Privacy-First Spotify Controller for Academic Researchers
No credentials, no browsing history, and local-only analytics.
💡 Overview
People who care about focus tend to care about privacy too. You juggle papers, citation tools and notes across dozens of tabs.
Spotify-Web Playback Controller states that it collects no Spotify credentials, passwords or personal information, and does not request access to browsing history. Its host permission covers only open.spotify.com. Focus insights are stored on your own device, and it does not log tracks or listening stats in Incognito mode. Optional anonymous diagnostics have their own toggle.
🧭 A Day of Academic Researchers
You juggle papers, citation tools and notes across dozens of tabs.
The problem: A hidden Spotify tab among thirty others is easy to lose.
The fix: Use the popup instead of searching for the tab; it controls the Web Player wherever it is hiding.
🚀 Try It in Three Steps
- Read the permissions on the Chrome Web Store page before installing.
- Review the privacy policy linked from the listing.
- Turn off optional diagnostics in the dashboard if you prefer.
✨ What You Get
- Zero-polling design: A MutationObserver updates the UI only when the page changes, keeping CPU and memory use low.
- Dynamic album-art backdrops: A blurred, color-adaptive background drawn from the current artwork, in dark or light theme.
- Local focus analytics: Daily and weekly focus time, a seven-day chart and top artists and tracks, all stored on your device.
| Task | Switching tabs | Spotify-Web Playback Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Volume change | Open the tab, drag a slider | Scroll the mouse wheel over the popup |
| Scope | Any app, any tab | Spotify Web Player (open.spotify.com) only |
| Liking a song | Open the tab, click the heart | Tap the heart in the popup or press L |
| Focus impact | Context switch every time | Your work window keeps focus |
Note: it works with the Spotify Web Player at open.spotify.com only, and does not control the desktop app.
📸 See It in Action
Mini-Player
Dashboard
Shortcuts
Control Spotify Without Leaving Your Work
Global-capable hotkeys, a mini-player and local-only analytics for the Spotify Web Player.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
No. The extension states it never collects Spotify credentials, passwords or personal info.
You must enable Allow in incognito under chrome://extensions. It does not log tracks or listening stats in private browsing.
It can be if you spend your day researching. Use the popup instead of searching for the tab; it controls the Web Player wherever it is hiding.