Inspiration
My friends and I wanted to make a Spotify Blend, but we couldn't, because not everyone uses Spotify. Music is supposed to be one of the easiest ways to connect with someone. But because we use different streaming platforms, we couldn't even see what music we had in common. I didn't want to just send my friends a random playlist - I wanted something that felt shared. We were inspired by Spotify Blend, but we wanted to build a version that works across platforms.
What it does
TunedIn Blend allows Spotify and Apple Music users to generate a shared, Blend-style playlist together. Two users sign in and connect their streaming account, and TunedIn generates a playlist that represents both people fairly and introduces music discovery. TunedIn creates a shared musical space!
How we built it
We built the frontend using Vite + React and the backend using Express. The backend handles authentication flows with streaming APIs, fetching listening data, and generating a shared blend playlist. We created a "taste profile" for each user based on available listening data.
Challenges we ran into
We ran into several API limitations: Apple Music does not easily expose top tracks in a straightforward way. Spotify does not directly provide simple genre data for tracks. Authentication across multiple platforms was more complex than expected. Data structures differed between services, requiring normalization. There were definitely frustrating moments when endpoints didn’t behave as expected or documentation was unclear. We also had to quickly learn better GitHub collaboration workflows under time pressure.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Building a full-stack cross-platform prototype in a short time frame. Designing blending logic. And creating an experience that supports multiple users!
What we learned
Cross-platform integrations are much harder than they seem. API constraints directly shape product design decisions. Fairness matters in collaborative systems. Building something social requires thinking about user experience, not just technical feasibility. We also learned how to move fast, divide work effectively, and debug under pressure.
What's next for TunedIn Blend
We will be adding more music streaming services to connect with, and adding a playlist export functionality. We also want to create a review area to act as a hub for all music streaming service communities.
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