Soundscape Therapy

AI-powered mood-based sound therapy for mental wellness.

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Inspiration

Mental health and emotional wellbeing are more important than ever, yet many people struggle to find simple, accessible ways to manage their stress and emotions. I noticed that while there are many meditation apps, few actually adapt to how the user is feeling in the moment. I wanted to build something that meets people where they are emotionally and provides immediate, personalized comfort through the power of sound therapy. Soundscape Therapy was born from the idea that the right sounds at the right time can transform your mood and bring peace to your day.

What it does

Soundscape Therapy is an AI-powered mood-based sound therapy app that creates personalized soundscapes based on your current emotional state. Simply select how you're feeling from six moods: Happy, Focused, Stressed, Anxious, Sad, or Tired. The app then plays a unique therapeutic sound tailored to your mood, accompanied by an AI-generated message and visual feedback.

Key Features:

  • 🎵 6 Mood-Based Soundscapes - Each mood triggers a unique therapeutic sound (alarm clock for Happy, beep for Focused, water droplet for Calm, bird chirp for Relaxing, soft alarm for Sleepy)
  • 🧘 AI-Powered Recommendations - Each mood comes with a personalized AI message and sound recommendation
  • 🔓 Premium Subscription - Unlock all moods with RevenueCat-powered premium subscription
  • 📊 Session Tracking - Track your therapy sessions with AsyncStorage
  • 🌙 Beautiful Dark Theme - Calming visual experience with animated backgrounds and sound wave visualization
  • 🔊 Real Sound Effects - Plays actual audio using Expo AV from Google's sound library

How we built it

Built entirely on an Android phone using Termux!

Technology Stack:

  • Framework: React Native with Expo (SDK 54)
  • IDE: Termux, Nano (command-line editing)
  • Testing: Expo Go app on Android
  • State Management: React Hooks (useState, useEffect)
  • Storage: AsyncStorage for session tracking
  • Audio: Expo AV for sound playback
  • Monetization: RevenueCat SDK for premium subscriptions
  • UI: Animated API for smooth visual effects

Development Process:

  1. Project Setup: Used Expo CLI to initialize the project with SDK 54 (compatible with Expo Go version 54.0.8)
  2. UI Development: Built the interface with React Native components including SafeAreaView, ScrollView, TouchableOpacity, and Animated API
  3. Sound Integration: Integrated Expo AV to play sound effects from Google's sound library URLs
  4. RevenueCat Integration: Added react-native-purchases SDK with test API key for premium subscriptions
  5. State Management: Used React hooks for managing mood selection, session tracking, and premium status
  6. Storage: Implemented AsyncStorage to persist session count between app restarts
  7. Animations: Created pulsing animations, bounce effects, and color transitions for engaging user experience
  8. Testing: Tested everything on physical device via Expo Go

Key Technical Implementation:

  • RevenueCat Setup: Configured with entitlement "Soundscape Therapy Pro" and three products (Monthly $4.99, Yearly $39.99, Lifetime $99.99)
  • Sound System: Each mood triggers a specific sound URL using Google Actions sound library
  • Visual Feedback: Wave animations, pulsing player circle, and color transitions provide engaging feedback even without sound

Challenges we ran into

1. SDK Version Compatibility

  • Problem: Expo SDK 57 was incompatible with my Expo Go version (54.0.8)
  • Solution: Created project with SDK 54 and used --legacy-peer-deps flag for dependency installation

2. Sound File Not Playing

  • Problem: Initially tried using local MP3 files, but they were corrupted or blocked
  • Solution: Switched to online sound URLs from Google Actions sound library which are reliable and always accessible

3. RevenueCat Test Purchase

  • Problem: Test purchases weren't working initially
  • Solution: Ensured proper API key configuration and used test mode in RevenueCat dashboard

4. TypeScript Issues

  • Problem: TypeScript caused dependency conflicts with React Native
  • Solution: Used JavaScript instead of TypeScript for simpler dependency management

5. Permission Errors

  • Problem: npm install failed with permission errors on /sdcard
  • Solution: Worked in Termux's home directory (~) instead of /sdcard

6. AsyncStorage Error

  • Problem: "Native module is null" error
  • Solution: Properly installed @react-native-async-storage/async-storage and used it correctly

7. Expo AV Deprecation Warning

  • Problem: Expo AV is deprecated in SDK 54
  • Solution: Continued using it as it still works, but documented the need to migrate to expo-audio in future versions

8. Building Entirely on Phone

  • Problem: Limited development environment on Android
  • Solution: Used Termux for npm commands, Nano for editing, and Expo Go for testing - proved you can build fully-functional apps on mobile!

