How to connect to Spotify Data in DBVisualizer

The CData API Driver for JDBC implements JDBC standards to provide connectivity to Spotify data in applications ranging from business intelligence tools to IDEs. This article shows how to establish a connection to Spotify data in DBVisualizer and use the table editor to load Spotify data.

Create a New Driver Definition for Spotify Data

Follow the steps below to use the Driver Manager to provide connectivity to Spotify data from DBVisualizer tools.

1. In DBVisualizer, click Tools -> Driver Manager.
2. Click the plus sign "" to create a new driver.
3. Select "Custom" as the template.
4. On the Driver Settings tab:
   • Set Name to a user-friendly name (e.g. "CData Spotify Driver")
   • Set URL Format to jdbc:api:
   • In Driver artifacts and jar files (jars are loaded in order from top):
     1. Click the plus sign "" -> "Add Files"
     2. Navigate to the "lib" folder in the installation directory (C:\Program Files\CData API Driver for JDBC XXXX\)
     3. Select the JAR file (cdata.jdbc.API.jar) and click "Open"
     
5. The Driver Class should populate automatically. If not, select class (cdata.jdbc.api.APIDriver).

Define the Connection to the JDBC Data Source

Close the "Driver Manager" and follow the steps below to save connection properties in the JDBC URL.

1. In the "Databases" tab, click the plus sign "" and select the driver you just created.

2. In the "Connection" section, set the following options:

   • Database Type: If you selected the wizard option, the database type is automatically detected. If you selected the "No Wizard" option, select the Generic or Auto Detect option in the Database Type menu.
   • Driver Type: Select the driver you just created.

   • Database URL: Enter the full JDBC URL. The syntax of the JDBC URL is jdbc:api: followed by the connection properties in a semicolon-separated list of name-value pairs.

     Using OAuth Authentication

     Spotify uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication. You will need to create an application in the Spotify Developer Dashboard to obtain your client credentials.

     Setting Up Your Spotify Application

     1. Visit the Spotify Developer Dashboard.
     2. Log in with your Spotify account and click Create app.
     3. Provide an app name, description, and set a Redirect URI (e.g.,

        http://localhost:33333

        for desktop applications).
     4. Copy your Client ID and Client Secret from the app settings.

     Connection Properties

     After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

     • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth.
     • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to manage the process to obtain the OAuthAccessToken.
     • OAuthClientId: Set this to your Spotify application's Client ID.
     • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to your Spotify application's Client Secret.
     • Scope: Set this to the required OAuth scopes (space-separated). The default includes all read scopes needed for the tables in this profile.
     • CallbackURL: Set this to the Redirect URI configured in your Spotify application (e.g., http://localhost:33333).

     Example Connection String

     Profile=C:\profiles\Spotify.apip;AuthScheme=OAuth;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;
     

     Available OAuth Scopes

     • user-read-private: Read access to user's subscription details and explicit content settings.
     • user-read-email: Read access to user's email address.
     • user-library-read: Read access to a user's saved tracks, albums, episodes, shows, and audiobooks.
     • playlist-read-private: Read access to user's private playlists.
     • playlist-read-collaborative: Read access to collaborative playlists the user follows.
     • user-follow-read: Read access to the list of artists the current user follows.
     • user-read-playback-state: Read access to a user's player state (device, current track, progress).
     • user-read-currently-playing: Read access to a user's currently playing content.
     • user-read-playback-history: Read access to a user's recently played tracks.
     • user-top-read: Read access to a user's top artists and tracks.

     Built-in Connection String Designer

     For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Spotify JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

     java -jar cdata.jdbc.api.jar
     

     Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

     

     When you configure the JDBC URL, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

     A typical connection string is below:

     jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\Spotify.apip;AuthScheme=OAuth;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;
     

   • NOTE: Since Spotify does not require a User or Password to authenticate, you may use whatever values you wish for Database Userid and Database Password.
3. On the Connection tab, click Connect.

To browse through tables exposed by the Spotify JDBC Driver, right-click a table and click "Open in New Tab."

To execute SQL queries, use the SQL Commander tool: Click SQL Commander -> New SQL Commander. Select the Database Connection, Database, and Schema from the available menus.

See the "Supported SQL" chapter in the help documentation for more information on the supported SQL. See the "Data Model" chapter for table-specific information.

More Information & Free Trial

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData API Driver for JDBC and start working with your live Spotify data in DbVisualizer. Join the CData Community or reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.