Spotify - Linux key bindings. From XFCE / Ubuntu keyboard shortcuts configuration, assign the control command to their key. http://shkspr.mobi/blog/2011/12/linux-spotify-keybindings/

spotify_keybindings

"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause" XF86AudioPlay
"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Stop" XF86AudioStop
"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next" XF86AudioNext
"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Previous" XF86AudioPrevious

This is still working great, just a suggestionf for users on XFCE...
Just add the quotation part to the Keyboard > Application Shortcuts, then associate it with any key you'd like. (if you don't have media keys on your keyboard)

Thanks for this!

Awesome ! Thank you

Thanks!

Note it's not XF86AudioPrevious it's XF86AudioPrev and you must have the command on the second line.

"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause"
XF86AudioPlay
"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Stop"
XF86AudioStop
"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next"
XF86AudioNext
"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Previous"
XF86AudioPrev

Thank you! I worked for me !

I'm on Ubuntu 16.04: for me it was required to install these package(s):
sudo apt-get install mpdris2 mpris-remote
(I haven't tested which of the 2 actually worked)

Then, I tested the following: I've dropped the quotes and removed the last part after the last quote, as this part didn't work for me (got an error: Data item "XF86AudioPlay" is badly formed).

dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause
dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Stop
dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next
dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Previous

any way to program a "save to your music" shortcut? For pause/skip/etc ubuntu-shortcuts from keyboard preferences seem to work finde.

Hail to the king, baby! :) Thanks man. Just switched to xubunbu, and it made me a headache to use my so-loved keyboard hotkey and mouse gesture to pause the music!

Thanks! 👍

Thank you very much for this bro!

Thanks m8!

Awesome thank you !

Exactly what I needed thanks! Now when I press F8 the music play/pauses, and when I press F9 Spotify skips to the next track.

---

For those who are struggling, here's what I did:

In terminal

sudo apt-get install xbindkeys
cd ~/
sudo vim .xbindkeysrc

Scrolled to the bottom of the file and pasted

# spotify controls
"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause"
  F8

"dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next"
  F9

Then saved and exited.

I used VIM but you can probably just as easily use another text editor like Nano or something.

Great! Thanks

It rocks ! Thank you

Thanks for this snippet!

Had to rename XF86AudioPrevious to XF86AudioPrev though for me to work on Ubuntu 16.04

Linux XFCE Manjaro Work perfect

Thank you very much, you helped me a lot ;D

For all two i3 guys:

bindsym $mod+Left exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Previous
bindsym $mod+Down exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Stop    
bindsym $mod+Up exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause 
bindsym $mod+Right exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next   

I still have problem with previous and next keys on Ubuntu 14.04 & XFCE4 even though after changing XF86AudioPrevious to XF86AudioPrev but play and pause keys are perfect.

Wesdesignz thanks
worked perfectly !

thanks @mohnjatthews ! also have to remember run xbindkeys

What can I do to config my keys in Openbox on Antergos or Archlinux?

Thank you so much for your help in advance...

well that worked ,,but it stopped the hotkeys for Rhythmbox the default player on XFCE4
any help to get the shortcuts to work for both ?

Works on 4.8.17 Gallium OS. Thank you!

THANKS!
Works on Manjaro OS Edition (17.0.1) XFCE (4.12)

Thanks @liquid2026

That's actually worked for me after a lot of failures. - https://gist.github.com/jbonney/5743509#gistcomment-1749006

OS: Xubuntu 16.04

I still have problem with previous and next keys on Ubuntu 14.04 & XFCE4 even though after changing XF86AudioPrevious to XF86AudioPrev but play and pause keys are perfect.

I'm having the same issue on Xubuntu 17.04

God bless you

Thank you so very much! I Wish I had seen this sooner.

Bless every little part of you, have been searching for this solution in forever! Can't thank you enough! <3

Thank you very much!

Awesome, thanks!

great job

@liquid2026 worked like a charm, thx!

Thanks guys! :D
Working in Xubuntu 16.04.3

thanks!

Perfect, thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks @sjug !

Thanks @jbonney for the command and @sjug for the suggestion!

Still works, thanks!!

Thank you very much! :)

Bindsym version for the i3wm people using media keys (.i3/config)

# Bind media keys to spotify play, stop, next, previous
bindsym XF86AudioPlay exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause
bindsym XF86AudioStop exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Stop
bindsym XF86AudioNext exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next
bindsym XF86AudioPrev exec dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Previous

dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause
dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Stop
dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next
dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Previous

Those work absolutely fine for me on Ubuntu 17.10 when defined as "Custom Shortcuts" via Gnome Settings.

To improve upon @barnaba's example for I3 users, and for those preferring direct media keys on hardware without fiddling with the Gnome controls UI:

# Pulse Audio controls
bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ +5% #increase sound volume
bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ -5% #decrease sound volume
bindsym XF86AudioMute exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-mute @DEFAULT_SINK@ toggle # mute sound

# Media keys

## Using [playerctl](https://github.com/acrisci/playerctl)
bindsym XF86AudioPrev exec --no-startup-id playerctl previous
bindsym XF86AudioNext exec --no-startup-id playerctl next
bindsym XF86AudioPlay exec --no-startup-id playerctl play-pause
bindsym XF86AudioPause exec --no-startup-id playerctl pause
bindsym XF86AudioStop exec --no-startup-id playerctl stop

## Non-playerctl option for Ubuntu
# bindsym XF86AudioPrev exec --no-startup-id "dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Previous"
# bindsym XF86AudioNext exec --no-startup-id "dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Next"
# bindsym XF86AudioPlay exec --no-startup-id "dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.PlayPause"
# bindsym XF86AudioPause exec --no-startup-id "dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Pause"
# bindsym XF86AudioStop exec --no-startup-id "dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Stop"

Thanks! Worked very well on a DELL 5777 laptop with a vanilla Xubuntu 16.04!

T.K.S!!!
Worked very well on a Lenovo IdeaPad 320 laptop with a Xubuntu 17.10 artful!

To date https://gist.github.com/jbonney/5743509#gistcomment-1422561 is still working perfectly on xfce/ubuntu studio 👏

For anyone curious which other commands the spotify client supports try:

dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable.Introspect

This lists another method "Seek". Unfortunately it doesn't seem to do anything though, because no matter what value I try for Offset, it doesn't have any effect:

dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.Seek int64:10

Still wanted to leave it here in case anyone else wants to figure this out. Seemed useful.