FOSSPicks

Unofficial Spotify client

Spotifyd

For those of us cynical about proprietary IoT devices, there was some schadenfreude to enjoy recently. The expensive music streaming speaker manufacturer, Sonos, bribed its users with a 30 percent discount if they went through the process of enabling recycling mode on their old equipment. Enabling this effectively disabled perfectly usable devices, prohibiting their resale and secondhand use and effectively condemning them to the landfill. Disabling perfectly usable hardware is audacious, but yet another example of us having no control over the hardware we're effectively licensing the use of (see Logitech Harmony, Philips Hue, and Google Nest for other prime contenders). Which is why it's so important to find alternatives that don't compromise on quality or convenience.

Fortunately, when it comes to streaming music, there are plenty of options. There are simple Bluetooth devices you can wire into your preexisting system, and something like a Raspberry Pi with a decent USB audio interface or DAC is another good option. But when it comes to software, there's nothing that can really compete with Spotify, which is why it's one of the best reasons for using a proprietary piece of hardware. There is an official Linux client, and in the past you could use a plugin with Logitech's SqueezeBox platform, but spotifyd is an even better option. Spotifyd is a background daemon that can run on any Linux box, effectively turning it into a sink for your Spotify client. After it's installed, it requires no further configuration if you're on the same network. It appears as a playback device from your official Spotify app, just like a Sonos speaker or other official destination. You can then remotely control the music streaming to your Linux box, or turn any Raspberry Pi into a superior smart speaker.

Project Website

https://github.com/Spotifyd

Turn any embedded Linux system into a high-quality streaming server with unlimited access to music.

Music platform

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Big Shot: OpenShot Video Editor Version 1.0 Released

    Video clip editors have been in short supply under Linux. Jonathan Thomas is now trying to fill that gap with the first stable version of the OpenShot Video Editor.

  • FOSSPicks

    This month Graham looks at Bespoke, Waydroid, OpenShot, pedalboard, Onivim 2, Mr. Rescue, and more!

  • Get Started with Fedora

    Fedora might look foreign at first, but after a few minutes of finding your way around, you can feel right at home. To help jump start your journey into Fedora, let's take the grand tour.

  • Dallas Ubuntu Developer Summit: 10.04 to Drop Gimp

    The Ubuntu Developer Summit (UDS-L) in Dallas TX is setting the switches for the upcoming Ubuntu LTS version, Lucid Lynx. One loser is Gimp: the image manipulator should disappear from the CD.

  • FOSSPicks

    Sparkling gems and new releases from the world of Free and Open Source Software

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News