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

Classic iPods have their fans, but they weren’t made for the modern era of music streaming – except this one, which was turned into a Spotify player by tinker Guy Dupont. Although it may look like an iPod on the inside, it has a Raspberry Pi loaded with software customized by Dupont to interface with Spotify, while maintaining the classic iPod style. He calls it 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 Hackaday post, he said he “had forgotten how good it is to hold and use one of these things”, but wanted to update it with some modern features, including (obviously) streaming from Spotify, Bluetooth audio and search. That’s right, the device can search the entire Spotify library and stream it.

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

Guy Dupont photo

Guy Dupont photo

Dupont managed to maintain the scroll wheel interface – and even managed to improve it. Now there’s tactile feedback when scrolling, instead of just the audible click. But, although many of the original buttons are present, they have not all been preserved with the same fidelity as the click wheel.

The standby button now controls the power, instead of locking the iPod to prevent the pocket from rolling. And while the headset is still there, it does nothing else (RIP for a real one), since the audio output is controlled by Bluetooth. It also dispenses with the original 30-pin connector for an easier-to-find 2021 Micro USB port that controls charging.

Guy Dupont photo

If you want to make one of them, Dupont has posted all the code you need on GitHub. He also created a Hackaday page detailing the other software needed to make Spotify work.

If you’re like me and want to have your own sPot, the video should provide just about everything you need to get started. Doing the quickest search for the parts he listed, the project will cost around $ 100, plus the price of the iPod, if you don’t already have one. But even if you have no desire to do one of these, it’s worth watching the video just to experience the glory of what a modern iPod could look like and see this really cool project come to fruition.