[GH-ISSUE #1119] Update Directions In TUTORIAL.md #666

New issue

Closed

opened 2026-02-28 00:00:40 +03:00 by kerem · 0 comments

kerem commented

2026-02-28 00:00:40 +03:00

Owner

Originally created by @brennanpate on GitHub (May 27, 2024).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/spotipy-dev/spotipy/issues/1119

Describe the bug
Some instructions in the TUTORIAL.md file are not up-to-date with Spotify's Developer Dashboard

Your code
The following is a new version of the TUTORIAL.md file that aligns better with the current layout of Spotify's Developer Dashboard:

# Spotipy Tutorial for Beginners
Hello and welcome to the Spotipy Tutorial for Beginners. If you have limited experience coding in Python and have never used Spotipy or the Spotify API before, you've come to the right place. This tutorial will walk you through all the steps necessary to set up Spotipy and use it to accomplish a simple task.

## Prerequisites
In order to complete this tutorial successfully, there are a few things that you should already have installed:

**1. pip package manager** 

You can check to see if you have pip installed by opening up Terminal and typing the following command: pip --version
If you see a version number, pip is installed and you're ready to proceed. If not, instructions for downloading the latest version of pip can be found      here: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/cli/pip_download/


**2. python3**

Spotipy is written in Python, so you'll need to have the lastest version of Python installed in order to use Spotipy. Check if you already have Python installed with the Terminal command: python --version
If you see a version number, Python is already installed. If not, you can download it here: https://www.python.org/downloads/

**3. experience with basic Linux commands**

This tutorial will be easiest if you have some knowledge of how to use Linux commands to create and navigate folders and files on your computer. If you're not sure how to create, edit and delete files and directories from Terminal, learn about basic Linux commands [here](https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/command-line-for-beginners#1-overview) before continuing.

Once those three setup items are taken care of, you're ready to start learning how to use Spotipy!

## Step 1. Creating a Spotify Account
Spotipy relies on the Spotify API. In order to use the Spotify API, you'll need to create a Spotify developer account.

A. Visit the [Spotify developer portal](https://developer.spotify.com/dashboard/). If you already have a Spotify account, click "Log in" and enter your username and password. Otherwise, click "Sign up" and follow the steps to create an account. After you've signed in or signed up, you should be redirected to your developer dashboard.

B. Click the "Create an App" button. Enter any name and description you'd like for your new app. Accept the terms of service and click "Create."

C. In your new app's Overview screen, click the "Edit Settings" button and scroll down to "Redirect URIs." Add "http://localhost:1234" (or any other port number of your choosing). Hit the "Save" button at the bottom of the Settings panel to return to you App Overview screen.

D. Underneath your app name and description on the lefthand side, you'll see a "Show Client Secret" link. Click that link to reveal your Client Secret, then copy both your Client Secret and your Client ID somewhere on your computer. You'll need to access them later.

## Step 2. Installation and Setup

A. Create a folder somewhere on your computer where you'd like to store the code for your Spotipy app. You can create a folder in terminal with this command: mkdir folder_name

B. In that folder, create a Python file named main.py. You can create the file directly from Terminal using a built in text editor like Vim, which comes preinstalled on Linux operating systems. To create the file with Vim, ensure that you are in your new directory, then run: vim main.py

C. Paste the following code into your main.py file:

import spotipy
from spotipy.oauth2 import SpotifyOAuth

sp = spotipy.Spotify(auth_manager=SpotifyOAuth(client_id="YOUR_APP_CLIENT_ID",
                                               client_secret="YOUR_APP_CLIENT_SECRET",
                                               redirect_uri="YOUR_APP_REDIRECT_URI",
                                               scope="user-library-read"))

D. Replace YOUR_APP_CLIENT_ID and YOUR_APP_CLIENT_SECRET with the values you copied and saved in step 1D. Replace YOUR_APP_REDIRECT_URI with the URI you set in step 1C.

Expected behavior
A tutorial with directions that align with the current layout of Spotify's Developer Dashboard

Output
I was able to complete the tutorial successfully but was confused at times because the tutorial’s directions did not always match with what I saw on Spotify’s website. The updates I made align with Spotify’s current layout and should be easier for new users to follow. I also experienced an issue when trying to run the example function in the TUTORIAL.md file. I received an error that the Spotipy module could not be found. I investigated further and then saw on Spotipy’s website that I need to run <pip install spotipy --upgrade> but there was no mention of this in the TUTORIAL.md file on GitHub. I added directions for this and believe it will lead to less confusion for new users.

