media-search · v1.3.3 · 2026-09-09 · sha256 9a5526a7e412d979
media-search v1.3.3A
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---
name: media-search
description: Find and play music/videos via youtube_search + browser_navigate
category: media
version: 1.3.3
origin: aiden
license: Apache-2.0
tags: music, video, youtube, play, song, listen, media, autoplay
required_tools: [youtube_search, browser_navigate]
---
# Media Search & Play
Resolve "play X" / "listen to X" / "find me a song" requests by chaining
`web_search` (optional, for fuzzy intent) → `youtube_search` (REQUIRED,
returns real watch URLs) → `browser_navigate` (REQUIRED, must use a URL that
came back from `youtube_search`). Keep navigation, interaction and Evidence
inside the owned Browser Session. Navigation alone does not prove playback.
<execute_action>
The user's request authorizes the requested media action, subject to the
runtime's approval and browser policy. Use the actual available controlled
browser tools. External `open_url` launching is unavailable inside durable
Jobs and is not a recovery path.
After navigation, inspect the player. If playback has not started, use the
observed play control through an admitted browser action. Verify observable
player state (for example paused=false and advancing currentTime, when
supported) before claiming playback. A screenshot or loaded watch URL alone
does not establish that audio is playing.
Do not bypass approval, login, CAPTCHA, browser policy, or autoplay restrictions.
If a supported action or verification is unavailable, report that exact
limitation. Never claim success from an attempted action.
</execute_action>
<selection_rule>
How strict you should be about picking a candidate from
`youtube_search` depends on how specific the user's query is.
**VAGUE query** — no specific song or artist named. Examples:
"play me a popular song", "play me a hindi song", "play
something upbeat", "put on some jazz", "play a sad song".
→ Walk the `youtube_search` candidates **top-down** and pick
the **first one** whose `title` does NOT match any of the
anti-patterns below. That is the answer. Do not score
candidates further; do not look for "the most official one";
do not compare view counts. The first non-anti-pattern wins.
**Anti-pattern keywords** (match case-insensitively against
`title`):
- "reaction", "reacting to", "react to", "first time hearing"
- "they know every word", "knows every word"
- "lyric video", "lyrics video"
- "cover", "covered by", "cover by"
- "compilation", "best of", "mashup", "mix"
- "livestream", "live stream", "LIVE", "24/7", "stream"
- "shorts" (the `#shorts` format)
- "fan edit", "fan made", "fanmade", "edit by"
- "version of", "remake", "tribute"
- "1 hour", "10 hours", "loop", "extended"
Why this matters: vague queries on YouTube often surface
reaction clips or lyric videos near the top because they
pull engagement. The user said "play a popular song" —
they want to hear the song, not someone reacting to it.
The anti-pattern filter is what keeps the vague rule from
opening "the way they know every word! 🧡" instead of the
actual track.
If every candidate in the top 5 matches at least one
anti-pattern, that is a legitimate fallback: take the
honest-fallback path (results page).
**SPECIFIC query** — the user named a song or artist. Examples:
"play Bohemian Rhapsody", "play Despacito", "play Tum Hi Ho",
"play Sabrina Carpenter".
→ Require a substring match between the candidate's `title`
field and either the song title (preferred) or the artist
name (acceptable when artist-only was given). Pick the
highest-ranked candidate that matches. Then open. Do not
keep looking once a match is found — the top match is the
answer.
**Honest fallback (`youtube.com/results`) is for one situation
only**: `youtube_search` returned **zero** candidates, OR every
candidate is structurally wrong (channel page only, livestream
when the user wanted a song). It is NOT for "results exist but
they don't feel polished enough." If `youtube_search` returned a
list and you can't pick one, the rule above failed — re-read it.
</selection_rule>
## REQUIRED tool sequence (read this first)
Every successful run of this skill calls these tools, in order:
1. `web_search` — **OPTIONAL pass 1**: identify the specific song
title + artist. Skip this when the user already named a song.
2. `youtube_search` — **REQUIRED pass 2**: get real `/watch?v=` URLs
for that specific song. Query: `<title> <artist> official audio`.
