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Getting Started with the Web API

This guide will help you make your first Spotify Web API call to get a [200 OK] response, retrieving an artist’s metadata. Let’s get started!

Prerequisites​

  • A Spotify account (free or premium).
  • cURL installed (download here) or your preferred HTTP client.

Step 1: Set Up Your Account​

Log in to the Spotify Developer Dashboard and review the Developer Terms of Service if needed.

Step 2: Create an App​

  1. Go to your Dashboard and click Create an App.
  2. Enter:
    • App Name: My First Spotify App
    • App Description: A simple app to explore the Spotify API
    • Redirect URI: http://127.0.0.1:3000 (optional for this example).
  3. Agree to the terms and click Create.

You’ll get a Client ID and Client Secret.

Step 3: Request an Access Token​

Use the Client Credentials flow to get an access token:

  1. Find your credentials in the Dashboard under your app’s Settings.
  2. Run this cURL command (replace your-client-id and your-client-secret): 
    curl -X POST "https://accounts.spotify.com/api/token" \
         -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
         -d "grant_type=client_credentials&client_id=your-client-id&client_secret=your-client-secret"

Expect a [200 OK] response with a token (valid for 1 hour):

{
"access_token": "BQDBKJ5eo5jxbtpWjVOj7ryS84khybFpP_lTqzV7uV-T_m0cTfwvdn5BnBSKPxKgEb11",
"token_type": "Bearer",
"expires_in": 3600
}

Step 4: Make Your First API Call​

Use the Get Artist endpoint to get a [200 OK] response:

  • Find an artist’s Spotify ID (e.g., Radiohead’s ID is 4Z8W4fKeB5YxbusRsdQVPb):

    • Search in the Spotify Desktop App, right-click the artist, and copy the ID from the share link.

  • Run this cURL command (replace the token):

    curl "https://api.spotify.com/v1/artists/4Z8W4fKeB5YxbusRsdQVPb" \
         -H "Authorization: Bearer BQDBKJ5eo5jxbtpWjVOj7ryS84khybFpP_lTqzV7uV-T_m0cTfwvdn5BnBSKPxKgEb11"

A [200 OK] response confirms success, returning data like:

    {
  "name": "Radiohead",
  "id": "4Z8W4fKeB5YxbusRsdQVPb",
  "type": "artist"
    }