What We Are Building: Radio Pulse, an Online Radio Station

What We Are Building: Radio Pulse — An Online Radio Station

Let us take a detailed look at what Radio Pulse will become by the end of this course.

Application Overview

Radio Pulse is an online radio station web application that lets users:

1. Listen to live radio streams through an in-browser audio player
2. See what is currently playing with track title, artist, and album art
3. Browse recently played tracks in a scrollable history view
4. Rate tracks using a 5-star rating system
5. Enjoy a polished, responsive UI that works on desktop and mobile

Technical Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Frontend                   │
│  React + Tailwind CSS                       │
│  ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐│
│  │  Player   │ │Now Playing│ │  Recently    ││
│  │  Widget   │ │ Display   │ │  Played List ││
│  └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────────┘│
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│  │         User Ratings Component           ││
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────┘│
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                      │ HTTP API
┌─────────────────────┴───────────────────────┐
│                   Backend                    │
│  Express.js + Node.js                       │
│  ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐│
│  │  Stream   │ │  Track    │ │   Ratings    ││
│  │  Proxy    │ │  Metadata │ │   API        ││
│  └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────────┘│
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                      │
┌─────────────────────┴───────────────────────┐
│               Database (SQLite → PostgreSQL) │
│  tracks, ratings, play_history              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Why This Project

Radio Pulse is the perfect Claude Code learning project because:

• Full-stack complexity — Frontend, backend, database, and deployment
• Incremental buildability — Each feature can be added independently
• Real-world patterns — APIs, real-time data, user interaction, media handling
• Deployment challenges — Docker, reverse proxies, database migrations, CI/CD

The Stack

Key Takeaways

• Radio Pulse is a complete full-stack application covering all major web development concerns
• The architecture is deliberately designed for incremental, AI-assisted development
• You will start with SQLite for speed and migrate to PostgreSQL for production
• Every technology choice reflects real-world professional practice