3. `browser_navigate` — exactly **once**, with a URL that came back from
`youtube_search` (verbatim — copy the `url` field from the tool
result, do not retype it from memory).
Then inspect playback through supported browser tools and retain action
Evidence before reporting. Searches alone do not fulfill a playback request.
The required search/navigation sequence does not replace runtime approval or
verification. Copy real result URLs; never invent video IDs.
Anti-patterns the planner sometimes drifts into — do NOT do these:
- ❌ **Composing a `/watch?v=ID` URL from memory or prose.** The 11
characters after `v=` are NEVER something you type — they are
always copied verbatim from a `youtube_search` result. The
provenance gate exists precisely because the model has been
caught inventing IDs. Don't.
- ❌ Skipping `youtube_search`. `web_search` returns prose snippets
and articles ABOUT songs, not autoplay-friendly URLs.
`youtube_search` is the only tool whose results clear the
provenance gate.
- ❌ Re-entering the `media-search` skill mid-run after the
searches returned. The skill is already loaded; re-viewing
wastes a turn and signals a hung agent. Run `youtube_search`,
then `browser_navigate`.
- ❌ Stopping after the searches and asking the user to confirm. The
user's "play me a song" request is the consent — proceed to
`browser_navigate`.
- ❌ Picking a `youtube_search` result whose **title** does not
contain the song you committed to. Artist-only match is not
enough; "Alex Warren live stream" is not "Alex Warren — Ordinary."
- ❌ Picking a result whose title says "live stream", "24/7",
"lyric", "cover", "reaction", "best of", "compilation", "mashup",
"1 hour", or "loop". Those don't match what the user asked for.
## When to use
The user's request matches any of these patterns:
- **Direct play:** "play Despacito", "play Bohemian Rhapsody"
- **Fuzzy play:** "play me a popular song", "play something upbeat",
"play a sad song"
- **Listen intent:** "I want to listen to jazz", "put on some music"
- **Artist intent:** "play kendrick lamar", "play some abba"
- **Video intent:** "show me the latest Marvel trailer", "play that
cooking video about ramen"
If the user says "open spotify" or "open youtube" without a specific
piece, that's an `browser_navigate` direct call — not this skill.
## How to use
### Pass 1 — Identify the song
The goal of pass 1 is to **commit to a specific `<title>` and
`<artist>` before you pick any URL**. Build the query from what the
user actually said:
| User said | Pass-1 query |
|---|---|
| "play me a popular song" | `Billboard Hot 100 #1 this week` |
| "play me something upbeat" | `top upbeat pop songs 2026` |
| "play me a sad song" | `top ballads 2026 spotify` |
| "play me kendrick lamar" | `kendrick lamar most popular song 2025` |
| "play me a hindi song" | `bollywood top hindi songs this week` |
| "play me jazz" | `jazz standards essential listening` |
| "play Despacito" | (skip pass 1 — title already given) |
| "play Bohemian Rhapsody" | (skip pass 1 — title already given) |
After pass 1, **announce your commitment in your reasoning** (this is
NOT yet shown to the user — that comes after `browser_navigate`):
> Picked: `<title>` by `<artist>` (reason: e.g. "currently #1 on
> Billboard Hot 100").
If the user already named a specific song, pass 1 is unnecessary —
the title and artist are already given. Skip directly to pass 2.
### Pass 2 — Get real YouTube watch URLs (`youtube_search`)
Call `youtube_search` with a query of the form:
```
"<title>" <artist> official audio
```
Wrap the title in double quotes. `youtube_search` hits the public
YouTube results page, parses real `/watch?v=` URLs out of the
response, and returns a list of `{ videoId, url, title, channel,
durationText? }` objects. The URLs in that list are the only URLs
you may use for the chosen video. Preserve existing URL provenance checks;
do not invent or reconstruct a watch URL.
**URL-selection rules (apply in order to the `youtube_search`
results, not to `web_search` snippets):**
1. **The result's `title` field MUST explicitly contain the song
title** you committed to in pass 1. Artist-only mention is not
enough. If the title doesn't name the song, skip it.
