. (YouTube Music documentation)
PO Token Server URL locates the helper
The PO Token Server URL tells Music Assistant where to reach the token generator. The default applies when that service runs as an app on the same host as Music Assistant; its address and port must be adjusted when it runs separately. The URL identifies a service endpoint, not the user or the YouTube Music account. (YouTube Music documentation)
Read fields by ownership and role
The documented fields fall into distinct categories:
- Account identity: which provider account to use
- Account authentication: evidence of an authenticated provider session
- Authorization: provider consent to access a library
- Playback proof: an additional requirement for playback requests
- Service location: the address of a helper service
- Source configuration: how Music Assistant names, enables, imports, and synchronizes a source
For Apple Music, Apple ID authorization or the documented Music User Token connects the provider account. For YouTube Music, the username, login cookie, PO token, and PO Token Server URL each perform a different job. None is documented as a universal Music Assistant credential.
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