[ Guide / Spotify on Windows ]
Toastify alternative
Toastify added global hotkeys and a track popup to Spotify for years, and for a lot of people it is still sitting in the tray doing its job. The project was archived in February 2023, and part of it broke before that.
Most pages on this subject will tell you Toastify is dead and hand you a download link. That is not quite true, and if you have a working copy in front of you it is obviously not true. So here is what still runs, what does not, and whether you need to do anything at all.
[ 01 ]
What broke and what still works
Toastify read what you were playing from a small local server that the Spotify desktop client used to run. From Spotify client version 1.0.87 onwards that server is gone, and the token endpoint Toastify used now returns tokens that do not work. The author's own site still carries the banner "Toastify is partially out of service".
Partially is the important word. The damage is limited to the popup:
| Feature | State |
|---|---|
| Global hotkeys, play, pause, next, previous | Still works |
| Volume and mute hotkeys | Still works |
| Seek forward and back | Still works |
| Artist and title in the popup | Still works, through a workaround |
| Album art in the popup | Stopped updating |
| Song progress bar | Disabled |
The repository was archived on 2 February 2023 and is read only, so none of this is getting fixed. The last release was v1.11.2. Worth knowing too: Toastify was only ever listed for Windows 7 through 10 and needs the .NET Framework. It was never tested against Windows 11, which is where most people asking this question now are.
[ 02 ]
Whether you need to replace it
Be honest with yourself about which part you actually use. Most people installed Toastify for one reason and then never thought about it again.
You probably do not need to switch
If you use it purely for the hotkeys, it still does that, and it will keep doing it until a Windows or Spotify change breaks it. There is no urgency here. Leaving working software alone is a legitimate choice.
You probably do want to switch
If you liked the popup and it has been half broken for years. If you are on Windows 11 and would rather run something built for it. Or if depending on an archived project with no maintainer bothers you, which is fair, because when it does finally break there is nobody to tell.
One thing to try first: Spotify's own desktop client has media key support and a Windows overlay of its own now. If all you want is play, pause and skip on your keyboard's media keys, you may not need any third party tool at all.
[ 03 ]
The options, compared honestly
Including the ones that are not ours, and the catch with each.
The author's own suggestions
When the project was archived, the maintainer pointed people at AudioBand and Lofi. AudioBand puts player controls and track info into the Windows taskbar. Lofi is a small floating player. Neither is a hotkey tool first, so if hotkeys were your reason for Toastify, neither is a like for like swap.
Hotkey tools that use Spotify's Web API
BeatBind and Advanced Controls for Spotify both give you global hotkeys and are actively maintained. The catch is the same for both: they drive Spotify through its Web API, which means they require Spotify Premium. If you are on the free tier they are not an option.
Open source scripts
There are various AutoHotkey scripts and small GitHub projects that rebuild the same idea. They work, they are free, and you are responsible for keeping them running. If you are comfortable with that, it is the cheapest route and you should take it.
What we make
DuckDeck is the reason this guide exists, so treat the next section as what it is. The comparison below is meant to be accurate rather than flattering, including the row where Toastify wins.
[ 04 ]
What to check before you switch
Whatever you land on, these are the things that catch people out when they move off Toastify.
- Does it need Premium? Anything driving the Spotify Web API will. Anything working at the Windows audio level will not care.
- Does it handle the Microsoft Store version of Spotify? Some tools only detect the desktop installer version.
- Do the hotkeys reach a fullscreen game? A hotkey that only works when the player has focus is not much use mid match.
- Does it start with Windows? Toastify did, and it is easy to miss the setting on something new.
- Uninstall Toastify last. Keep it until the replacement is actually doing what you want.
[ 05 / Our answer ]
What we actually built
DuckDeck covers the same ground Toastify did, built for Windows 10 and 11, and aimed squarely at people who play with music on. Here is how it lines up, including where it does not.
| Feature | Toastify | DuckDeck |
|---|---|---|
| Volume and mute hotkeys | Yes | Yes, free |
| Play, pause, next, previous | Yes | Yes, Pro |
| Track popup on screen | Half broken | Yes, Pro |
| Seek forward and back | Yes | No |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Price | Free | Free, Pro €5.99 incl. VAT once |
| Ducks music when Discord talks | No | Yes, Pro |
| Per game volume profiles | No | Yes, Pro |
| Maintained | Archived 2023 | Yes |
The straight version: if you want a free and open source tool, Toastify still beats us on those two rows and you should keep it. If you use seek, we do not have it. What you get for the €5.99 is the popup working again, plus the ducking and per game profiles that Toastify never did.
The free download gives you the volume and mute hotkeys and a tray slider. The overlay, the media hotkeys, the ducking and the per game profiles are Pro, €5.99 incl. VAT paid once, not a subscription.
Download DuckDeckFree, no card. Your email, then the download. Windows 10 and 11.
[ 06 / Common questions ]
Does Toastify still work?
Partly. The global hotkeys still work, and the artist and title still show. The album art stopped updating and the progress bar was disabled.
Why did Toastify stop working properly?
From Spotify client 1.0.87 onwards the client no longer creates the local server Toastify read from, and the token endpoint only returns unusable tokens. The repository was archived in February 2023, so nobody is going to fix it.
Does Toastify work on Windows 11?
It was only ever listed for Windows 7 through 10 and needs the .NET Framework. Plenty of people run it on Windows 11 anyway, but it was never tested against it and never will be.
Do I actually need to replace Toastify?
If you only use it for the hotkeys, not really. Replace it if you want the track popup back, if you are on Windows 11 and want something built for it, or if you would rather not depend on archived software.
Do Toastify alternatives need Spotify Premium?
Some do. BeatBind and Advanced Controls for Spotify both use Spotify's Web API and require Premium. Tools that work at the Windows audio level change the volume of the app itself instead of asking Spotify to do it.
Does DuckDeck do everything Toastify did?
No. There is no seek forward and back, and Toastify was free and open source while DuckDeck's overlay and media hotkeys are Pro. What DuckDeck adds is auto-ducking and per game volume profiles.
Related: how to lower Spotify volume while gaming without alt-tabbing, which covers the built-in Windows shortcuts as well as hotkeys.
[ Still stuck? ]
If none of this fixed it, or your setup does something these steps do not cover, tell me what you are seeing and I will help you work it out. It is one person answering, not a ticket queue.
Send a messageOr email support@duckdeck.app. Same inbox either way.