Kapsule

Matching music lovers to music they'll love.

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Inspiration

Kapsule was born from frustration and a determination to disrupt the music industry. After a decade in music and event marketing, Joey Tadiar saw the same story play out again and again: real talent buried under hype, big budgets and algorithmic bias. The charts weren’t about sound. They were about followers and funding.

So he built something different.

 "Built for artists. Made for music lovers"

Kapsule flips music discovery on its head, putting the power back in the hands (and ears) of listeners and letting the music speak for itself. No names. No algorithms. No hype. Just pure sound.

What is Kapsule?

Kapsule is a music app designed to give music lovers the the power to decide what's hot based on sound. Kapsule's blind listening experience creates a level playing field where artists rise based on talent, not algorithms, budgets, or hype.

The app introduces a first of its kind anonymous listening experience: listeners swipe through tracks without seeing who made them. Only after liking a track is the artist revealed, making the Kapsule charts the first to be based solely on sound.

For Artists:

Kapsule provides a platform for artists to build a genuine fanbase who love their sound.

  • Upload your tracks and compete on a chart driven purely by listener taste.
  • Rise in the charts without needing big budgets or a social following. Your talent does the talking.
  • Leverage built-in AI tools like track artwork generation and the Tutor Lab, a music-savvy AI coach offering production advice and creative input.
  • Unlock achievements through community engagement and app activity to boost visibility.
  • Build a real fanbase based on merit, not marketing.

For Listeners:

  • Experience music blindly, free from bias or influence, and discover new talent in the most authentic way.
  • Earn XP by engaging with the app: liking or disliking tracks, adding them to your library, and listening over time.
  • Shape the charts based on what you love, not who you know.

How we built it

Kapsule was built as a native iOS app using Xcode for development and Cursor for rapid prototyping. Cursor allowed me to move quickly between ideas and production, generating SwiftUI components and structuring the app with MVVM architecture.

The backend runs on Supabase, powering authentication, track uploads, listener interactions, and real-time chart scoring.

For monetisation, I integrated the RevenueCat SDK to manage in-app subscriptions. This was one of the smoothest integrations of the build, taking the complexity out of handling payments and making App Store compliance much easier.

Challenges we ran into

As a first-time solo iOS builder, the biggest challenges included:

  • Learning SwiftUI and applying MVVM patterns.
  • Ensuring smooth audio playback across different devices.
  • Navigating the App Store approval process.
  • Balancing design, branding, and technical build while working alone.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Reached over 100,000 views across social media documenting the “build in public” journey.
  • Successfully onboarded 60+ artists at launch with a community of 80 active listeners.
  • Built and launched a fully functional iOS app on the App Store as a solo founder with no prior app-building experience.

What I learned

  • The importance of storytelling alongside building and documenting the process attracted early users and created accountability.
  • The value of keeping the MVP focused and simple instead of overloading with features.
  • How powerful developer-friendly tools like Cursor, Supabase, and RevenueCat can be for solo founders.

What's next for Kapsule

  • Grow the listener base and onboard more artists.
  • Scale monetisation through artist subscriptions.
  • Add direct-to-fan sales and community-driven features.
  • Explore AI-powered creative tools for musicians.
  • Long-term, Kapsule’s mission is to become the go-to destination for fair, hype-free music discovery.

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