Accessify Play: NVDA Spotify Add-on Technical Report

Executive Summary

Accessify Play is an open-source NVDA add-on developed by InfiArtt (Infinity Art and Technology) that transforms the NVDA screen reader into an accessible command center for Spotify. It allows visually impaired users to search, discover, manage playlists, and control playback across any Spotify Connect device (PC, smartphone, smart speaker, or console) entirely via keyboard shortcuts — without ever touching the Spotify desktop application.

GitHub Repository: github.com/InfiArtt/accessify-play

🎤 Synchronized Lyrics Integration

Accessify Play includes synchronized lyrics support powered by lrclib.net — an open, community-driven lyrics database. All lyrics served by lrclib.net are released under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, ensuring full copyright compliance and public domain availability.

Dual Lyrics Modes in Command Layer (NVDA + Alt + G)

Enter the Command Layer by pressing NVDA + Alt + G, then press one of the following keys:

• Lyrics Window (W): Opens an accessible popup window displaying full plain-text lyrics for the currently playing track. Users can navigate line-by-line with arrow keys while NVDA reads each line aloud.
• Auto Lyric Reading (Y): Toggles NVDA to automatically announce each lyric line in real time, synchronized with the music as it plays. Press Y again to stop.

✨ Core Feature Universe

1. Universal Playback Control

• Device Flexibility: Play, pause, skip, seek, and adjust volume on any active Spotify Connect device.
• Precise Volume Adjustment: Set volume to an exact percentage (0–100%) via an accessible input dialog.
• Track Announcements: Instantly announce currently playing track info or enable automatic NVDA announcements whenever tracks change.
• Queue Management: View and interact with upcoming queued tracks.

2. Full Library Management Suite

• Quick Save: Instantly save the currently playing track to your Liked Songs with a single key combination.
• Playlist Management: Create new playlists, edit existing details, remove tracks, or add the current track to any playlist.
• Followed Artists & Saved Library: Browse and manage saved albums, liked songs, and followed artists in a multi-tabbed accessible view.

3. Discovery & Exploration

• Advanced Search Dialog: Search across songs, albums, artists, playlists, and podcasts.
• Personal Insights: View personal top-played tracks and artists from the past month, 6 months, or all time.
• Artist Discography Deep Dives: Explore full discographies and related artist recommendations directly from search results.

📋 Prerequisites & Technical Requirements

• Subscription: Active Spotify Premium subscription (required for Spotify Web API playback endpoints).
• Screen Reader: NVDA version 2024.4 or later.
• License: Released under the GNU General Public License v2.0.