Is the track current?

Yes. It comes from SomaFM's now-playing data, refreshed by the pipeline every half-minute, so it matches the live stream.

No — it's a visual now-playing display. Open SomaFM directly if you'd like to listen along.

Why does it use a pipeline?

SomaFM's data has inconsistent browser permissions, so a small background script reads it and saves a snapshot.

Which channels are available?

Groove Salad, Drone Zone, Lush, Indie Pop Rocks, Secret Agent, Space Station, Boot Liquor and DEF CON Radio.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

Now Spinning Screensaver

The Now Spinning screensaver is a turning record showing the track now playing on SomaFM's listener-supported net-radio channels, gathered by the pipeline. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Now Spinning screensaver works

A background pipeline reads what's currently playing on SomaFM, the long-running listener-supported internet radio.

The saver shows a slowly spinning vinyl record beside the channel name, genre and live listener count.

The now-playing track and artist sit alongside it, updating as the music changes.

Choose a channel — Groove Salad, Drone Zone, Lush and more — and it refreshes every half-minute.

A worked example

A black record turns beside GROOVE SALAD, the now-playing line reading a downtempo track and artist, the listener count ticking quietly — the ambient-electronica station spinning on as it has for two decades.

Settings & tips

Channel picks the SomaFM station.
Background sets the backdrop behind the record.
Run automation/run.py somafm on your pipeline machine to refresh now-playing.

Frequently asked questions

Is the track current?: Yes. It comes from SomaFM's now-playing data, refreshed by the pipeline every half-minute, so it matches the live stream.
Does it play audio?: No — it's a visual now-playing display. Open SomaFM directly if you'd like to listen along.
Why does it use a pipeline?: SomaFM's data has inconsistent browser permissions, so a small background script reads it and saves a snapshot.
Which channels are available?: Groove Salad, Drone Zone, Lush, Indie Pop Rocks, Secret Agent, Space Station, Boot Liquor and DEF CON Radio.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

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