2. Prefer results whose `title` contains "Official Audio",
"Official Music Video", "Official Video", or "Official Lyric
Video". These are usually the artist's verified upload.
3. **Reject** results whose `title` contains any of: "live stream",
"LIVE", "24/7", "lyric video" (unless specifically requested),
"cover", "covered by", "reaction", "react to", "best of",
"compilation", "mashup", "remix" (unless specifically requested),
"hour" (e.g. "1 hour version"), "loop". These don't match what
the user asked for.
4. If no result in the top 5 satisfies rules 1–3, fall through to
the honest-fallback path (below). Do **not** loosen the rules to
force a pick.
### Step 3 — Navigate, interact and verify
Call `browser_navigate` with the chosen result's URL: copy the `url` field
verbatim. Inspect the resulting page with supported browser tools and operate
the actual play control if needed. Reuse the same owned session and tab;
do not launch duplicate tabs just because the player is slow.
Observe playback state after the action. If playback cannot be verified,
report navigation as navigation and playback as unverified. Do not invent
a successful play receipt or assume autoplay.
### Step 4 — Report the observed result
Report the chosen title, URL, observed action and any limitation. Say
"playing" only when playback was observed; otherwise say "opened" and explain
what remains blocked or unverified. Keep Evidence linked to the actual action.
For fuzzy intent, briefly explain the selection. Do not present selection,
navigation, or a user-facing browser window as proof that playback succeeded.
### Honest-fallback: no verifying URL found
If pass 2 returns no result that satisfies all the URL-selection
rules above, the fallback **executes** in the same turn — it is not
something you offer to the user.
1. `browser_navigate` to
`https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=<title>+<artist>`
(URL-encoded). Same turn. No "want me to?" question. No "let
me know if".
2. **After** `browser_navigate` fires, report what executed:
> Couldn't find a verified official upload for `<title>` by
> `<artist>`. Opened
> `youtube.com/results?search_query=<title>+<artist>` — autoplay
> doesn't fire on results pages, so pick a tile to start
> playback.
Do NOT claim "now playing" — that would be the same fabrication
Phase 23.1 was built to catch. Do NOT ask "should I open the
search page?" — that's the offer-style anti-pattern Phase 23.3
specifically forbids.
## Examples
### Example 1 — vague query, walk top-down with anti-pattern filter
User prompt: "play me a popular song"
The `<selection_rule>` block says: vague query → walk
`youtube_search` candidates top-down, skip anti-patterns, take
the first clean one. No officialness scoring beyond that.
Expected flow:
- Aiden may run an optional `web_search` to commit to a current
chart-topper (e.g. "Opalite" by Taylor Swift). This is for
query construction, not for filtering YouTube results.
- Aiden runs: `youtube_search("Opalite Taylor Swift")` →
returns 5 candidates:
1. `{ title: "the way they know every word! 🧡 Opalite by Taylor Swift", channel: "Krystal" }` — title contains "they know every word" → **anti-pattern match, skip**.
2. `{ title: "Taylor Swift - Opalite (Official Audio)", channel: "Taylor Swift" }` — no anti-pattern keyword → **first clean candidate, pick**.
3. (rest of list ignored — once a clean candidate is found, stop)
- Aiden runs: `browser_navigate(<candidate 2 .url>)` — copy the `url`
field verbatim, then inspect the player and verify the requested action.
- Aiden reports: "Picked: '<title>' from '<channel>'. Opened
`<url>`."
If every candidate in the top 5 hits an anti-pattern keyword —
e.g. all reactions, all lyric videos — that is the legitimate
fallback case (Example 5). Do not loosen the anti-pattern
filter to force a pick.
### Example 2 — specific title, match required
User prompt: "play Tum Hi Ho"
The `<selection_rule>` block says: specific query → require a
title or artist substring match in the candidate before opening.
Expected flow:
- Title given (Tum Hi Ho). Aiden skips `web_search`.
- Aiden runs: `youtube_search("Tum Hi Ho")` → list of candidates.
- Aiden walks the candidates top-down looking for the first one
whose `title` field contains "Tum Hi Ho" (case-insensitive
substring is fine). The highest-ranked match is the answer —
not "the most official-looking one further down the list."