Environment:

OS: Mac
Python version: 3.10.7
spotipy version: 2.23.0
your IDE (if using any): VS Code

Additional context
N/A

Originally created by @brennanpate on GitHub (May 27, 2024). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/spotipy-dev/spotipy/issues/1119 **Describe the bug** Some instructions in the TUTORIAL.md file are not up-to-date with Spotify's Developer Dashboard **Your code** The following is a new version of the TUTORIAL.md file that aligns better with the current layout of Spotify's Developer Dashboard: ``` # Spotipy Tutorial for Beginners Hello and welcome to the Spotipy Tutorial for Beginners. If you have limited experience coding in Python and have never used Spotipy or the Spotify API before, you've come to the right place. This tutorial will walk you through all the steps necessary to set up Spotipy and use it to accomplish a simple task. ## Prerequisites In order to complete this tutorial successfully, there are a few things that you should already have installed: **1. pip package manager** You can check to see if you have pip installed by opening up Terminal and typing the following command: pip --version If you see a version number, pip is installed and you're ready to proceed. If not, instructions for downloading the latest version of pip can be found here: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/cli/pip_download/ **2. python3** Spotipy is written in Python, so you'll need to have the lastest version of Python installed in order to use Spotipy. Check if you already have Python installed with the Terminal command: python --version If you see a version number, Python is already installed. If not, you can download it here: https://www.python.org/downloads/ **3. experience with basic Linux commands** This tutorial will be easiest if you have some knowledge of how to use Linux commands to create and navigate folders and files on your computer. If you're not sure how to create, edit and delete files and directories from Terminal, learn about basic Linux commands [here](https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/command-line-for-beginners#1-overview) before continuing. Once those three setup items are taken care of, you're ready to start learning how to use Spotipy! ## Step 1. Creating a Spotify Account Spotipy relies on the Spotify API. In order to use the Spotify API, you'll need to create a Spotify developer account. A. Visit the [Spotify developer portal](https://developer.spotify.com/dashboard/). If you already have a Spotify account, click "Log in" and enter your username and password. Otherwise, click "Sign up" and follow the steps to create an account. After you've signed in or signed up, you should be redirected to your developer dashboard. B. Click the "Create an App" button. Enter any name and description you'd like for your new app. Accept the terms of service and click "Create." C. In your new app's Overview screen, click the "Edit Settings" button and scroll down to "Redirect URIs." Add "http://localhost:1234" (or any other port number of your choosing). Hit the "Save" button at the bottom of the Settings panel to return to you App Overview screen. D. Underneath your app name and description on the lefthand side, you'll see a "Show Client Secret" link. Click that link to reveal your Client Secret, then copy both your Client Secret and your Client ID somewhere on your computer. You'll need to access them later. ## Step 2. Installation and Setup A. Create a folder somewhere on your computer where you'd like to store the code for your Spotipy app. You can create a folder in terminal with this command: mkdir folder_name B. In that folder, create a Python file named main.py. You can create the file directly from Terminal using a built in text editor like Vim, which comes preinstalled on Linux operating systems. To create the file with Vim, ensure that you are in your new directory, then run: vim main.py C. Paste the following code into your main.py file: import spotipy from spotipy.oauth2 import SpotifyOAuth sp = spotipy.Spotify(auth_manager=SpotifyOAuth(client_id="YOUR_APP_CLIENT_ID", client_secret="YOUR_APP_CLIENT_SECRET", redirect_uri="YOUR_APP_REDIRECT_URI", scope="user-library-read")) D. Replace YOUR_APP_CLIENT_ID and YOUR_APP_CLIENT_SECRET with the values you copied and saved in step 1D. Replace YOUR_APP_REDIRECT_URI with the URI you set in step 1C. ``` **Expected behavior** A tutorial with directions that align with the current layout of Spotify's Developer Dashboard **Output** I was able to complete the tutorial successfully but was confused at times because the tutorial’s directions did not always match with what I saw on Spotify’s website. The updates I made align with Spotify’s current layout and should be easier for new users to follow. I also experienced an issue when trying to run the example function in the TUTORIAL.md file. I received an error that the Spotipy module could not be found. I investigated further and then saw on Spotipy’s website that I need to run <pip install spotipy --upgrade> but there was no mention of this in the TUTORIAL.md file on GitHub. I added directions for this and believe it will lead to less confusion for new users. **Environment:** - OS: Mac - Python version: 3.10.7 - spotipy version: 2.23.0 - your IDE (if using any): VS Code **Additional context** N/A