This DIY project turns an iPod into a click wheel Spotify player

Classic iPods have their fans, but they weren’t built for the modern age of music streaming – except this one, turned into a Spotify player by tinkerer Guy Dupont. While it may look like an iPod from the outside, inside it has a Raspberry Pi loaded with software specially built by Dupont to interact with Spotify, while still retaining the classic iPod style. He calls it the sPot.

In a video showing the project and the process behind it, Dupont says he was inspired when his mother-in-law gave him the old iPod. In a post from Hackaday, he says he had “forgotten how good it feels to hold and use any of these things,” but wanted to update it with some modern features, including (obviously) Spotify streaming, Bluetooth audio and search. That’s right, the device can search and stream the entire Spotify library.

*We don’t need an iTunes library where we go.*

Dupont put a Raspberry Pi Zero W in the iPod because Spotify requires an internet connection – something most iPods don’t support. It also allows for the custom interface and Bluetooth audio. The sPot also requires a larger battery to power the Pi, but all hardware will still fit in the original iPod case.

Dupont was able to keep the scroll wheel interface – and he even managed to improve it. There is now haptic feedback when scrolling, instead of just the audible click. But while many of the original buttons are present, not all have been preserved as faithfully as the click wheel.

The hold switch now controls power, rather than locking the iPod to prevent scrolling in your pocket. And while the headphone jack is still there, it doesn’t do anything (RIP to a real one) as the audio output is handled by Bluetooth. It also removes the original 30-pin connector for an easier-to-find micro-USB port in 2021 that handles charging.

*The headphone jack is now only for decoration.*

Gif of Dupont using the scroll wheel to navigate its custom interface — *That beautiful scroll wheel action.*

If you wanted to make your own, Dupont posted all the code you need on GitHub. He also created a Hackaday page with the other software needed to get Spotify to work.

If you’re like me and wish your own sPot, the video should give you pretty much everything you need to get started. By looking for the parts he lists as quickly as possible, the project will cost about $ 100, plus the price of the iPod if you don’t already have one. But even if you don’t feel like making one, the video is definitely worth watching to experience the glory of what a modern iPod could look like and see how this really cool project comes together.

Source

Share this:

Related