Spotify Soloist Authentication

Spotify Soloist uses two pieces of authentication state:

• A Spotify Soloist API key generated from Spotify for Developers.
• A Spotify Connect session created when a Spotify app selects the Spotify Soloist device.

Generate a key from Spotify Soloist API Key. The account that generates the key must have Spotify Premium.

The key is for the person who generated it. Do not share it with other users, publish it, embed it in client-side applications, or include it in distributed scripts. Each Spotify Soloist user must generate their own key from Spotify for Developers.

Pass the key to Spotify Soloist at every startup:

The API key is separate from the stored Spotify Connect session. Spotify Soloist always requires an API key at startup, including when it restores an existing session, runs in pair mode, or runs in single-track mode.

Treat the key like a secret. Because Spotify Soloist receives the key at startup, treat shell history, process-manager configuration, screenshots, and logs containing the command as sensitive. Prefer a private local environment file or secret manager and pass the value at runtime, for example --api-key "$SOLOIST_API_KEY". Never publish real keys in source code, public issues, shared scripts, or client-side web pages.

If you revoke or replace the key in the dashboard, restart Spotify Soloist with the new key.

Spotify Soloist does not open a browser or ask for a username and password. It logs in through Spotify Connect:

1. Start Spotify Soloist with a device name and API key.
2. Open the Spotify app on the same local network.
3. Select the Spotify Soloist device from the device picker.
4. Spotify Soloist authenticates and stores the session in its data directory.

On later restarts, Spotify Soloist restores the stored session automatically. Keep the same data directory if you want the device to stay paired.

To replace the stored session, run Spotify Soloist in pair mode with the same data directory:

Select the device in the Spotify app. Spotify Soloist clears the existing stored session, stores the new one, and exits.

Single-track mode requires a stored session. Pair once first:

Then use the same data directory with --single-track:

If no stored session exists, Spotify Soloist exits and asks you to pair first.