Spotify MCP Server

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Spotify

Provides 51 granular tools perfect for building dynamic HUDs, music visualizers, and AI-powered music control interfaces

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Why This MCP Server?

This MCP server is specifically designed for dynamic HUD applications where you need individual data points. Instead of parsing large JSON responses, each tool returns exactly what you need.

Use Case	Traditional Approach	This Server
Get track name	Parse JSON → Extract item.name	spotify_get_track_name → Direct value
Get artist	Parse JSON → Extract item.artists[0].name	spotify_get_artist_name → Direct value
Show countdown timer	Parse JSON → Calculate remaining time → Format	spotify_get_time_remaining_formatted → "3:24"
Progress bar	Parse JSON → Calculate percentage	spotify_get_track_progress_percentage → "67"
Play/pause button	Parse JSON → Check is_playing	spotify_is_playing → "true" or "false"

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Complete Tool Coverage

51 tools organized into 9 categories for maximum flexibility

Category	Tool Count	Description
Bulk State Tools	2	Get complete playback state or track info in one call
Granular Track Info	16	Individual tools for artist, track name, album, duration, progress, artwork, and more
Granular Device Info	6	Get device name, type, volume, ID, and active status individually
Granular Playback State	5	Individual tools for play state, shuffle, repeat mode, and context
Playback Control	7	Play, pause, next, previous, seek, shuffle, and repeat controls
Volume & Device Control	2	Set volume and transfer playback between devices
Queue Management	3	View queue, add tracks, and see recently played
Search & Discovery	5	Search tracks, albums, artists, and get detailed information
Library Management	5	Manage saved tracks and playlists

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Key Features

Feature	Description
Granular Data Access	51 specialized tools for precise data retrieval
HUD Optimized	Returns plain text values perfect for UI components
Production Ready	Comprehensive error handling and automatic token refresh
Full Test Coverage	94 tests covering all 51 tools and edge cases
Type Safe	Built with TypeScript and Zod schema validation
OAuth Authentication	Automatic token management and refresh
Zero Dependencies	Only requires Node.js 18+ and Spotify account

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Installation

Step	Instructions
1. Prerequisites	• Node.js 18+ installed • Spotify Account (Premium recommended) • Spotify Developer App credentials
2. Get Credentials	1. Go to Spotify Developer Dashboard 2. Create a new app 3. Note your Client ID and Client Secret 4. Add http://localhost:8888/callback to Redirect URIs
3. Install	npm install
4. Configure	Copy example env: cp .env.example .env Edit .env with credentials: SPOTIFY_CLIENT_ID=your_id SPOTIFY_CLIENT_SECRET=your_secret SPOTIFY_REDIRECT_URI=http://localhost:8888/callback
5. Authenticate	npm run auth (Opens browser to log in and saves tokens)
6. Build	npm run build
7. Configure Client	Add to claude_desktop_config.json: { "mcpServers": { "spotify": { "command": "node", "args": ["/PATH/TO/dist/index.js"], "env": { ... } } } }

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Usage

Once configured, restart your MCP client and you'll have access to all 51 tools!

Example Queries

Category	User Query	Tool Used
Dynamic HUDs	"What's the current track name?"	spotify_get_track_name
	"Get the artist"	spotify_get_artist_name
	"What's the time remaining?"	spotify_get_time_remaining_formatted
	"What's the playback progress percentage?"	spotify_get_track_progress_percentage
	"Is music playing?"	spotify_is_playing
Playback Control	"Pause the music"	spotify_pause
	"Skip to the next song"	spotify_next
	"Set volume to 50%"	spotify_set_volume
	"Enable shuffle"	spotify_set_shuffle
Discovery	"Search for tracks by The Beatles"	spotify_search
	"Add this song to my library"	spotify_save_track

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Complete API Reference

Bulk State Tools (2)

Tool	Returns	Use Case
spotify_get_playback_state	Complete playback state (JSON)	Get all playback info at once
spotify_get_current_track	Complete track info (JSON)	Get all track info at once

Granular Track Info Tools (16)

Tool	Returns	Perfect For
spotify_get_track_name	Track name only	HUD track display
spotify_get_artist_name	Primary artist name	HUD artist display
spotify_get_all_artists	All artists (comma-separated)	Full artist credits
spotify_get_album_name	Album name only	HUD album display
spotify_get_track_duration_ms	Duration in milliseconds	Calculations
spotify_get_track_duration_formatted	Duration as "M:SS"	HUD duration display
spotify_get_track_progress_ms	Current position in ms	Calculations
spotify_get_track_progress_formatted	Current position as "M:SS"	HUD position display
spotify_get_time_remaining_ms	Time left in ms	Calculations
spotify_get_time_remaining_formatted	Time left as "M:SS"	HUD countdown timer
spotify_get_track_progress_percentage	Progress as 0-100	Progress bars
spotify_get_track_uri	Spotify URI	Playback control
spotify_get_track_id	Spotify ID	API calls
spotify_get_album_art_url	Album artwork URL	HUD artwork display
spotify_get_track_explicit	"true" or "false"	Explicit content indicator
spotify_get_track_popularity	Popularity 0-100	Track metrics

