PlaySched - Spotify Playlist Scheduler

A comprehensive project combining a web application for scheduling Spotify playlist playback and a command-line tool for direct Spotify control, history management, and data synchronization. Born from the frustration of using Amazon Alexa’s terrible music scheduling interface, this project provides a superior solution using Spotify’s robust API and better audio equipment.

🚀 Project Overview

PlaySched addresses a specific but common need: automated music scheduling that actually works well. Rather than fighting with voice assistant interfaces, this system provides both web-based scheduling and powerful command-line tools for managing Spotify playback across devices.

Key Components

🖥️ Web Application (playsched.py): User-friendly interface for playlist scheduling
⌨️ Command-Line Tools (play_spotify_playlist.py): Direct terminal-based Spotify control
📊 Data Management: Local SQLite storage for history and synchronization
🔒 Security: OAuth 2.0 authentication with HTTPS support
⏰ Scheduling: APScheduler-based automation with timezone support

🛠️ Technical Architecture

Web Application Features

Authentication & Security:

Spotify OAuth 2.0 integration with secure token management
HTTPS-only operation with custom certificate support
Session management and secure cookie handling

Playlist Management:

Browse and filter personal Spotify playlists
Real-time device discovery via Spotify Connect
Playlist search and organization capabilities

Advanced Scheduling:

# Example scheduling logic
schedule_config = {
    'playlist': 'spotify:playlist:37i9dQ...',
    'device': 'My Speakers',
    'start_time': '07:00',
    'stop_time': '09:00', 
    'days': ['monday', 'tuesday', 'wednesday'],
    'volume': 65,
    'shuffle': True,
    'timezone': 'Europe/Paris'
}

Schedule Management:

View all schedules sorted by next run time
Manual trigger (“Play Now”) functionality
Pause/Resume schedule controls
Edit and duplicate existing schedules
Comprehensive deletion with confirmation

Command-Line Interface

Device & Playlist Operations:

# List available Spotify Connect devices
python play_spotify_playlist.py --list-devices

# Browse your playlists
python play_spotify_playlist.py --list-playlists

# Play specific playlist on device
python play_spotify_playlist.py --device "My Speakers" --playlist "Chill Mix"

History & Data Management:

# Update local playback history from Spotify
python play_spotify_playlist.py --update-history

# Sync all playlists and tracks locally
python play_spotify_playlist.py --sync-playlists

# Export data in multiple formats
python play_spotify_playlist.py --export-data my_data.xlsx  # Excel
python play_spotify_playlist.py --export-data my_data.csv   # CSV
python play_spotify_playlist.py --export-data my_data.json  # JSON

🎯 Key Features

Scheduling Capabilities

Flexible Timing: Start/stop times with optional recurrence
Day Selection: Specific days of the week or one-time execution
Device Targeting: Automatic Spotify Connect device detection
Volume Control: Set playback volume per schedule
Shuffle Mode: Enable/disable shuffle for each schedule
Timezone Support: Proper handling of DST and timezone conversions

Data Synchronization

Local Storage: SQLite database for offline access to playlist data
History Tracking: Recently played tracks with local time conversion
Sync Management: Marks removed content without deletion
Export Options: Excel, CSV, and JSON export formats
Data Integrity: Comprehensive error handling and validation

Security Implementation

HTTPS Enforcement: Required for Spotify API callbacks
Custom Certificates: Script-generated CA and server certificates
Token Management: Secure OAuth token caching and refresh
Environment Variables: Sensitive data stored in .env files

📊 Technical Implementation

Database Schema

-- Schedules table for web app
CREATE TABLE schedules (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
    playlist_uri TEXT,
    device_name TEXT,
    start_time TEXT,
    stop_time TEXT,
    days TEXT,
    volume INTEGER,
    shuffle BOOLEAN,
    timezone TEXT,
    active BOOLEAN
);

-- History tracking
CREATE TABLE playback_history (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
    track_uri TEXT,
    played_at DATETIME,
    playlist_context TEXT
);

-- Synced playlist data
CREATE TABLE synced_playlists (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT,
    owner TEXT,
    track_count INTEGER,
    last_synced DATETIME,
    removed BOOLEAN DEFAULT 0
);

Flask Application Structure

# Core application setup with HTTPS
app = Flask(__name__)
app.config['SECRET_KEY'] = os.getenv('SECRET_KEY')

# Spotify API integration
sp_oauth = SpotifyOAuth(
    client_id=os.getenv('SPOTIPY_CLIENT_ID'),
    client_secret=os.getenv('SPOTIPY_CLIENT_SECRET'),
    redirect_uri=os.getenv('SPOTIPY_REDIRECT_URI'),
    scope='user-modify-playback-state user-read-playback-state playlist-read-private'
)

