Spotify URIs do not work

[snover]

Plan

Premium

Operating System

Linux, Spotify from deb version 1:1.2.37.701.ge66eb7bc

My Question or Issue

As has been reported a few times before and incorrectly marked as resolved, Spotify client on Linux correctly registers the `x-scheme-handler/spotify` scheme, but does not actually do anything when it is invoked.

1. According to this topic, Spotify changed to require the URI to be passed as a flag for some reason, but the Exec line in the bundled spotify.desktop file does not do that, instead using bare `%U` instead of `--uri=%U` (technically should be `--uri=%u` since the client supports only one URI).

2. Passing the URI as a flag only works when Spotify is not already running. Otherwise, it just prints “Opening in existing browser session.” and does nothing.

The workaround of calling through the dbus interface, as mentioned in a few places on the forum, causes Spotify to switch to and start playing the URI immediately, which is not desired and not how the URI handler normally works. This functionality clearly exists in the Spotify desktop client on macOS and Windows, and it even works on Linux when the client is not open, and is only not wired up correctly on Linux when the client is already running. It would be appreciated if someone could find five minutes to go in and cut and paste the handful of missing lines of code that are needed to make it work.

Thanks,

[bpholman5]

This has been reported many times in different locations without resolution. I too would love to be able to just click a link shared by a friend and have the desktop client open the link. It sounds like a very simple / basic task, and indeed it seems the fix seems to be known and straightforward, yet here we are.

I (and many other Linux users) would love to see this resolved.

[1] https://askubuntu.com/questions/1473517/how-to-make-spotify-snap-open-shared-song-urls

[2] https://askubuntu.com/questions/681189/spotify-xdg-open-fails-while-doing-the-same-open-directly-wor...

[3] https://github.com/technocake/goto/issues/127

[4] https://github.com/kpcyrd/spotify-launcher/pull/23

[mbrozzo]

I am in the same situation and since the required effort for the fix is minimal I would also like it to be resolved.

[aozen]

Waiting to fix since eternity

[spt_ed]

I hope that this is fixed soon too

[pgomes]

Hi, I will try to take a look at this soon. Thanks for the feedback

[bpholman5]

> Hi, I will try to take a look at this soon. Thanks for the feedback

Many thanks @pgomes! If a test snap becomes available I would be happy to test it. I'm actively watching this thread so if I can be of any assistance please let me know.

[pgomes]

Thanks @bpholman5 we will release a beta to DEB and Snap as soon as I conclude this. I ping this thread to let you know

[lscosta]

I cannot fathom why a big company like Spotify has not fixed this for years. I feel like they just keep disabling features while only slightly improving user experience. I remember when I could message people inside the platform, when I could create playlists using a given BPM automatically for running, when opening links on a PC worked etc etc. The features they usually bring are gimmicky and not really useful on a daily basis. Frustrating.

[pgomes]

The fix was implemented. It will take a few weeks before a test release it out. I ping it here when it's the case

[TheBenefittedMrKite]

Should 1.2.45.454.gc16ec9f6 from three days ago already have the fix in? 

[gabrielforster]

Is it fixed? How can I install the fixed version?

[snover]

I’ve just tested the latest version and Spotify URIs are working again. Yay! Thank you so much for working on this!

However, the fix isn’t quite right: the app is automatically playing the clicked link, instead of just opening the page. Boo!

As mentioned in my original post, Spotify needs to *only* open the page and *not* change what’s currently playing. In other words, it should work like pasting a URI into the app’s search bar.

Why do I say this? Because it isn’t helpful to have the current playlist forcibly switched to a single track that will loop forever. I can’t switch back without stopping listening to the track that it just forced to play, which makes this a useless way to handle URIs, except *maybe* when “Autoplay” is turned on, which it is not for me.

Thank you!

[pgomes]

Hi @snover I agree with your comment. Also, what you describe is the Window's client behaviour

I have reworked it, and it should be as you requested (load the track, but not change the playing one) at a next release