WebApi Get Currently Playing Track fails with 404 Error

[betterdayshier]

hey, I've tried to use https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/reference/get-the-users-currently-playing-track but I receive the following content:

{
  "error" : {
    "status" : 404,
    "message" : "Invalid username"
  }
}

instead of

{
  "context": {
    "type": "playlist",
    "href": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/playlists/5SfsuZkhPp0MFVbPFshT5L",
    "external_urls": {
      "spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5SfsuZkhPp0MFVbPFshT5L"
    },
    "uri": "spotify:playlist:5SfsuZkhPp0MFVbPFshT5L"
  },
  "timestamp": 1744893576278,
  "progress_ms": 136,
  "is_playing": false,
  "item": {
    "album": {
      "album_type": "album",
      "total_tracks": 48,
      "available_markets": [
        "AT",
        "DE"
      ],
      "external_urls": {
        "spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/album/6QrJvzm8ZWxCV5Lje4Cjmw"
      },
      "href": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/albums/6QrJvzm8ZWxCV5Lje4Cjmw",
      "id": "6QrJvzm8ZWxCV5Lje4Cjmw",
      "images": [
        {
          "url": "https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b27315e3c3424572a2baa648bad3",
          "height": 640,
          "width": 640
        },
        {
          "url": "https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d00001e0215e3c3424572a2baa648bad3",
          "height": 300,
          "width": 300
        },
        {
          "url": "https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000485115e3c3424572a2baa648bad3",
          "height": 64,
          "width": 64
        }
      ],
      "name": "Welcome to DJ Antoine - Remixed",
      "release_date": "2011-10-28",
      "release_date_precision": "day",
      "type": "album",
      "uri": "spotify:album:6QrJvzm8ZWxCV5Lje4Cjmw",
      "artists": [
        {
          "external_urls": {
            "spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/artist/6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo"
          },
          "href": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/artists/6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo",
          "id": "6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo",
          "name": "DJ Antoine",
          "type": "artist",
          "uri": "spotify:artist:6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo"
        }
      ]
    },
    "artists": [
      {
        "external_urls": {
          "spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/artist/6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo"
        },
        "href": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/artists/6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo",
        "id": "6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo",
        "name": "DJ Antoine",
        "type": "artist",
        "uri": "spotify:artist:6yTYR09WCvsgdnurDW4WQo"
      },
      {
        "external_urls": {
          "spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vJfU7tjaOVFyh7oZF8L0J"
        },
        "href": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/artists/2vJfU7tjaOVFyh7oZF8L0J",
        "id": "2vJfU7tjaOVFyh7oZF8L0J",
        "name": "The Beatshakers",
        "type": "artist",
        "uri": "spotify:artist:2vJfU7tjaOVFyh7oZF8L0J"
      }
    ],
    "available_markets": [
      "AT",
      "DE"
    ],
    "disc_number": 1,
    "duration_ms": 191090,
    "explicit": false,
    "external_ids": {
      "isrc": "DEN061101853"
    },
    "external_urls": {
      "spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/track/2CbuG4ib5Wg5q8AEhVgll7"
    },
    "href": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/tracks/2CbuG4ib5Wg5q8AEhVgll7",
    "id": "2CbuG4ib5Wg5q8AEhVgll7",
    "name": "Ma Chérie - DJ Antoine Vs Mad Mark 2K12 Radio Edit",
    "popularity": 49,
    "preview_url": null,
    "track_number": 1,
    "type": "track",
    "uri": "spotify:track:2CbuG4ib5Wg5q8AEhVgll7",
    "is_local": false
  },
  "currently_playing_type": "track",
  "actions": {
    "disallows": {
      "pausing": true
    }
  }
}

any idea how it could work?

[betterdayshier]

now when I click the "Try it" button

[Ximzend]

Hi @betterdayshier 

Are you playing something from the same Spotify account at same time when you hit the Try it button?

[betterdayshier]

yes the posted example result is right

[betterdayshier]

sorry for double post I can't find the post edit function

I just wanted to say:

It isn't a premium account but in docs I didn't read anything about premium account requirement for web api (only playback api)
And I use PC Windows 11 spotify client from https://open.spotify.com/download (not the windows store version

if thats important

[Ximzend]

Hi again @betterdayshier 

Thank you for this information.

You are right it is not in the documentation that Premium is required, but I think this is the reason why it does not work.

[betterdayshier]

first time I also thought it could be work with an other acc. but my question is, why since I've created this thread the sample don't work anymore. And the next problem was retrieving the playlists from that account which was working with docs sample but with Postman not.

I've tried with web api SDK from github:(spotify/spotify-web-api-ts-sdk) that reproduce the same error

[Ximzend]

Endpoints that change or access account data like playlists require user authorization. You can read more about it at this page.

One heads-up: if an endpoint requires authorization, the needed scopes are at the top of the API reference page.

[betterdayshier]

@Ximzend i thought maybe it's going to work with CLIENT_ID and oauth spotify login form and not as I've tried with CLIENT_ID and CLIENT_SECRET methode. I can test this later or so on but no idea about the advantage...from the perspective of the development team

[Ximzend]

That method is called Client Credentials. You have to get an Access Token using an Authorisation Code Flow.

You cannot access personal data from a user that is not logged in obviously.

[Ximzend]

Also, you should read this page about Quota Modes.