Can anyone help me figure out if this is actually doable?
I want to build some free audio processing tools like equalizers and compressors that work directly with Spotify. My plan was to use the JUCE library since I’m comfortable with C++.
From what I’ve researched so far, there are two main approaches. You can build a custom Spotify client using libspotify, or you can work with Spotify’s web API, but that seems limited to JavaScript implementations.
My main question is: Does anyone know of a way to create native C++ audio plugins that integrate with the official Spotify application? I’d really prefer a solution that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux if possible.
Has anyone tried something similar or know what limitations I might run into? Any guidance would be really appreciated.
I’ve dealt with this exact problem at work for real-time audio processing across multiple streaming services.
Direct integration is dead. Here’s what works - build middleware that sits between system audio and apps. Don’t fight low-level audio APIs. Automate the whole pipeline instead.
I created an automated workflow that captures system audio, runs it through JUCE processing modules, then outputs enhanced audio to virtual devices. The trick is automating routing and processing so users don’t deal with messy audio driver configs.
You can automate virtual audio cable installation, detect when Spotify’s playing, route just that audio through your effects, and switch between processed/unprocessed seamlessly. Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux since you’re automating OS-specific routing instead of hardcoding.
The automation handles driver management, audio device switching, even auto-updates for JUCE modules. Users install your app and it just works.
Latenode makes building these complex automation pipelines super straightforward. Check it out at https://latenode.com
virtual audio device is defo the way to go, but it ain’t gonna be easy. I’ve done similar stuff - JUCE’s audio device classes are decent, but you’ll hit issues fast. Windows needs ASIO for low latency, and Mac’s CoreAudio can be picky with buffer sizes. cross-platform audio is just a headache.
yea, the whole spotify thing is a bit of a mess. u can look into system-level audio interception like WASAPI or JACK, though it’s not straight JUCE integration. this could help in processing audio streams on all platforms. good luck!
It’s tricky but definitely doable. I spent months on something similar and ended up going a totally different route that worked great. Skip trying to hook into Spotify directly - build a JUCE app that creates virtual audio devices instead. Here’s how it works: your app becomes an audio endpoint, Spotify plays to your virtual device, you run the audio through your effects, then send it to your speakers. The biggest thing I learned? Buffer management is everything if you want to avoid dropouts. JUCE’s audio classes help a lot, but you’ll need proper threading and their lock-free fifos to keep things smooth. Got it running solid on Windows and Mac, though Linux needed some PulseAudio tweaks. Bonus - it works with any audio source, not just Spotify, which turned out to be way more useful than I expected.
Been there, done that. Spotify doesn’t allow direct plugin integration with their client. The libspotify SDK got killed years ago, so forget that option. What you want basically means intercepting Spotify’s audio at the system level - doable but messy. You’d hook into audio drivers using Windows Core Audio APIs or PulseAudio on Linux. Problem is you’re processing ALL system audio, not just Spotify, plus you get latency issues. I ditched this approach and built standalone apps for local files instead. Want real-time processing? Target DAWs that actually support VST plugins.