diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 7c618dc3..ed92375c 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Contents
 
     changes
     installation
+    settings
     development
 
 Indices and tables
diff --git a/docs/installation.rst b/docs/installation.rst
index f924fd72..bdf523ea 100644
--- a/docs/installation.rst
+++ b/docs/installation.rst
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ Test your libspotify setup::
     words before starting Mopidy).
 
 
-Settings
-========
+Spotify settings
+================
 
 Create a file name ``local_settings.py`` in the same directory as
 ``settings.py``. Enter your Spotify Premium account's username and password
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ libspotify backend, copy the Spotify application key to
 
     BACKEND = u'mopidy.backends.libspotify.LibspotifyBackend'
 
+For a full list of available settings, see :mod:`mopidy.settings`.
+
+
 Running Mopidy
 ==============
 
diff --git a/docs/settings.rst b/docs/settings.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b449b247
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/settings.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+********
+Settings
+********
+
+.. automodule:: mopidy.settings
+    :synopsis: Available settings and their default values.
+    :members:
+    :undoc-members:
diff --git a/mopidy/__main__.py b/mopidy/__main__.py
index 0d02b416..ee1a3384 100644
--- a/mopidy/__main__.py
+++ b/mopidy/__main__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy')
 
 def main():
     _setup_logging(2)
-    backend = _get_backend(config.BACKEND)
+    backend = _get_backend(config.BACKENDS[0])
     MpdServer(backend=backend)
     asyncore.loop()
 
diff --git a/mopidy/settings.py b/mopidy/settings.py
index aa513c81..4e442432 100644
--- a/mopidy/settings.py
+++ b/mopidy/settings.py
@@ -1,17 +1,60 @@
+"""
+Available settings and their default values.
+
+.. warning:: To users
+
+    Do *not* change settings here. Instead, add a file called
+    ``mopidy/local_settings.py`` and redefine settings there.
+
+.. note:: To developers
+
+    When you need to read a setting, import :mod:`mopidy.config` instead of
+    :mod:`mopidy.settings`. This way basic error handling is done for you, and
+    a :exc:`mopidy.exceptions.ConfigError` exception is raised if a setting is
+    not set or is empty when used.
+"""
+
+#: List of playback backends to use. Default::
+#:
+#:     BACKENDS = (u'mopidy.backends.despotify.DespotifyBackend',)
+#:
+#: .. note::
+#:     Currently only the first backend in the list is used.
+#:
+BACKENDS = (
+    u'mopidy.backends.despotify.DespotifyBackend',
+    #u'mopidy.backends.libspotify.LibspotifyBackend',
+)
+
+#: The log format used on the console. See
+#: http://docs.python.org/library/logging.html#formatter-objects for details on
+#: the format.
 CONSOLE_LOG_FORMAT = u'%(levelname)-8s %(asctime)s [%(threadName)s] %(name)s\n  %(message)s'
+
+#: Encoding used in MPD protocol. *Default:* ``utf-8``
 MPD_LINE_ENCODING = u'utf-8'
+
+#: Line terminator character used in MPD protocol. *Default:* ``\n``
 MPD_LINE_TERMINATOR = u'\n'
+
+#: Which address Mopidy should bind to. Examples:
+#:
+#: ``localhost``
+#:     Listens only on the loopback interface. *Default.*
+#: ``0.0.0.0``
+#:     listens on all interfaces.
 MPD_SERVER_HOSTNAME = u'localhost'
+
+#: Which TCP port Mopidy should listen to. *Default: 6600*
 MPD_SERVER_PORT = 6600
 
-BACKEND=u'mopidy.backends.despotify.DespotifyBackend'
-#BACKEND=u'mopidy.backends.libspotify.LibspotifyBackend'
-
+#: Your Spotify Premium username. Used by all Spotify backends.
 SPOTIFY_USERNAME = u''
+
+#: Your Spotify Premium password. Used by all Spotify backends.
 SPOTIFY_PASSWORD = u''
 
 try:
     from mopidy.local_settings import *
 except ImportError:
     pass
-