Spotify now-playing desk display

What you will work towards

See the current track and artist without opening your phone. A later version could add album art and physical playback controls.

CAIBI’s proposed addition: Prove access to your own Spotify account on a computer first, then independently implement a small display client. This displays playback elsewhere; it is not a Spotify speaker.

Guide version 1.0. AI can help explain, adapt and debug; you still measure, assemble and test the physical result.

Start with the original

CAIBI proposed adaptation

• Spotify Web API access requirements · view source material ↗
• Creator example: ESP32 Spotify display · view source material ↗

Sources read 10 October 2026. The example repository labels its licence Private: inspiration only, not a reusable firmware base. Spotify development mode requires a Premium app owner and allowlisted users. No CAIBI API or hardware test yet.

See the original source for its photos and demonstrations. We have not copied imagery without confirmed reuse rights. A source prototype is not a photo of this proposed CAIBI build.

Parts to confirm before buying

• First: a Spotify account eligible for development-mode access and a working authorised API request on a computer
• After the API check: a documented USB-powered controller/display combination with enough memory for the intended UI
• A data-capable USB cable, supply and measured stand; album art is optional in version one

Use the source wiring and bill of materials as the starting point. Confirm exact variants, availability, tools and complete cost before ordering.

The completion route

1. Create or inspect your own development app and confirm the intended account is allowed. Prove one current-track request without buying hardware. Keep tokens private.
2. Run the display vendor’s example and render a fixed track/artist screen without networking.
3. Implement the documented authentication flow and read-only player request independently. Respect rate/quota responses, refresh tokens safely and show paused, unavailable and stale states.
4. Measure the working hardware and print a stand. Add artwork only after checking current Spotify display requirements and available memory.

Prompts to move it forward

Copy a prompt into your AI tool with the source material and your actual parts. Work through one small step at a time and check the output before using it. Choose an AI tool or practise the skills first.

Review the source material I supply for Spotify now-playing desk display. Make a table of what is provided, missing, contradictory or dependent on a paid service. Identify exact hardware revisions, firmware files, library versions, CAD files and licences. Separate creator claims from your proposed additions. Do not fill gaps with guessed specifications. Finish with one small test that can resolve the biggest uncertainty before I buy parts.

Sources:
Spotify Web API access requirements: https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/concepts/quota-modes
Creator example: ESP32 Spotify display: https://github.com/dylanpfirn/esp32-spotify-display/blob/main/README.md

Using official Spotify documentation, help me independently implement a read-only now-playing display. Do not copy the linked privately licensed firmware. Ask for my platform and working display example. Explain scopes and secure credential storage; use placeholders, never request secrets in chat. Handle no active playback, expired authorization, network loss and 429 responses. Separate API retrieval from rendering. Do not play audio or add controls in version one.

Sources:
Spotify Web API access requirements: https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/concepts/quota-modes
Creator example: ESP32 Spotify display: https://github.com/dylanpfirn/esp32-spotify-display/blob/main/README.md

Design a measured desktop stand for my working display. Ask for screen orientation, board dimensions, fixings, USB plug and cable bend. Provide a fit coupon, removable access and a stable viewing angle. Do not assume dimensions from the screen diagonal.

Sources:
Spotify Web API access requirements: https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/concepts/quota-modes
Creator example: ESP32 Spotify display: https://github.com/dylanpfirn/esp32-spotify-display/blob/main/README.md

Create a test log for Spotify now-playing desk display. Intended outcome: See the current track and artist without opening your phone. A later version could add album art and physical playback controls. Separate expected behaviour from observed results. Include power restart, disconnected inputs, communication failure and the actual physical use. Ask me to provide results, firmware versions, changes, photos and unresolved problems. Never mark a test passed without my evidence.

Sources:
Spotify Web API access requirements: https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/concepts/quota-modes
Creator example: ESP32 Spotify display: https://github.com/dylanpfirn/esp32-spotify-display/blob/main/README.md

What to test and record

• Confirm a real authorised API request before hardware work; redact all tokens from evidence.
• Test playing, paused and no-current-track states and record what is displayed.
• Simulate network loss, token expiry and 429 responses without deliberately exhausting the API quota.
• Restart three times and confirm recovery without displaying stale data as live.

Keep photos, exact parts and software versions with the test log. Failed or incomplete attempts are useful evidence too.

A possible next version

Add physical playback controls only after verifying their scopes, account requirements and actual behaviour. A speaker is a different project.