Accomplishments that we're proud of

🌟 Built on a Phone: Developed the entire app using only an Android phone - no computer needed! This proves anyone can start building mobile apps with minimal resources.

🎵 Working Sound Effects: Successfully integrated real sound effects that play with each mood selection, creating an immersive experience.

💰 RevenueCat Integration: Successfully implemented premium subscriptions with RevenueCat SDK, including test purchases working properly.

🎨 Beautiful UI Design: Created a polished, dark-themed interface with smooth animations, color transitions, and visual feedback.

📱 Fully Functional App: Complete working app with mood selection, sound playback, session tracking, and premium features.

🧘 Mental Health Focus: Built something that genuinely helps people manage their emotions and find peace.

⚡ Quick Development: Built from scratch in a short time using limited tools, demonstrating efficient development skills.

🤝 Open Source Ready: Clean, well-structured code ready for GitHub sharing.

What we learned

Technical Skills:

  • 📱 React Native and Expo development fundamentals
  • 🎵 Audio integration using Expo AV in React Native
  • 💰 RevenueCat SDK integration for in-app purchases
  • 📊 AsyncStorage for local data persistence
  • 🎨 React Native animations and visual effects
  • 🔧 Working with dependencies and version compatibility
  • 🐛 Debugging without traditional IDE tools

Development Philosophy:

  • 💪 You don't need expensive equipment to build apps - a phone and determination are enough
  • 🔄 Adaptability is key - when one approach fails (local MP3 files), find another (online URLs)
  • 📝 Documentation and persistence matter when building complex applications
  • 🧪 Testing on real devices is crucial for catching issues early

Business & Monetization:

  • 💰 Understanding subscription models and revenue strategies
  • 🔑 Importance of proper payment processing integration
  • 📈 How to structure premium features to provide real value

Personal Growth:

  • 🚀 Overcame numerous technical challenges and setbacks
  • 💡 Developed problem-solving skills under constraints
  • 🌱 Built confidence in mobile app development
  • 🔗 Learned the value of community resources and documentation

What's next for Soundscape Therapy

Immediate Future:

  • 📱 Publish to Google Play Store (after connecting real Play Store account)
  • 🎵 Add more sound effects for each mood (10+ sounds per mood)
  • 🌐 Support multiple languages (English, Spanish, French, etc.)
  • 📊 Add analytics to track user engagement and mood patterns
  • 💬 User profiles with personalized mood history

Feature Roadmap:

  • 🤖 Real AI Integration: Replace static responses with actual AI-generated sound recommendations using OpenAI or similar API
  • 🎧 Custom Sound Mixing: Allow users to mix multiple sounds together
  • 📈 Mood Insights: Visual dashboard showing mood patterns over time
  • 👥 Social Features: Share soundscapes with friends and family
  • 🏆 Gamification: Add daily challenges, achievements, and streaks
  • 🔔 Reminders: Daily check-in notifications using OneSignal
  • 🌙 Sleep Mode: Special night mode with sleep timers
  • 📱 Watch App: Apple Watch and Wear OS companion app

Hackathon Plans:

  • 🏆 Submit to Next Gen Award (student category)
  • 🏆 Submit to RevenueCat Peace Prize (mental health/social good)
  • 🏆 Submit to RevenueCat Design Award (beautiful UI)
  • 🏆 Submit to HAMM Award (monetization strategy)
  • 🏆 Submit to #BuildInPublic Award (sharing the journey)

Long-term Vision: Transform Soundscape Therapy into a complete mental wellness platform that combines sound therapy with guided meditation, breathing exercises, and daily mental health check-ins - all powered by AI personalization. Thank you to RevenueCat for this incredible hackathon opportunity and for providing the tools to help developers monetize their apps! 🙏

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