Mobile / Streaming

Sonara

Music streaming app with intelligent search, offline caching, queue management, and synchronized lyrics.

Overview

Sonara is a cross-platform music streaming application built with React Native and TypeScript that delivers fast and reliable audio playback without relying on paid music APIs.

The platform dynamically resolves audio streams through a custom backend, while providing playlist management, offline caching, synchronized lyrics, and a polished mobile listening experience.

Tech Stack

Frontend

React Native

Expo

TypeScript

Backend

Node.js

Express.js

yt-dlp

Storage

AsyncStorage

Features

+ Intelligent multi-query search

+ Audio streaming and playback

+ Queue management

+ Playlist creation and management

+ Offline caching

+ Lyrics synchronization

+ Animated player interface

Architecture

User Interface

React Native Application

Express Backend

yt-dlp Resolver Service

Audio Source

Challenges

Audio stream URLs from external providers expire frequently, causing playback failures.

Built a backend stream resolution layer using yt-dlp to generate fresh playable URLs on demand.

Optimized playback reliability while maintaining low latency and a seamless listening experience.

Lessons Learned

Mobile caching strategies for media-heavy applications
Audio streaming architecture and playback pipelines
Request debouncing and search optimization techniques
Backend performance optimization for stream resolution workloads