Spicetify customizes the official Spotify desktop client with themes, extensions, and sidebar apps after it can locate an installation it can modify.
Prepare Spotify for Spicetify
Use the official desktop client rather than the browser player, then complete sign-in before adding Spicetify. Start with the Spotify on Linux installation options if you still need the desktop client.
Flatpak changes where the client and its preferences live. The Flatpak setup guide explains that package format, while Spicetify’s configuration commands reveal the paths it needs on your machine.
Install Spicetify on Linux
Run Spicetify’s current Linux installation command in your normal user account. Start a new terminal session if the shell cannot find the command immediately.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/spicetify/cli/main/install.sh | sh
The installer adds the CLI, which creates and applies a configuration against the Spotify files you already have.
Find the configuration and Spotify paths
Spicetify keeps its Linux configuration in config-xpui.ini under your home directory. Ask the CLI for the configuration file and Spotify location rather than copying a deployment path from another distribution.
spicetify -c
spicetify path spotify
The Spotify path identifies the client files Spicetify patches, while the prefs path identifies the desktop client’s settings file. Both paths must point to your own installation.
Replace the placeholder paths with the values you found on your system, then set the values with the CLI and apply the configuration.
spicetify config spotify_path "/path/to/spotify" prefs_path "/path/to/prefs"
spicetify backup apply
Backup saves an unmodified copy of the Spotify files before the first application. Apply then injects the configured theme, extensions, custom apps, and other settings into the client.
Use Marketplace or configure a theme manually
Marketplace is the simpler choice when you want to browse maintained themes and extensions from Spotify’s sidebar. Manual configuration fits a local theme, an extension you are developing, or a setting that Marketplace does not expose.
For a manual theme, set the theme name and color scheme together, then reapply the configuration.
spicetify config current_theme Sleek color_scheme Dark
spicetify apply
Run spicetify restore to return the client to its unmodified state after a Spotify update or a customization you no longer want.
spicetify restore
Choose the package path that matches your Linux setup
Keep Spotify’s installation method stable while you configure Spicetify, and use the Fedora workstation checklist to finish the system setup before changing desktop apps.
On Arch-based distributions, finish the base system first with the Archinstall walkthrough. If you prefer playback outside the graphical client, LinuxForDevices also covers Spotify in the terminal with ncspot.
When Spicetify cannot detect Spotify
The message Cannot detect Spotify location means Spicetify does not have a usable spotify_path. Run spicetify path spotify, confirm the reported directory belongs to the desktop client you use, then set spotify_path and prefs_path with absolute paths before running backup apply again.
Do not grant broad write permission to a guessed application directory, because the correct path depends on whether Spotify came from a native package, Flatpak, or another supported installation method.
How do I customize Spotify on Linux with Spicetify?
Install Spicetify, use its path commands to identify your Spotify and prefs locations, run spicetify backup apply, then use Marketplace or configure a theme and run spicetify apply.
Why does Spicetify say it cannot detect Spotify location?
The message means Spicetify does not have a usable spotify_path. Confirm the Spotify desktop-client directory, set spotify_path and prefs_path with absolute paths, then run spicetify backup apply again.
How do I remove Spicetify changes from Spotify?
Run spicetify restore. It restores Spotify’s unmodified files while preserving your Spicetify configuration and customization files.
Open Marketplace after backup apply, choose one theme or extension, and verify that Spotify still launches before you add another customization.