1. Custom User-Defined Tags (Folders/Collections)
Currently, the app has fixed categories like “Favorites”, “Owned”, and “Russian”. The goal is to allow users to create their own Custom Collections (e.g., “Gym Mix,” “Work Focus,” “Late Night”).
• Custom Naming: Users should be able to create new tabs and name them freely.
• Dynamic Updating: If a radio station’s details (URL, logo, or name) are updated in the global database, those changes should automatically sync across all user-created collections without the user having to re-add the station.
• Drag-and-Drop: Ability to easily move or assign stations to these custom tabs.
2. Live Metadata & Dynamic UI Updates
To make the interface more modern and informative, the list view should move beyond static descriptions.
• Real-time Song Titles: Replace or supplement the genre description (e.g., “POP, HITS, CHART”) with the current playing track by fetching the stream’s metadata (ICY/JSON) in the background.
• Automatic Artwork Retrieval: Using the song title/artist fetched from the metadata, the app should query a public API (like iTunes or Spotify) to display the Album Art for the current track.
• Visual Feedback: The UI should update these elements dynamically as the song changes, providing a “Now Playing” feel directly within the list.
Suggested Implementation Logic for the Developer:
To implement the metadata feature, you can utilize the onMetadata callback from the streaming player. Once the artist and title strings are parsed, a simple GET request to an music API can return a high-res cover URL. For the collections, a relational database (like SQLite or Room) could store ‘Collection IDs’ mapped to ‘Station IDs’ to ensure that when a station’s core data is updated, it reflects everywhere.
I’ve been using the app and I truly believe it has huge potential. However, I feel that the current update cycle is a bit slow considering how much the user experience could be improved with some modern touches.
To illustrate my vision, I actually built a quick HTML/CSS prototype of the interface I’m proposing, and it took me less than a day to achieve a much more aesthetic and functional look. I’m sharing this because I’m a fan of the project and I’d love to see it evolve faster.
I’m sending this because I care about the app’s growth and I believe these changes would put you ahead of the competition. I’d be happy to share more details about my HTML layout if it helps your dev team speed up the process.
Please, feel free to use my design—I would be more than happy if you did. The interface features a blurred background that pulls from the first radio station’s cover art, with slow and fluid transitions. It’s a very simple thing to implement, and I’ve already proven it can be done quickly.