Newspaper music widget

What a newspaper music widget shows

A now-playing widget shows cover art, the track and artist, a progress line and three controls. It works with whichever app is playing, not one particular service.

Reading the current track needs Android's notification access and a media connection, which is a Pro feature in WidgetCraft. The controls send play, pause and skip to the app that is playing.

How the newspaper style shapes it

Newspaper widgets copy a front page: a bold serif headline, a dateline in small capitals, double rules and tight columns in black on newsprint.

• Photos: Convert photos to black and white and add an italic caption.
• Text: Write the title as a headline in bold serif and add a dateline in small capitals.
• Bars and rings: Use double rules above and below; keep bars thin and black.

Newspaper music widget recipe

Newspaper color palette

• Newsprint #F1EEE6Background
• Fold grey #E4DFD3Surface and tracks
• Ink black #111111Text
• Halftone #666159Labels
• Ink black #111111Accent

How to make a newspaper music widget in WidgetCraft

1. Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 360 × 180, the background to #F1EEE6 and the corner radius to 0.
2. Open Data and set up the media connection; Android will ask for notification access.
3. Add an Image layer, 140 × 140 with radius 0, and connect it to the cover art.
4. Add two Text layers connected to the track title (size 20, #111111) and the artist (size 14, #666159).
5. Add a Progress layer as a thin 4-point bar in #111111, then three shapes for the controls. In Tap, assign previous, play/pause and next.
6. Add the newspaper ornament with Shape layers and move them below the other layers in Layers: a masthead rule at the top made of a 4-point bar with a 1-point line beneath it, and a 1-point rule along the bottom.
7. Tap Save, then Add to home screen and resize the widget on your launcher if needed.

The layout and styling are free. The live data connection for this widget needs WidgetCraft Pro, a one-time purchase.

Tips for newspaper music widgets

• Add a thick rule and a thin rule together as a masthead line.
• Keep everything black on newsprint.
• Long titles must truncate on one line; never let them wrap into the controls.
• Make each control at least 48 dp wide so it is easy to hit.
• The widget only shows a track while a media app has an active session.
• Do not use color except one dark red word.
• Do not round the corners.

Questions about the newspaper music widget

What size is a newspaper music widget?

It is designed for 4 × 2 home screen cells on a 360 × 180 canvas. You can resize it on the launcher and the design scales in proportion.

Which colors does it use?

Newsprint (#F1EEE6) for the background, Ink black (#111111) for the main text, Halftone (#666159) for labels and Ink black (#111111) as the accent.

Is it free to make?

The newspaper design is free to build. Showing live track details needs the one-time Pro upgrade.

What else is this style called?

People also search for news style music widget, headline music widget, print music widget. They describe the same look as this newspaper music widget.

More newspaper widgets

• Newspaper clock widget
• Newspaper analog clock widget
• Newspaper calendar widget
• Newspaper battery widget
• Newspaper countdown widget
• Newspaper to-do list widget
• Newspaper photo widget
• Newspaper quote widget
• Newspaper year progress widget
• Newspaper step counter widget
• Newspaper habit tracker widget
• Newspaper sticky note widget
• Newspaper world clock widget
• Newspaper date widget
• Newspaper home screen setup
• All newspaper widgets

Music player widgets in other styles

• Editorial music widget
• Monochrome music widget
• E-ink music widget
• All music widgets