Soundflow for VS Code

Control Spotify playback and see what's playing without leaving your editor. Soundflow brings a beautiful, minimal music player directly into VS Code's sidebar.

Why Soundflow?

Stay in your flow while coding. No more switching windows to skip tracks or check what's playing. Soundflow integrates Spotify controls right where you need them—in your development environment. Designed as a native VS Code experience, not a web app embedded into an extension.

Key features:

• Real-time now playing display with album artwork, track, and artist information
• Full playback controls (play, pause, previous, next) accessible from the sidebar
• Responsive interface that adapts beautifully to any panel size
• Quick search and queue access in full-tab mode
• Four stunning themes including dynamic colors from album artwork
• Zero configuration - just authenticate and start listening

Getting Started

1. Install Soundflow from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Click the Soundflow icon in the Activity Bar (sidebar)
3. Authenticate with Spotify when prompted
4. Start playing music on any Spotify device

That's it! Soundflow will automatically display your current playback and sync every few seconds.

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.74.0 or higher
• Spotify Premium account (required for playback control via Spotify's API)
• Active Spotify session on any device (desktop, mobile, web player, etc.)

Authentication

Soundflow uses a secure Croonix-provided Spotify Client ID that is embedded in the extension. You don't need to create your own Spotify Developer app or configure any credentials.

When you first authenticate:

• You'll be redirected to Spotify's official login page
• Grant Soundflow permission to read and control playback
• Your tokens are stored securely in VS Code's encrypted storage
• The extension uses OAuth 2.0 with PKCE (no client secret, public client)

Features in Detail

Playback Controls

Control your music with familiar buttons directly in the sidebar:

• Previous track - Jump to the previous song
• Play/Pause - Toggle playback
• Next track - Skip to the next song

Now Playing Display

See comprehensive information about your current track:

• Album artwork
• Track name with marquee scrolling for long titles
• Artist name
• Playback progress
• Active device indicator

Responsive Layouts

Soundflow adapts to your sidebar width and height with four distinct layouts:

• Narrow (< 200px wide) - Minimal track info and controls
• Compact (< 250px tall) - Horizontal layout with small album art
• Medium (250-400px tall) - Vertical hero layout with centered artwork
• Expanded (> 400px tall) - Full layout with progress bar and all metadata

Themes

Choose from four beautiful themes:

1. Dark - Clean neutral dark theme
2. White - Light theme with proper contrast
3. Spotify - Green accents inspired by Spotify branding
4. Album - Dynamic colors extracted from current album artwork

Change themes through VS Code settings or the top action header.

Search and Queue (Full-Tab Mode)

Open Soundflow in a full editor tab for additional features:

• Search Spotify’s catalog and enqueue tracks seamlessly without breaking your coding flow.
• View and manage your queue
• More space for album artwork and metadata

Commands

Access these commands through the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

• Soundflow: Authenticate - Connect your Spotify account
• Soundflow: Logout - Disconnect from Spotify

Extension Settings

Configure Soundflow through VS Code settings:

• soundflow.theme - Visual theme (dark, white, spotify, album)
• soundflow.albumPosition - Album cover position in compact mode (left or right)
• soundflow.horizontalMenuPosition - Menu position in horizontal layout (left or right)

Privacy and Security

Soundflow respects your privacy:

• No data collection - No analytics, telemetry, or tracking
• Secure token storage - Access tokens stored in VS Code's encrypted SecretStorage
• Minimal permissions - Only requests playback read and control scopes
• No client secret - Uses OAuth 2.0 with PKCE for public clients

Known Limitations

• Spotify Premium is required (free accounts cannot use Spotify's Playback API)
• Must have an active Spotify session on at least one device
• Requires internet connection to communicate with Spotify's API

Support

Need help or found a bug?

• Report issues: github.com/croonix/soundflow/issues
• Email support: marketplace@croonix.tech

Disclaimer

Soundflow is an independent VS Code extension developed by Croonix and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Spotify AB. "Spotify" and the Spotify logo are trademarks of Spotify AB.

This extension uses the Spotify Web API under Spotify's Developer Terms of Service.

License

Soundflow is proprietary software © Croonix. All rights reserved.

Soundflow is about keeping music where it belongs: quietly enhancing your focus, not stealing it.

Enjoying Soundflow? Leave a review on the VS Code Marketplace to help others discover it!