diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSMediaPlayer.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSMediaPlayer.java
index af418f6308a0d..6949640750322 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSMediaPlayer.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSMediaPlayer.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import android.media.MediaMetadata;
 import android.media.session.MediaController;
 import android.media.session.MediaSession;
 import android.media.session.PlaybackState;
+import android.text.TextUtils;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.View;
@@ -50,7 +51,6 @@ import com.android.settingslib.media.MediaOutputSliceConstants;
 import com.android.systemui.Dependency;
 import com.android.systemui.R;
 import com.android.systemui.plugins.ActivityStarter;
-import com.android.systemui.statusbar.MediaTransferManager;
 
 /**
  * Single media player for carousel in QSPanel
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ public class QSMediaPlayer {
         mToken = token;
         mController = new MediaController(mContext, token);
         MediaMetadata mMediaMetadata = mController.getMetadata();
+
+        if (mMediaMetadata == null) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "Media metadata was null");
+            return;
+        }
+
         Notification.Builder builder = Notification.Builder.recoverBuilder(mContext, notif);
 
         // Album art
@@ -151,18 +157,17 @@ public class QSMediaPlayer {
         // Album name
         TextView albumName = headerView.findViewById(com.android.internal.R.id.header_text);
         String albumString = mMediaMetadata.getString(MediaMetadata.METADATA_KEY_ALBUM);
-        if (!albumString.isEmpty()) {
+        if (TextUtils.isEmpty(albumString)) {
+            albumName.setVisibility(View.GONE);
+            separator.setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        } else {
             albumName.setText(albumString);
             albumName.setTextColor(iconColor);
             albumName.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
             separator.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
-        } else {
-            albumName.setVisibility(View.GONE);
-            separator.setVisibility(View.GONE);
         }
 
         // Transfer chip
-        MediaTransferManager mediaTransferManager = new MediaTransferManager(mContext);
         View transferBackgroundView = headerView.findViewById(
                 com.android.internal.R.id.media_seamless);
         LinearLayout viewLayout = (LinearLayout) transferBackgroundView;
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSPanel.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSPanel.java
index 20600596c3a14..b48814bfd6bd5 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSPanel.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSPanel.java
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ public class QSPanel extends LinearLayout implements Tunable, Callback, Brightne
             mMediaCarousel = new LinearLayout(mContext);
             mMediaCarousel.setOrientation(LinearLayout.HORIZONTAL);
             mediaScrollView.addView(mMediaCarousel, lpCarousel);
+            mediaScrollView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
         } else {
             mMediaCarousel = null;
         }
@@ -239,6 +240,7 @@ public class QSPanel extends LinearLayout implements Tunable, Callback, Brightne
             } else {
                 mMediaCarousel.addView(player.getView(), lp); // add at end
             }
+            mMediaPlayers.add(player);
         } else if (player.isPlaying()) {
             // move it to the front
             mMediaCarousel.removeView(player.getView());
@@ -248,7 +250,10 @@ public class QSPanel extends LinearLayout implements Tunable, Callback, Brightne
         Log.d(TAG, "setting player session");
         player.setMediaSession(token, icon, iconColor, bgColor, actionsContainer,
                 notif.getNotification());
-        mMediaPlayers.add(player);
+
+        if (mMediaPlayers.size() > 0) {
+            ((View) mMediaCarousel.getParent()).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
+        }
     }
 
     protected View getMediaPanel() {
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSMediaPlayer.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSMediaPlayer.java
index ae66cd5767656..3ec71ac30da17 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSMediaPlayer.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSMediaPlayer.java
@@ -84,6 +84,11 @@ public class QuickQSMediaPlayer {
         mController = new MediaController(mContext, token);
         MediaMetadata mMediaMetadata = mController.getMetadata();
 
+        if (mMediaMetadata == null) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "Media metadata was null");
+            return;
+        }
+
         // Album art
         addAlbumArtBackground(mMediaMetadata, bgColor);