- Aiden runs: `browser_navigate(<that result's url, verbatim>)`.
- Aiden reports: "Picked: '<title>' from '<channel>'. Opened `<url>`."
If the very top result's title contains "Tum Hi Ho", that's the
match. Stop looking. Open it.
### Example 3 — specific song, top result is the match
User prompt: "play Despacito"
Expected flow:
- Title and artist already given (Despacito, Luis Fonsi).
- Aiden skips `web_search`.
- Aiden runs: `youtube_search("Despacito Luis Fonsi")` → top
result's title contains "Despacito". Match found at rank 1.
- Aiden runs: `browser_navigate(<top result.url>)`.
- Aiden reports: "Picked: '<title>' from '<channel>'. Opened
`<url>`."
### Example 4 — artist-only, hybrid
User prompt: "play me kendrick lamar"
This is between vague and specific: the artist is named, so "Not
Like Us by random tribute act" is wrong, but the song isn't —
so the bar is "any candidate whose channel or title is Kendrick
Lamar's actual catalog."
Expected flow:
- Aiden may run `web_search("kendrick lamar most popular song
2025")` to commit to a likely song (e.g. "Not Like Us"). This
step is optional but useful for query construction.
- Aiden runs: `youtube_search("Kendrick Lamar Not Like Us")` →
list of candidates.
- Aiden picks the top candidate whose `title` or `channel` names
Kendrick Lamar. Top result usually qualifies.
- Aiden runs: `browser_navigate(<that result's url, verbatim>)`.
- Aiden reports: "Picked: '<title>' from '<channel>'. Opened
`<url>`."
### Example 5 — fallback to results page
User prompt: "play that lo-fi beats stream"
Expected flow:
- Pass 1: `web_search("popular lo-fi beats stream 2026")` → top
result is "lofi hip hop radio — beats to relax/study to" channel.
- Aiden commits: title="lofi hip hop radio", artist="Lofi Girl".
- Pass 2: `youtube_search("\"lofi hip hop radio\" Lofi Girl official
audio")` → top results are channel pages and livestreams. Every
watch URL whose title contains "live" or "24/7" fails reject rule
3. No top-5 result satisfies the rules.
- Aiden runs:
`browser_navigate("https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lofi+hip+hop+radio+Lofi+Girl")`
— a search-results page, not proof of playback.
- Aiden reports honestly: "Couldn't find a single verified upload —
Lofi Girl's stream is a 24/7 livestream, not a single video.
Opened YouTube search results; click any livestream tile to start
playback."
## Cautions
- **Never call `browser_navigate` more than once per request.** If the first
call succeeded, the URL is open in the user's browser. Re-launching
is duplicate noise.
- **A watch URL does not guarantee autoplay.** Only claim "now playing"
after observing playback; report restrictions or unverified state honestly.
- **`youtube_search` is required, not optional.** Use its real results and
preserve URL provenance checks. Never compose a video ID from memory.
- **`web_search` (pass 1) is optional, but valuable for fuzzy
intents.** It helps you commit to a specific title before
`youtube_search`. For "play Despacito" you can skip it; for "play
me a popular song" you almost certainly need it.
- **Don't search verbatim for fuzzy phrases.** "popular song" verbatim
returns articles ABOUT popular songs, not the songs themselves. The
whole point of pass 1 is to substitute fuzzy → specific BEFORE
`youtube_search`.
- **Title match is non-negotiable.** If the `youtube_search` result's
`title` doesn't literally contain the song title you committed to,
that result is not the song you said you'd play. Skip it. If
nothing matches, take the honest fallback.
- **No Spotify integration in v4.0.** If the user explicitly asks for
Spotify ("play X on spotify"), tell them: "Spotify integration ships
in v4.1. For now I can open the song on YouTube instead — want me
to?"
## Requirements
- `web_search` tool (always available — registered at boot)
- `youtube_search` tool (always available — registered at boot)
- An available owned Browser Session and permitted browser navigation/interaction tools.
- Respect current approval requirements. If a browser dependency is unavailable,
report it rather than switching to an unowned external launcher.
- Some sites require user login or consent; never bypass these barriers.