# APScheduler configuration
scheduler = BackgroundScheduler(timezone=UTC)
scheduler.start()

🔧 Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

Python 3.8+ with pip or conda
OpenSSL for certificate generation
Spotify Account (regular or Premium)
Spotify Developer App credentials

Quick Start

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/storizzi/playsched
cd playsched

# Setup virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
# or .\venv\Scripts\activate  # Windows

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Configure environment
cp .env-sample .env
# Edit .env with your Spotify credentials

# Generate HTTPS certificates
chmod +x generate_certs.sh
./generate_certs.sh

# Run application
flask run --host=0.0.0.0 --port=9093

Spotify Developer Setup

Register Application: Visit Spotify Developer Dashboard
Configure Callback: Add https://127.0.0.1:9093/callback to Redirect URIs
Copy Credentials: Client ID and Client Secret to .env file
Set Permissions: Required scopes for playback control

💡 Problem-Solving Approach

Original Challenge

The project originated from frustration with Amazon Alexa’s music scheduling interface:

Cumbersome voice commands for time-based music control
Limited playlist management capabilities
Poor user interface for schedule modification
Inferior audio quality compared to dedicated speakers

Technical Solution

Better Interface: Web-based scheduling with visual playlist selection
Superior Audio: Utilizes existing high-quality speakers via Spotify Connect
Flexible Control: Both GUI and CLI interfaces for different use cases
Data Ownership: Local storage and export capabilities
Extensibility: Modular design allows for future enhancements

🔮 Roadmap & Future Development

Planned Features (v0.2.x)

Multiple user support with authentication
Advanced scheduling patterns (monthly, yearly)
Playlist analysis and recommendation engine
Mobile-responsive interface improvements
Real-time playback status monitoring

Advanced Features (v1.0+)

Smart home integration (Home Assistant, etc.)
Machine learning-based scheduling suggestions
Multi-room audio coordination
Advanced analytics and listening insights
Plugin architecture for extensibility

Technical Improvements

Docker containerization for easy deployment
Database migration system
Enhanced error handling and logging
Performance optimizations for large playlist collections
Integration testing suite

📈 Impact & Usage

Personal Productivity

Daily Automation: Seamless morning and evening music routines
Device Management: Effortless switching between audio devices
Data Insights: Understanding of listening patterns and preferences

Technical Achievements

API Integration: Comprehensive Spotify Web API implementation
Scheduling Logic: Robust timezone and DST handling
Security Implementation: Production-ready HTTPS and OAuth flow
Data Management: Efficient SQLite operations with export capabilities

Community Value

Open Source: MIT licensed for community contribution
Documentation: Comprehensive setup and usage guides
Modularity: Reusable components for other Spotify projects

🛠️ Technologies & Dependencies

Core Technologies

Backend: Python 3.8+, Flask web framework
Database: SQLite with optimized queries
Authentication: Spotipy OAuth 2.0 wrapper
Scheduling: APScheduler with timezone support
Security: pyOpenSSL for HTTPS certificates

Key Libraries

# requirements.txt highlights
Flask==2.3.2                # Web framework
spotipy==2.22.1             # Spotify API wrapper
APScheduler==3.10.1         # Background job scheduling
pytz==2023.3               # Timezone handling
python-dotenv==1.0.0       # Environment configuration
pyOpenSSL==23.2.0          # HTTPS certificate generation
pandas==2.0.3              # Data export functionality
openpyxl==3.1.2           # Excel export support

Development Tools

Version Control: Git with semantic versioning
Code Style: PEP 8 compliance with automated formatting
Documentation: Markdown with comprehensive examples
Testing: Manual testing with planned automated test suite

📚 Resources

GitHub Repository - Complete source code and documentation
Contact - Questions, feedback, and collaboration
Storizzi - Professional development and consulting services

Current Version: v0.1.1 (June 2025) - Ready for production use with ongoing enhancements planned.

PlaySched represents the intersection of practical problem-solving, robust technical implementation, and user-centered design - transforming a daily frustration into a seamless, automated experience.

PlaySched - Spotify Playlist Scheduler#

🚀 Project Overview#

Key Components#

🛠️ Technical Architecture#

Web Application Features#

Command-Line Interface#

🎯 Key Features#

Scheduling Capabilities#

Data Synchronization#

Security Implementation#

📊 Technical Implementation#

Database Schema#

Flask Application Structure#

🔧 Installation & Setup#

Prerequisites#

Quick Start#

Spotify Developer Setup#

💡 Problem-Solving Approach#

Original Challenge#

Technical Solution#

🔮 Roadmap & Future Development#

Planned Features (v0.2.x)#

Advanced Features (v1.0+)#

Technical Improvements#

📈 Impact & Usage#

Personal Productivity#

Technical Achievements#

Community Value#

🛠️ Technologies & Dependencies#

Core Technologies#

Key Libraries#

Development Tools#

📚 Resources#