Vlc remote control script

vlc_remote.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# -*- coding:utf8 -*-
"""
Code snippet for controlling one or multiple instances of vlc player over the
network.
To make this work, the respective vlc player instances have to be configured
to expose their web interfaces as described here:
https://wiki.videolan.org/documentation:modules/http_intf
"""
import requests


def send_command(cmd, ip, port, password):
    """
    Send command `cmd` to the target vlc player

    cmd: command for the vlc player to perform
         (see: https://wiki.videolan.org/VLC_HTTP_requests/)
         you only need to pass the part after the 'status.xml?'
    ip: ip-address of target player as string
    port: port number of target player as string
    password: password set for the player's web interface
    """
    url = 'http://{ip}:{port}/requests/status.xml?command={cmd}'
    url_send = url.format(ip=ip, port=port, cmd=cmd)
    # autheticate to the player, user is always left blank
    return requests.get(url_send, auth=('', password))


def multicast_command(cmd, ips, ports, passwords):
    """
    Send command `cmd` to multiple instances of vlc players on different
    computers on the local network.
    """
    assert(len(ips) == len(ports) == len(passwords))
    for ip, port, pw in zip(ips, ports, passwords):
        send_command(cmd, ip, port, pw)


# examples:
password = 'unbelievably-secure-passphrase'
ip = '127.0.0.1'
port = '8080'

# add file /home/user/awesome_music.wav to playlist and start playing
send_command('in_play&input=awesome_music.wav', ip, port, password)
# pause
send_command('pl_pause', ip, port, password)
# play again
send_command('pl_play' ip, port, password)
# stop playing
send_command('pl_stop', ip, port password)

# multiple instances on different machines
# (password is the same everywhere)
ips = (ip, '192.168. 21.1', '192.168.21.2')
ports = (port, port, 9000)
pws = (password, password, password)
multicast_command('pl_play', ips, ports, pws)