How To control running player instance via CLI

[doswerx]

I use VLC to prevent my workstation from going into Idle state when unattended. If audio is playing, the workstation does not lock.**

Sometimes, for unknown reasons, VLC will stop or pause playback. Playback is not intentionally paused/stopped.

Is it possible via CLI comamnds to control the sole active VLC instance as follows:

a) start / stop the audio playback of the sole running VLC instance
b) adjust the volume of song being played
c) query if VLC is playing (i.e. outputting audio - currently I am using SetVol.exe by Rob Latour, which works great, so this item is not so important)

Note: there is only one active VLC instance

Thank you,
doswerx

** Yes, it should be possible through Windows settings to change this, but that is not possible with this workstation (I am sole admin on this workstation). Maintaining a very low background audio is both pleasant and solves the problem.