Connect to Spotify Data in the Denodo Platform

Denodo Platform is a data virtualization product providing a single point of contact for enterprise database data. When paired with the CData API Driver for JDBC, Denodo users can work with live Spotify data alongside other enterprise data sources. This article explains how to create a virtual data source for Spotify in the Denodo Virtual DataPort Administrator.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Spotify data. When you issue complex SQL queries to Spotify, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Spotify and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). Its built-in dynamic metadata querying allows you to work with and analyze Spotify data using native data types.

Create the Spotify Virtual Port

To connect to live Spotify data from Denodo, you need to copy the JDBC Driver JAR file to the external library directory for Denodo and create a new JDBC Data Source from the Virtual DataPort Administrator tool.

1. Download the CData API Driver for JDBC installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.
2. Copy the JAR File (and license file if it exists) from the installation location (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData API Driver for JDBC\lib\) to the Denodo external library directory (C:\Denodo\Denodo Platform\lib-external\jdbc-drivers\cdata-api-19).
3. Open the Denodo Virtual DataPort Administrator tool and navigate to the Server Explorer tab.
4. Right-click "admin" and select New -> Data source -> JDBC.
5. Configure the JDBC Connection:
   • Name: your choice, e.g.: api
   • Database adapter: Generic
   • Driver class path: C:\Denodo\Denodo Platform\lib-external\jdbc-drivers\cdata-api-19
   • Driver class: cdata.jdbc.api.APIDriver

   • Database URI: Set this to a JDBC URL using the necessary connection properties. For example,

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

     

     Information on creating the Database URI follows:

     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.

     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.
     
6. Click the "Test connection" button to confirm the configuration and click Save.

View Spotify Data in the VirtualPort Administrator Tool

After creating the data source, you can create a base view of Spotify data for use in the Denodo Platform.

1. Click the "Create base view" button in the newly created VirtualPort (admin.API).
2. Expand the object tree and select the objects (tables) you wish to import.
3. Click the "Create selected" button to create views of the Spotify data.
   Optional: Click "Create associations from foreign keys" to define relationships between the objects.
4. With the view(s) created, navigate to a table (cdata_api_albums) in the Server Explorer and double-click the selected table.
5. In the new tab, click "Execution panel" to open a query panel.
6. Customize the query in the "Execute" tab or use the default:

   SELECT * FROM cdata_api_albums CONTEXT ('i18n'='us_est', 'cache_wait_for_load'='true')
   

   
7. Click Execute to view the data.

With the base view created, you can now work with live Spotify data like you would any other data source in Denodo Platform, for example, querying Spotify in the Denodo Data Catalog.

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