Getting Started

# Getting Started

## Install

The [Download page](/download/) has the right file for every OS: a
drag-to-Applications app for macOS, zips for Windows, archives for Linux.

Or build from source with [Rust](https://rustup.rs) 1.95 or newer:

```sh
git clone https://github.com/crmne/fastpotify
cd fastpotify
cargo install --path .
```

On Linux the GUI needs the development packages any egui application does,
plus audio. On Arch:

```sh
sudo pacman -S --needed alsa-lib libpulse libxkbcommon wayland
```

On Debian or Ubuntu:

```sh
sudo apt install libasound2-dev libpulse-dev libxkbcommon-dev libwayland-dev libgl1-mesa-dev
```

A desktop entry ships in `packaging/applications/fastpotify.desktop`.

## Sign in

Start the app and press **Sign in with Spotify**. Your browser opens
Spotify's own consent page; your password never touches Fastpotify. When
Spotify redirects back, your library loads and you can search, browse, and
control your other devices immediately.

The sign-in is stored as a refresh token in your platform's state directory
(`~/.local/state/fastpotify` on Linux), so the browser is needed once per
machine. The next launch goes straight to your library.

## Enable playback on this computer

Playing music *on this machine* is one more one-time browser approval,
because Spotify treats streaming as a separate grant
([why](/how-it-connects/)). Take it from the device menu (the speaker icon
in the player bar, then **Play here, set up once**) or from Settings.
It needs Spotify Premium, and it too is remembered forever.

After that, this computer shows up as a Spotify Connect device named
**Fastpotify** (rename it in Settings), visible from your phone like any
speaker.

## A few things worth knowing on day one

- **Closing the window does not stop the music.** Fastpotify keeps playing
  from the system tray; reopen it from the tray icon and quit from the tray
  menu or Ctrl+Q. Settings can turn this off.
- **Play buttons tell you what is happening.** A pressed play button spins
  until Spotify reacts, so the app is never silently "stuck".
- **The keyboard does everything.** Space plays and pauses, Ctrl+F or `/`
  searches, `Q` opens the queue; Ctrl+/ lists all of it.
- **Right-click is everywhere.** Every song, playlist, album, and artist has
  a context menu: queue it, save it, add it to a playlist, copy a link.

Install

The Download page has the right file for every OS: a drag-to-Applications app for macOS, zips for Windows, archives for Linux.

Or build from source with Rust 1.95 or newer:

git clone https://github.com/crmne/fastpotify
cd fastpotify
cargo install --path .

On Linux the GUI needs the development packages any egui application does, plus audio. On Arch:

sudo pacman -S --needed alsa-lib libpulse libxkbcommon wayland

On Debian or Ubuntu:

sudo apt install libasound2-dev libpulse-dev libxkbcommon-dev libwayland-dev libgl1-mesa-dev

A desktop entry ships in packaging/applications/fastpotify.desktop.

Start the app and press Sign in with Spotify. Your browser opens Spotify’s own consent page; your password never touches Fastpotify. When Spotify redirects back, your library loads and you can search, browse, and control your other devices immediately.

The sign-in is stored as a refresh token in your platform’s state directory (~/.local/state/fastpotify on Linux), so the browser is needed once per machine. The next launch goes straight to your library.

Enable playback on this computer

Playing music on this machine is one more one-time browser approval, because Spotify treats streaming as a separate grant (why). Take it from the device menu (the speaker icon in the player bar, then Play here, set up once) or from Settings. It needs Spotify Premium, and it too is remembered forever.

After that, this computer shows up as a Spotify Connect device named Fastpotify (rename it in Settings), visible from your phone like any speaker.

A few things worth knowing on day one

Closing the window does not stop the music. Fastpotify keeps playing from the system tray; reopen it from the tray icon and quit from the tray menu or Ctrl+Q. Settings can turn this off.
Play buttons tell you what is happening. A pressed play button spins until Spotify reacts, so the app is never silently “stuck”.
The keyboard does everything. Space plays and pauses, Ctrl+F or / searches, Q opens the queue; Ctrl+/ lists all of it.
Right-click is everywhere. Every song, playlist, album, and artist has a context menu: queue it, save it, add it to a playlist, copy a link.