Granular Device Tools (6)

Tool	Returns	Perfect For
spotify_get_device_name	Device name	HUD device display
spotify_get_device_type	Device type	Device icons
spotify_get_device_volume	Volume 0-100	Volume displays
spotify_get_device_id	Device ID	Device switching
spotify_is_device_active	"true" or "false"	Active device indicator
spotify_get_available_devices	All devices (JSON)	Device selection

Granular Playback State Tools (5)

Tool	Returns	Perfect For
spotify_is_playing	"true" or "false"	Play/pause button states
spotify_get_shuffle_state	"true" or "false"	Shuffle button states
spotify_get_repeat_mode	"off", "track", or "context"	Repeat button states
spotify_get_context_type	Context type	Playlist/album indicators
spotify_get_context_uri	Context URI	Context switching

Playback Control Tools (7)

Tool	Parameters	Description
spotify_play	device_id?, context_uri?, uris?, position_ms?	Start/resume playback
spotify_pause	device_id?	Pause playback
spotify_next	device_id?	Skip to next track
spotify_previous	device_id?	Skip to previous track
spotify_seek	position_ms, device_id?	Seek to position
spotify_set_shuffle	state (bool), device_id?	Toggle shuffle
spotify_set_repeat	state (track/context/off), device_id?	Set repeat mode

Volume & Device Control Tools (2)

Tool	Parameters	Description
spotify_set_volume	volume_percent (0-100), device_id?	Set playback volume
spotify_transfer_playback	device_id, play?	Transfer playback to device

Queue Management Tools (3)

Tool	Parameters	Description
spotify_get_queue	-	Get current playback queue
spotify_add_to_queue	uri, device_id?	Add track to queue
spotify_get_recently_played	limit?	Get recently played tracks

Search & Discovery Tools (5)

Tool	Parameters	Description
spotify_search	query, type[], limit?	Search for tracks/albums/artists/playlists
spotify_get_track_info	track_id	Get detailed track information
spotify_get_album_info	album_id	Get detailed album information
spotify_get_artist_info	artist_id	Get detailed artist information
spotify_get_artist_top_tracks	artist_id, market?	Get artist's top tracks

Library Management Tools (5)

Tool	Parameters	Description
spotify_get_saved_tracks	limit?, offset?	Get user's saved tracks
spotify_save_track	track_id	Save (like) a track
spotify_remove_saved_track	track_id	Remove (unlike) a track
spotify_get_playlists	limit?, offset?	Get user's playlists
spotify_get_playlist	playlist_id	Get playlist details

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Architecture

spotify-mcp-server/
├── src/
│   ├── auth/
│   │   ├── setup.ts              # OAuth authentication flow
│   │   └── token-manager.ts      # Token storage and refresh
│   ├── tools/
│   │   └── spotify-api.ts        # Spotify API wrapper
│   └── index.ts                  # Main MCP server with all 51 tools
├── tests/                        # Comprehensive test suite (94 tests)
├── dist/                         # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── eslint.config.mjs
└── .env                          # Your credentials (not committed)

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Token Management

Token Details
Tokens are stored in spotify-tokens.json (automatically created)
Access tokens are automatically refreshed when they expire
You only need to run npm run auth once (or if tokens are revoked)
Tokens persist across server restarts

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Error Handling

The server provides clear, actionable error messages:

Error Code	Meaning
401 Unauthorized	Re-run npm run auth
403 Forbidden	Feature may require Spotify Premium
404 Not Found	No active device or track
429 Rate Limit	Too many requests, wait a moment

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Development

Task	Command
Run Tests	npm test (all) npm run test:watch (watch mode) npm run test:coverage (report)
Run Linter	npm run lint
Clean Build	npm run clean && npm run build
Debugging	Server logs to stderr

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Use Cases

Dynamic HUD Applications

Perfect for creating real-time music displays:

// Get individual values for your HUD components
const trackName = await callTool("spotify_get_track_name");
const artist = await callTool("spotify_get_artist_name");
const progress = await callTool("spotify_get_track_progress_percentage");
const timeRemaining = await callTool("spotify_get_time_remaining_formatted");
const isPlaying = await callTool("spotify_is_playing");
const albumArt = await callTool("spotify_get_album_art_url");

Music Visualizers

Get precise timing and state info:

const progressMs = await callTool("spotify_get_track_progress_ms");
const durationMs = await callTool("spotify_get_track_duration_ms");
const isPlaying = await callTool("spotify_is_playing");

AI Music Assistants

Natural language control:

User: "What's playing?"
AI: Uses spotify_get_track_name and spotify_get_artist_name

User: "How much time is left?"
AI: Uses spotify_get_time_remaining_formatted

User: "Skip this song"
AI: Uses spotify_next

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