Inspiration
Modern Talking’s music spans two distinct periods, each with its own sound and memories. I wanted to bring that history to the TV through a simple app that lets fans explore the albums, browse song lists, and find the music on streaming services.
What it does
The app presents 37 albums and 580 songs, organized into 1st period and 2nd period. Each album includes artwork, release information, song titles, and track durations, alongside an Apple Music album link and searches on Spotify and Amazon Music.
The interface is designed for browsing with a TV remote.
How I built it
I built the app using React Native, TypeScript, and Amazon’s Vega SDK. A Python script reads an existing SQLite database and exports the catalog into bundled JSON. This lets the app display album and song information without needing a database server.
I refined the interface through several iterations, adjusting typography, positioning the artist names beneath the title, and simplifying the album screens. An early version included audio previews; I later removed playback to focus on browsing the collection and opening streaming services.
What I learned
Building for TV requires careful attention to focus, navigation, spacing, and text size. Every screen needs to work comfortably with directional controls.
I also learned how to turn an existing music database into a self-contained app catalog and package a native application for Vega OS.
Challenges I faced
One challenge was preserving the database’s release dates and album editions while dividing the collection into two periods. Some entries are compilations or reissues, and one album has no song data, so the interface needed to handle those cases clearly.
Another challenge was keeping the Vega virtual device running between development commands. Maintaining an open terminal session made installation and launch reliable.
What I’m proud of
The result turns an existing music catalog into a focused TV experience. The app builds successfully for three Vega architectures, and automated tests cover period filtering, album navigation, and streaming-link behavior.
What’s next
Next, I’d like to validate the interface on a physical Fire TV device, refine remote navigation, and replace streaming-service searches with direct album links where available.
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