SpotifyUpdater

This repository contains the code for an AWS Lambda function that automatically updates a Spotify playlist based on the most recently listened-to tracks. The function is built and deployed using the AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM) and interacts with the Spotify API.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• Architecture
• Prerequisites
• Setup and Deployment
  • 1. Clone the Repository
  • 2. Install Dependencies
  • 3. AWS Configuration
  • 4. Spotify API Credentials
  • 5. Build and Deploy
• Local Testing
• Project Structure
• Usage
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing
• License

Introduction

This project automates the process of updating a Spotify playlist with the latest top tracks. It uses AWS Lambda for serverless execution and is scheduled to run every other day using Amazon EventBridge (formerly CloudWatch Events).

Features

• Automated Playlist Updates: Refreshes your Spotify playlist with new tracks every other day.
• Serverless Architecture: Built using AWS Lambda and AWS SAM for scalable and cost-effective deployment.
• Secure Credential Management: Uses AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (SecureString) to securely store and access Spotify API credentials at no additional cost.
• Configurable Schedule: The update frequency can be adjusted via the AWS SAM template.

Architecture

1. AWS Lambda Function: Executes the Python script to update the Spotify playlist.
2. Amazon EventBridge: Triggers the Lambda function based on a specified cron schedule.
3. AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store: Securely stores Spotify API credentials as a SecureString.
4. Spotify API: The Lambda function interacts with Spotify's API to update the playlist.

Prerequisites

• AWS Account: An active AWS account with permissions to create Lambda functions, EventBridge rules, and access Secrets Manager.
• AWS CLI: Installed and configured with your AWS credentials.
• AWS SAM CLI: Installed on your local machine. Install the AWS SAM CLI
• Docker: Installed and running for local testing. Get Docker
• Spotify Account: A Spotify account with the necessary permissions to create and modify playlists.
• Spotify Developer Application: Created in the Spotify Developer Dashboard to obtain API credentials.

Setup and Deployment

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/davidsmv/SpotifyUpdater.git
cd SpotifyUpdater

2. Install Dependencies

Install the required Python packages:

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. AWS Configuration

Ensure your AWS CLI is configured with the necessary credentials:

aws configure

• AWS Access Key ID
• AWS Secret Access Key
• Default region name: e.g., us-east-1

4. Spotify API Credentials

3. Obtain Spotify API Credentials

You need to have the following Spotify API credentials:

• SPOTIPY_CLIENT_ID
• SPOTIPY_CLIENT_SECRET
• SPOTIPY_REFRESH_TOKEN
• SPOTIFY_PLAYLIST_ID

a. Create a Spotify Developer Application

• Log in to the Spotify Developer Dashboard.
• Create a new application to obtain the Client ID and Client Secret.

b. Obtain a Refresh Token

• You can generate the SPOTIPY_REFRESH_TOKEN using the app/service/get_refresh_token.py script provided in this repository.

c. Store Credentials in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store

Create a SecureString parameter with a JSON payload containing the following key-value pairs:

• SPOTIPY_CLIENT_ID: Your Spotify Client ID.
• SPOTIPY_CLIENT_SECRET: Your Spotify Client Secret.
• SPOTIPY_REFRESH_TOKEN: Your Spotify Refresh Token.
• SPOTIFY_PLAYLIST_ID: The ID of the Spotify playlist you want to update.

AWS CLI Command to Create the Parameter:

aws ssm put-parameter \
    --name /spotify/credentials \
    --type SecureString \
    --value '{"SPOTIPY_CLIENT_ID":"your-client-id","SPOTIPY_CLIENT_SECRET":"your-client-secret","SPOTIPY_REFRESH_TOKEN":"your-refresh-token","SPOTIFY_PLAYLIST_ID":"your-playlist-id"}' \
    --region us-east-1

Standard SecureString parameters are free (no per-parameter monthly fee, unlike Secrets Manager).

5. Build and Deploy

a. Build the Application

sam build

b. Deploy the Application

Use the guided deployment to configure parameters:

sam deploy --guided

During the guided deployment:

• Stack Name: spotify-playlist-updater-stack (or your preferred name)
• AWS Region: us-east-1 (ensure it matches where your secret is stored)
• Parameter ParameterName: /spotify/credentials (the name of your SSM parameter)
• Confirm changes before deploy: N
• Allow SAM CLI IAM role creation: Y
• Save arguments to samconfig.toml: Y

Local Testing

To test the function locally before deployment:

1. Create a Test Event File

   Create event.json with the following content:

   {}

2. Invoke the Function Locally

   sam local invoke SpotifyUpdateFunction -e event.json

   Ensure Docker is running, as SAM CLI uses it to simulate the Lambda environment.

Project Structure

SpotifyUpdater/
├── app/
│   ├── handlers/
│   │   ├── spotify_handler.py
│   |── service/
│   │   │── get_refresh_token.py
│   │   │── spotify_updater.py
│   ├── __init__.py
├── template.yaml
├── requirements.txt
├── README.md
├── .gitignore

• app/: Contains the Lambda function code and dependencies.
• handlers/: Contains the spotify_handler.py script with the lambda_handler funtion.
• service/: Contains the get_refresh_token.py to get the refresh token neccesary to update the playlist and spotify_updater.py class that handles the entire process, called by lambda_handler
• template.yaml: AWS SAM template defining the serverless application.
• requirements.txt: Lists Python dependencies.
• README.md: Project documentation.
• .gitignore: Specifies files and directories to ignore in version control.

Usage

Once deployed, the Lambda function will automatically run every other day at midnight (Bogota, Colombia time) to update your Spotify playlist.

Troubleshooting

• Deployment Errors: Ensure your AWS credentials have the necessary permissions and that all parameters are correctly specified during deployment.

• Access Denied Errors: Verify that the IAM role associated with your Lambda function has the required permissions to access AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (ssm:GetParameter).

• Invalid Spotify Credentials: Double-check the credentials stored in the SSM parameter for accuracy.

• Function Not Triggering: Confirm that the EventBridge rule is correctly configured and enabled.

• SpotifyOauthError: invalid_grant, Refresh token revoked: Spotify invalidated the stored refresh token (happens after long inactivity, revoking app access from your Spotify account, or regenerating the Client Secret). Fix it by generating a new refresh token and updating the parameter:

  1. Activate the venv and run the token generator locally (it reuses a cached login if available, otherwise it opens a browser to authorize):

     python app/service/get_refresh_token.py

  2. Copy the printed Refresh Token value.
  3. Update only the SPOTIPY_REFRESH_TOKEN field in the SSM parameter, keeping the other fields intact:

     python -c "
     import boto3, json
     client = boto3.client('ssm', region_name='us-east-1')
     secret = json.loads(client.get_parameter(Name='/spotify/credentials', WithDecryption=True)['Parameter']['Value'])
     secret['SPOTIPY_REFRESH_TOKEN'] = 'PASTE_NEW_REFRESH_TOKEN_HERE'
     client.put_parameter(Name='/spotify/credentials', Value=json.dumps(secret), Type='SecureString', Overwrite=True)
     "

  4. (Optional) Update SPOTIPY_REFRESH_TOKEN in your local .env too, so it matches.
  5. Verify it works by invoking the handler directly, without needing Docker/SAM:

     $env:PARAMETER_NAME='/spotify/credentials'; $env:AWS_REGION='us-east-1'; python -c "from app.handlers.spotify_handler import lambda_handler; print(lambda_handler({}, None))"

     A successful run returns {'statusCode': 200, 'body': '"Playlist updated successfully!"'}. No redeploy is needed since the parameter is read at runtime.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request for any improvements or bug fixes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.