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mechanicwb2-hub/spotify-taskbar-widget

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

37C#Audience · generalComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

TLDR

A free Windows 11 widget that shows Spotify's now-playing song and full playback controls right in the taskbar.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Spotify Taskbar Widget))
    What it does
      Now playing in taskbar
      Full playback controls
      Auto positioning
    Tech stack
      C#
      .NET 8
      WPF
    Use cases
      See current song
      Control playback
      Toggle favorites
    Resilience
      Falls back to basics
      Auto updates
    Audience
      Windows Spotify users

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

See the current Spotify song's title, artist, and album art directly in the Windows 11 taskbar.

USE CASE 2

Control Spotify playback, shuffle, repeat, and volume without switching to the Spotify window.

USE CASE 3

Mark or check whether the currently playing song is already saved as a favorite.

USE CASE 4

Keep basic now-playing controls visible even while gaming or watching video fullscreen.

What is it built with?

C#.NET 8WPFWin32

How does it compare?

mechanicwb2-hub/spotify-taskbar-widgetd2phap/dxcontrolroblox-manager/roblox-account-manager
Stars373737
LanguageC#C#C#
Last pushed2026-06-30
MaintenanceActive
Setup difficultyeasymoderateeasy
Complexity2/52/51/5
Audiencegeneraldevelopergeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires Windows 11 and the Spotify desktop app already installed.

In plain English

This is a Windows 11 application that adds a small now-playing widget straight into the taskbar for people using the Spotify desktop app. It shows the current song's album art, title, and artist, and offers full playback controls such as play and pause, skipping tracks, marking a song as a favorite, choosing a shuffle mode, repeat, volume, and a progress bar someone can click on to jump to a different point in the song. It is an independent, unofficial project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Spotify. It pulls the current track information from a built in Windows system feature that already tracks what media is playing, the same one used by the Windows volume popup, so the widget does not need a Spotify account login or any API keys to work. Because Windows 11 removed the older taskbar add-on system, this widget works instead as a floating window that positions itself automatically in the empty space of the taskbar, next to the widgets button when present, and it adjusts itself to different screen sizes and taskbar settings. It hides automatically when another app is running in fullscreen, like a game or a video. For deeper features like showing whether a song is already liked or controlling Spotify's internal volume slider, the widget reads and interacts with Spotify's own window in the background. If a future Spotify update breaks that connection, the widget is designed to fall back to the more basic track information and playback controls rather than stopping entirely. Installing it is straightforward through the Microsoft Store or a direct installer download, and it checks for and installs its own updates automatically. It requires Windows 11 and the Spotify desktop app already installed, and is free to use.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through installing this Spotify taskbar widget from the Microsoft Store or the direct installer.
Prompt 2
Explain how this widget gets track info from Spotify without needing a login or API key.
Prompt 3
Help me build this project from source using the .NET 8 SDK.
Prompt 4
What happens if a Spotify update breaks the widget's favorites or volume features?
Prompt 5
Show me how to reposition, resize, and choose which buttons appear on this taskbar widget.

Frequently asked questions

What is spotify-taskbar-widget?

A free Windows 11 widget that shows Spotify's now-playing song and full playback controls right in the taskbar.

What language is spotify-taskbar-widget written in?

Mainly C#. The stack also includes C#, .NET 8, WPF.

How hard is spotify-taskbar-widget to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is spotify-taskbar-widget for?

Mainly general.

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