joshlucpoll/spotify-playlist-utils repository overview

⁠spotify-playlist-utils

Github Repository⁠

⁠Contents

• spotify-playlist-utils⁠
  • Contents⁠
  • What is this⁠
  • Setting up⁠
    • Before you get started⁠
      • The Config File⁠
      • Create a Spotify Application⁠
      • Create Discord Bot⁠
    • Selecting the Playlists⁠
      • Getting Playlist ID⁠
    • Extra Parameters⁠
  • Try it out!⁠
  • Docker⁠
    • Custom Cron Timing⁠
    • Running The Container⁠
  • The Redirect URI⁠

⁠What is this

This script is able to create a reordered playlist from your existing Spotify playlists. It was created for two reasons:

• Spotify shuffle tends to repeat the same songs over and over -- therefore this script can shuffle a playlist
• Devices that don't have an ordering function for Spotify playlists default to oldest added first (e.g. Android Auto) -- therefore this script can order a playlist with your most recent songs first

There are two playlist types the script can create:

• Shuffled
• Newest (songs added most recently are at the top by default)

This script only modifies its own playlists that it creates, that is to say the playlists you have made are not modified.

This script uses Discord as an interface for communication and authentication purposes.

⁠Setting up

⁠Before you get started

⁠The Config File

This script comes with a .env file⁠ that holds all the configuration parameters

⁠Create a Spotify Application

For this script to work you will need to create a Spotify application from the Spotify Developer Dashboard

1. Create a Spotify developer account⁠ if you have not already
2. Visit your application dashboard⁠ and create a new app, name and description aren't important (this app is only for your personal use)
3. Click 'Edit Settings' and add this website url to the Redirect URIs section: https://redirect-uri-capture.joshlucpoll.dev/spotify-callback sidenote⁠
4. On the dashboard for your app copy your 'Client ID' and paste it into the .env file so it has this line:

   CLIENT_ID="<Client ID>"
   

   Copy
   where <Client ID> is the Client ID
5. Do the same with your 'Client Secret' (you will have to click show Client Secret):

   CLIENT_SECRET="<Client Secret>"
   

   Copy
   where <Client Secret> is the Client Secret

⁠Create Discord Bot

This script uses a discord bot to gain the access token and log events, so you'll have to create one:

1. Make sure you have a Discord server and channel set up for the bot
2. Go to your application tab⁠ in the Discord Developer portal
3. Create a new application and name is appropriately
4. Go to the bot tab and create a new bot (I would recommend unchecking public bot -- so only you can use it)
5. Copy your bot token and paste it into the .env file:

   DISCORD_TOKEN="<bot token>"
   

   Copy
   where <bot token> is replaced with your bot token

Now to add your bot to your server:

1. Go to the OAuth2 tab and copy your Client ID
2. Paste this URL into your browser, replacing <CLIENT_ID> with the client ID from the discord bot

   https://discordapp.com/api/oauth2/authorize?client_id=<CLIENT_ID>&permissions=75840&scope=bot
   

   Copy
3. Select server to add bot
4. In the server you just added the bot right click the channel your want the bot to use and Copy ID
5. Paste this ID into the .env file:

   DISCORD_CHANNEL=<ID>
   

   Copy
   where <ID> is replace with the channel ID

⁠Selecting the Playlists

You will need the ID of the playlists you want the script to use

⁠Getting Playlist ID

To get the id of a playlist, right click it then Share > Copy link to playlist. This will give you a link to your playlist in the format:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/<PLAYLIST_ID>?si=<SI>

where <PLATLIST_ID> and <SI> are random strings of characters

Copy your playlist id and paste it into the .env file:

PLAYLISTS_TO_SHUFFLE=["<PLAYLIST_ID_1>", "<PLAYLIST_ID_2>", "<PLAYLIST_ID_3>"]
PLAYLISTS_TO_NEWEST=["<PLAYLIST_ID_1>", "<PLAYLIST_ID_2>"]

where <PLAYLIST_ID_x> are your playlist IDs

note PLAYLISTS_TO_SHUFFLE and PLAYLISTS_TO_NEWEST can have zero or more values -- if there are zero values: PLAYLISTS_TO_SHUFFLE=[]

⁠Extra Parameters

In the .env file you will also find a PLAYLIST_ARE_PUBLIC constant. This alters the the output playlist visibility, either True or False

⁠Try it out!

You will need Python3 to run the script -- if you don't have python installed, you can follow this guide⁠

Install the required packages using:

python3 -m pip install -r requirement.txt

Run the main.py script

The first time you run it you should get a discord message asking for an access code. Click the link and sign in with your Spotify account. Copy the access code from the capture website and paste it back into the same channel. The script uses a cache to store Spotify credentials so you won't be asked to sign in every time the script runs.

If successful you should have new playlists created within your account!

⁠Docker

This script can also be be used in a docker environment. By default the script will run every day at 8:00. If you want to change this timing go to custom cron timing⁠ else continue to running the container⁠

⁠Custom Cron Timing

1. Locate the DockerFile file on line 10:

RUN printf "0 8 * * * python3 /app/main.py\n" >> crontab-automation

1. Change 0 8 * * * to preferred cron timing⁠

2. Build the container:

docker build -t spotify-playlist-utils <path_to_root_folder>

1. Continue to running the container⁠, ignoring the pulling stage.

⁠Running The Container

To start, pull the docker image⁠ from docker hub:

docker pull joshlucpoll/spotify-playlist-utils

Now run the container:

1. with .env file (same one created in the guide -- you may need to download from Github⁠):

docker run --env-file <path_to_.env_file> <image_id>

1. with individual environment variables:

docker run -e CLIENT_ID="<client_id>" -e CLIENT_SECRET="<client_secret>" -e DISCORD_TOKEN="<discord_token>" -e DISCORD_CHANNEL=<discord_channel> -e PLAYLISTS_TO_SHUFFLE=[] -e PLAYLISTS_TO_NEWEST=[] -e PLAYLIST_ARE_PUBLIC=True <image_id>

The container should now be running and will update your playlists automatically!

⁠The Redirect URI

For the script to read your playlists it needs to gain an access token from Spotify. This is done by creating a URL that points to Spotify asking you to authenticate. Once you sign in spotify sends an access code to a callback URL. Therefore, to capture this code, I have created a simple website⁠ that extracts the code allowing your to copy it back into discord. This website's source code in available here⁠

back up⁠