How to connect your Discord bot to Lavalink

Your bot needs three values from your Lavalink node: the host, the port and the password. See How to host a Lavalink music node to find them.

What every client asks for

Keep the password out of your code: put it in a .env file or a settings file you do not publish.

Node.js with Shoukaku

```js const { Shoukaku, Connectors } = require('shoukaku');

const nodes = [{ name: 'main', url: ${process.env.LAVALINK_HOST}:${process.env.LAVALINK_PORT}, auth: process.env.LAVALINK_PASSWORD, secure: false, }];

const shoukaku = new Shoukaku(new Connectors.DiscordJS(client), nodes); shoukaku.on('ready', (name) => console.log(Lavalink node ${name} connected)); shoukaku.on('error', (name, error) => console.error(Lavalink node ${name}, error)); ```

Create it after your client object exists. The library's documentation shows how to join a voice channel and play a track.

Python with Wavelink

```python import os import discord import wavelink from discord.ext import commands

bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix="!", intents=discord.Intents.default())

@bot.event async def on_ready(): node = wavelink.Node( uri=f"http://{os.environ['LAVALINK_HOST']}:{os.environ['LAVALINK_PORT']}", password=os.environ["LAVALINK_PASSWORD"], ) await wavelink.Pool.connect(nodes=[node], client=bot) print("Lavalink connected") ```

It does not connect

• Connection refused or timed out: the host or port is wrong, or the node is stopped. Check Overview and start it.
• 401 or unauthorized: the password does not match application.yml.
• It connects, then plays nothing: the bot needs the Connect and Speak permissions in the voice channel, and the node needs a source that can play what you asked. See Discord music bot not playing: fixes.
• Make sure your client matches the node's major version. A client built for Lavalink 3 does not work with a version 4 node.