Snyder

Snyder is a progressive web application (PWA) that allows users to search for and play music across both Spotify and YouTube, providing a unified experience similar to YouTube Music. Users can log in via Spotify to personalize their experience and enjoy continuous playback. Built using the MERN stack, Snyder aims to deliver a modern, fast, and responsive user interface that merges the best of Spotify and YouTube’s music capabilities.

Features

Music Search and Playback: Search for music from Spotify and YouTube APIs, with the results displayed in a unified interface.
Spotify Login Integration: Login via Spotify using OAuth to provide personalized song recommendations and playback features.
Continuous Playback: Auto-play the next song in the search results or playlist without user intervention.
YouTube & Spotify Playback: Embedded YouTube iframe for playback, with the option to use the Spotify player for authenticated users.
Caching for Speed Optimization: Server-side caching to reduce calls to Spotify and YouTube APIs and increase speed.
Progressive Web App (PWA): Installable app with offline capabilities and fast, responsive user experience.

Tech Stack

Frontend

React.js with MUI (Material-UI) for a minimalist, user-friendly interface.
React Context API for state management.
AJAX Calls with Axios for dynamic data fetching.

Backend

Node.js and Express.js for RESTful APIs.
Passport.js for Spotify authentication.
YouTube Data API v3 integration for fetching YouTube content.
Caching Mechanism: Implemented server-side caching for optimized API calls using node-cache.

Other Technologies

MongoDB for storing user preferences (e.g., playlists, favorites) and user-specific access and refresh tokens for Spotify.
Heroku and Netlify for deployment of backend and frontend, respectively.
JWT and Express-Session for secure user session management.
GitHub Actions for continuous integration and automated testing.

Architecture Overview

Frontend: A React-based user interface similar to Google’s search page, allowing users to search for songs, log in via Spotify, and view results in a YouTube Music-like interface.
Backend: Node.js and Express.js handle API requests, search queries, and authentication.
Search Flow:
- User searches on the React-based homepage.
- The search request is sent to the backend.
- The backend fetches data from Spotify and YouTube APIs and responds with JSON.
- Results are displayed on the frontend, where clicking on a song embeds an iframe for playback.
Login Flow:
- Users log in via Spotify using OAuth (handled via Passport.js).
- Token management is implemented for getting songs and personalizing the experience.

Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

Node.js installed
npm or yarn installed
MongoDB Atlas account (if using MongoDB for data storage)

Getting Started

Clone the Repository:
```
git clone https://github.com/your-username/Snyder.git
```
Replace your-username with your actual GitHub username.
Navigate to the Project Directory:
```
cd Snyder
```
Install Backend Dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Install Frontend Dependencies: Navigate to the frontend directory and run:
```
cd frontend
npm install
```

Environment Variables Setup: Create a .env file in the root directory and add the following variables:

SPOTIFY_CLIENT_ID=your_spotify_client_id
SPOTIFY_CLIENT_SECRET=your_spotify_client_secret
YOUTUBE_API_KEYS=your_youtube_api_keys_comma_separated
SESSION_SECRET=your_session_secret

Replace placeholders with your actual credentials.

Run the Application:
- Backend: In the root directory:
```
npm run server
```
- Frontend: In the frontend directory:
```
npm start
```

Deploying Snyder

Backend on Heroku:
- Create a Heroku app and push the backend code. Use Heroku Config Vars to set environment variables.
Frontend on Netlify:
- Create a production build of the React app and deploy it on Netlify, linking the GitHub repository for continuous deployment.

Usage

Home Page:
- Users can log in with their Spotify account and use the search bar to find songs.
Search Results:
- Display search results from Spotify and YouTube with a similar layout to YouTube Music.
Playback:
- Click on a song to embed a YouTube iframe and start playback. Continuous playback will automatically play the next song in the search results.
Progressive Web App:
- Users can add the app to their home screen for a more native-like experience.

Project Structure

Snyder/
│
├── backend/
│   ├── server.js
│   ├── routes/
│   ├── controllers/
│   ├── models/
│   ├── .env
│   └── .gitignore
│
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   ├── context/
│   │   ├── App.js
│   │   └── index.js
│   ├── public/
│   ├── .gitignore
│   ├── package.json
│   └── README.md
│
└── README.md

Contributing

We welcome contributions from everyone! Here’s how you can help:

Fork the repository.

Create a new feature branch:

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

Commit your changes and push them to your fork:

git commit -m "Add your descriptive commit message"
git push origin feature/your-feature-name

Open a pull request.

Security and Authentication

Authentication: Spotify OAuth handled with Passport.js.
Secure Token Storage: Tokens are securely stored using HttpOnly cookies or Express sessions to prevent client-side exposure.
Rate Limiting: Backend rate limiting is applied using express-rate-limit to prevent API abuse.
Caching: Server-side caching minimizes API calls to Spotify and YouTube, optimizing speed.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

Spotify and YouTube APIs for providing access to an extensive music library.
React.js, Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB for powering the Snyder app.
Material-UI for a consistent and elegant user interface.
Passport.js for simplifying authentication.

1varunvc / snyder

readme