Music is proven to enhance live streams in many different ways. To offer a professional and seamless music experience as part of your live stream, you need an effective way to quickly control what song or playlist is playing, and be able to switch between them with ease.
Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up your Elgato Stream Deck with Spotify to control both songs and playlists:
Step 1: Download and Install the Latest Elgato Stream Deck Software
If you haven't already, install the latest version of Elgato Stream Deck software from the official website. The software is available for both Windows and macOS.
Step 2: Install the Spotify Plugin for Elgato Stream Deck
Once you have the Stream Deck software installed, you need to install the Spotify plugin. To do this, click on the "Store" tab in the Stream Deck software and search for "Spotify". Once you find the plugin, click on "Install" to add it to your Stream Deck. There is a Spotify Plugin by Elgato that allows for more basic control over Spotify, and there is a plugin from BarRaider which is much more popular and allows advanced controls over Spotify playback (including switching between playlists and liking songs). Here is a tutorial to install the BarRaider plugin. We recommend using the BarRaider plugin due to its advanced features.
Step 3: Link Your Spotify Account to the Elgato Stream Deck Spotify Plugin
After installing the Spotify plugin, you need to link your Spotify account to the plugin. To do this, click on the "Spotify" button in the Stream Deck software and select "Link Account". This will open a browser window where you can log in to your Spotify account and grant access to the Stream Deck plugin.
Step 4: Add Spotify Controls to Your Stream Deck
Now that your Spotify account is linked to the Stream Deck plugin, you can start adding controls for Spotify to your Stream Deck. To do this, click on the "Spotify" button in the Stream Deck software and select "Add Action". This will open a menu where you can choose from a variety of Spotify controls, including play, pause, shuffle, next track, previous track, and volume control. We recommend adding all of these controls to your Stream Deck. If you've opted to install the BarRaider plugin, you will have many more options to choose from. This includes the ability to switch between playlists. Simply navigate to Spotify (BarRaider) and add "Playlist Start". Then you can select from your saved playlists.
We recommend using StreemTunes' professionally curated Spotify playlists, as the music is awesome and all the songs are DMCA safe and copyright free so you won't run into any copyright issues. Playlists exist for every genre or mood, including: LO-FI, Hip-Hop, Synthwave, EDM, Rock, Latin, Trap, Dubstep, Chill / Study, Chiptune, Halloween / Spooky, Christmas, Content Creator and more! There is no signup and no fees, simply hit play and get started.
Step 5: Customize Your Spotify Controls on the Stream Deck
Once you've added the Spotify controls to your Stream Deck, you can customize them by clicking on the control and selecting "Edit". This will allow you to change the icon, label, and color of the button, as well as the action that it performs.
Step 6: Test Your Spotify Controls on the Stream Deck
Finally, you should test your Spotify controls on the Stream Deck to ensure that they work as expected. Launch Spotify and start playing a song or playlist. Then, use your Stream Deck controls to pause, play, skip tracks, adjust the volume, and switch between playlists.
Congratulations! You have successfully set up your Elgato Stream Deck with Spotify to control both songs and playlists. Now you can easily control your music while streaming without having to switch back and forth between Spotify and your streaming software.
We recommend choosing a victory song to play every time you win, and letting that song have its own button on the Stream Deck. This is a fun way to build a sense a community and increase the energy level of the stream. Here's our favourite victory song!