A simple, private app for recording yourself singing. Search for a song, import lyrics, hit record, get a clip.
Croon is a mobile-first singing app built for people who want to record themselves without the noise of social networks. No duets with strangers. No paywalled solo recording. No algorithmic feeds. Just you, your lyrics, and a clip you can share with people who already love you.
Search for any song, and Croon pulls in lyrics and artwork automatically. Or paste your own lyrics if you prefer. Then hit record — lyrics scroll like a teleprompter while you sing. When you're done, you have a clip ready to share.
The app was born from a simple observation: people were hacking together a broken solution using Snapchat, screen recording, and Spotify to record themselves singing. Croon makes that actually work — and removes the friction of finding and formatting lyrics.
- Your own lyrics — Paste, type, or search for songs and import lyrics automatically
- Auto-scrolling teleprompter — Lyrics scroll at a speed you set (Ballad / Normal / Uptempo)
- One-tap recording — Record audio with your device mic; lyrics stay visible while you sing
- Instant playback — Review your take immediately with a waveform visualization
- Easy sharing — Export and share to WhatsApp, iMessage, TikTok, or anywhere
- Personal song library — Save songs with timing settings for quick re-access (with hero card, filter chips, artwork)
- Music deep linking — Jump to the original song on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube
- Fully local — No account required. Your recordings stay on your device
Coming soon: Share Link — Generate public shareable URLs with a mini web player and synced lyrics display.
Croon is designed for the voice-insecure amateur. The person who wants to sing alone at 11pm, not perform on a stage. Every design decision flows from this:
- Calm, not energetic — Dark, muted palette (lavender accent on near-black backgrounds)
- Private, not social — No public profiles, no likes, no strangers
- Focused, not cluttered — One job per screen. No EQ sliders, no pitch scores, no distractions
- Warm typography — Humanist serif (Lora) for lyrics, geometric sans (DM Sans) for UI
The emotional context matters: the user is about to be vulnerable. The app should feel like a private room, not a stage.
- React Native with Expo (iOS + Android)
- TypeScript
- Expo Router for file-based navigation
- Expo Audio for recording
- LRCLIB + iTunes API for lyrics and artwork lookup
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Start the development server
npm startThen scan the QR code with the Expo Go app, or run on iOS/Android simulators.
app/ # Expo Router screens
index.tsx # Library (home screen)
song/
[id].tsx # Song editor
new.tsx # Create new song
search.tsx # Search songs + auto-import lyrics
record/[id].tsx # Recording screen with teleprompter
components/ # React components
SongListItem.tsx
LyricsEditor.tsx
RecordingScreen.tsx
...
lib/ # Hooks and utilities
useSongSearch.ts # Search iTunes + LRCLIB
useLyricsLookup.ts # Fetch synced lyrics
...
constants/
theme.ts # Colors, typography tokens
docs/ # Specs, PRDs, research
The incumbents (Smule, StarMaker) are social platforms built around licensed catalogs. Their entire model assumes you want their songs, and they gatekeep solo recording behind subscriptions.
Croon is different:
- Bring your own lyrics — or search and auto-import them
- No chicken-and-egg problem — useful with one user on day one
- No catalog licensing battles
- No social graph to bootstrap
- No algorithm to game
The bet is that sharing with close friends removes the need for transformation effects (reverb, pitch correction). You don't need to sound like a "real singer" when your audience already accepts you.
See docs/tasks/roadmap.md for the full feature roadmap and task breakdown.
Croon — to sing or hum in a soft, low voice. The name reflects the app's purpose: quiet, personal, intimate.
Built by 88mph