🖼️ Spotify Color E-Ink Desk Display

Always know what song is playing—beautifully.

This sleek little project brings your music to life on your desk using a Raspberry Pi and a colorful E-Ink display. It connects to your Spotify account and shows the currently playing song, artist, and album art—updated in near real-time.

I built this project because I wanted a stylish, low-power way to display my current track without needing to glance at my phone or keep a music app open on my computer. E-Ink displays are perfect for this: low refresh rates, no backlight, and a super modern aesthetic.

The best part? It’s plug-and-play once set up. No soldering, no complicated wiring—just code, components, and a little bit of magic. If you’ve got a Raspberry Pi and a Spotify account, you’re already halfway there.

📌 Since I released the YouTube video, I’ve added some key improvements:

1. The script now maintains your Spotify token automatically, so you don’t have to keep logging in.
2. When nothing is playing, it can cycle through custom idle images to keep your display looking fresh and dynamic.

💡 Special thanks to Ryan Ward for the original concept that inspired this project.

Let’s build a Spotify-powered E-Ink desk thing that’ll impress your friends and add serious vibes to your setup.

Basic steps below, see the video above for more details and the linked github to see configuration options.

1. Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W with GPIO Pins: https://amzn.to/4ffJO8c (affiliate)
2. Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W without GPIO Pins: https://amzn.to/3ChP4d5 (affiliate)
3. GPIO Pins with solderless installer: https://amzn.to/48Gny54 (affiliate)
4. microSD Card: https://amzn.to/3UJ6gys (affiliate)
5. microUSB Cord: https://amzn.to/3O0JvCo (affiliate)

And one of these displays

1. Pimoroni 5.7 inch Inky Impression E-ink display: https://collabs.shop/ow7wsz (affiliate)

Alternative displays (won't fit my case):

1. Pimoroni 4 inch Inky Impression E-ink display: https://collabs.shop/zyddyy (affiliate)
2. Pimoroni 7 inch Inky Impression E-Ink display: https://collabs.shop/cc4wfy (affiliate)
3. WaveShare 4 inch E-ink display: https://amzn.to/409zZny (affiliate)

No soldering needed!

A free STL for a case that fits the Pimoroni 5.7" display and Raspberry Pi is here: Free STL It's a friction fit print, and no additional hardware is needed to snap everything together, this even includes buttons.

Insert microSD card into your home computer and use Raspberry Pi imager to set it up for a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W with Raspberry Pi OS.

1. Create a new application within the Spotify developer dashboard
2. Edit the settings of the application within the dashboard.
3. Set the redirect to

1. Download the install script

1. Install the software:

Using 3D printer, print front, back, and buttons. Free STL here.

Note: this fits the Pimoroni 5.7 inch Eink screen lined above.

Insert Raspberry Pin into back of screen.

Insert buttons into case. They are a loose fit.

Insert screen into front half of case, careful not to lose the buttons.

Slip power cord through hole in back, and connect to Raspberry Pi. Then insert back into front of case. This is a friction fit, and may require a small amount of effort.