This script fetches information from the VLC media player. For this to work VLC has to be started with it's http-server activated.

getVlcData.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

'''
getVlcData.py
This script fetches information from the VLC media player. 
For this to work VLC has to be started with it's http-server activated. 
This can be done with a command line like this:

vlc --aout=alsa --alsa-audio-device="hw:0,0" --daemon --syslog -I http --http-port 8080 --http-password <password>

Where you select the password yourself. This password is then used below ("vlcpass"). You also need the ip and the port number 
of the VLC-server. 

(C) Patrik Hermansson

'''

import requests
from requests.auth import HTTPBasicAuth
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET 

url = "http://192.168.1.190:8080/requests/status.xml"
vlcpass = "<password>"

print ("Get data from " + url)

r = requests.get(url, auth=('', vlcpass))

if (r.status_code == 200):
   print "Request succeded"
else:
   print "Request failed, check your settings"

# Uncomment to see whole answer from VLC:
#print (r.text)

tree = ET.fromstring(r.text)

# All track data:
# print ("Decoded data: ")
# for info in tree.findall('./information/category/info'):
#    print (info.text)

# Playlist name
for station in tree.findall("./information/category/info/[@name='title']"):
   print ("Playlist name: " + station.text)

# Artist & track
for track in tree.findall("./information/category/info/[@name='now_playing']"):
   print ("Current track: " + track.text)