An app for music enjoyers.

"écoutons" is an app I'm developing in my free time. It's a mobile app similar to BeReal, but instead of photos, users share a song daily with their friends. This twist on the spontaneous sharing concept captures the soundtrack of people's lives rather than visual snapshots.

My goal is to approach high traffic content management through a minimalistic setup, leveraging concepts of scalable architecture without overengineering from the start. I believe in building with intention—creating space for growth while keeping the codebase clean and maintainable.

Stack

For the frontend, I've chosen React Native with TypeScript, powered by Expo.

React Query handles data fetching and caching, creating a smooth user experience even with intermittent connectivity. For styling, I use tailwind with NativeWind. I don't get these people: Tailwind brings consistency to the UI without the bloat of custom CSS solutions.

On the backend, Python with FastAPI serves as the backbone. FastAPI is MAD simple, and fast. Its asynchronous approach handles concurrent requests efficiently.

Architecture

Microservices. It gives me the ability to move quickly in the early stages while keeping doors open for future decomposition. It's like building a house with the wiring already planned for future additions.

For cloud services (storage, notifications and cloud functions), I'll either be using AWS or GCP, with a focus on serverless components:

Lambda functions handle sporadic compute needsSNS delivers those crucial daily notificationsS3 stands ready for potential media storage

Pocketbase provides an elegant solution for data persistence, authentication, and admin features. Running on a VPS behind Nginx, it gives me the control I need without unnecessary complexity.

Other Services ?

Spotify's Search API will be used in a search engine component, with a play/pause button attached to each song item for quick preview.

Similar to the feature on Instagram where you can search for music to add to your stories, users will also have suggestions based on their listening activity (though this is available only if the user connects their Spotify account in the settings).

And when will that be available ?

I work on the "écoutons" app on my free time, and I'm usually booked for either directing or software engineering work. I plan on creating a blog to show the creation of process (soon in sha Allah!).