Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Spotify Clone with Adalo

Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account and New App

1. Sign up for an Adalo account at Adalo's no-code app builder platform
2. Choose a pricing plan (Professional plan recommended for external collections and custom actions)
3. Create a new app and select "Mobile App" or "Progressive Web App"
4. Choose "Start from Scratch" or explore the music app template by Templar Design as a starting point

Step 2: Install Essential Components

1. Navigate to the Component Marketplace
2. Install the Audio Player component for no-code apps (free)
3. Install Stripe payment components if planning premium subscriptions
4. Consider the Dynamic Background component ($20) for dark mode implementation in Adalo apps

Database Architecture Setup

Step 3: Create Core Database Collections

Create the following collections in your Adalo database:

Users Collection (default - customize with):

• Profile Image (Image)
• Bio (Text)
• Premium Status (True/False)
• Favorite Songs (Relationship to Songs)
• Following Artists (Relationship to Artists)

Songs Collection:

• Title (Text)
• Artist (Relationship to Artists)
• Album (Relationship to Albums)
• Audio URL (Text) - for external audio file URLs
• Duration (Number) - in seconds
• Album Artwork URL (Text)
• Genre (Text)
• Release Date (Date & Time)
• Play Count (Number)

Artists Collection:

• Name (Text)
• Bio (Text)
• Profile Image (Image)
• Verified (True/False)
• Monthly Listeners (Number)

Albums Collection:

• Title (Text)
• Artist (Relationship to Artists)
• Release Date (Date & Time)
• Cover Art (Image)
• Genre (Text)

Playlists Collection:

• Name (Text)
• Description (Text)
• Owner (Relationship to Users)
• Cover Image (Image)
• Is Public (True/False)
• Created Date (Date & Time)

Step 4: Configure Database Relationships

Set up the following Adalo database relationships:

• One-to-Many: Artists → Songs, Artists → Albums, Albums → Songs, Users → Playlists
• Many-to-Many: Users ↔ Songs (Favorites), Playlists ↔ Songs, Users ↔ Artists (Following)

Step 5: Create Tracking Collections

Plays Collection (for analytics):

• User (Relationship to Users)
• Song (Relationship to Songs)
• Timestamp (Date & Time)
• Completion Percentage (Number)

User Interface Design

Step 6: Design Your App Navigation

1. Add a Tab Bar component to your main screens
2. Configure 5 tabs:
   
   • Home (Discover)
   • Search
   • Your Library
   • Premium
   • Profile

Step 7: Create the Home Screen

1. Add an App Bar component with your app logo
2. Create sections using Text components for headers:
   
   • "Recently Played"
   • "Made For You"
   • "Popular Albums"
3. Add Custom Lists for each section
4. Configure lists to display:
   
   • Album artwork (Image component)
   • Song/Album title (Text component)
   • Artist name (Text component)

Step 8: Implement Dark Theme

Method 1: Screen Duplication

1. Duplicate all screens for dark versions
2. Set backgrounds to #121212
3. Change text colors to #FFFFFF
4. Store theme preference in Users collection

Method 2: Dynamic Background Component

1. Purchase and install from marketplace
2. Configure dynamic color switching based on user preference

Audio Player Implementation

Step 9: Create the Now Playing Screen

1. Add a new screen called "Now Playing"
2. Drag the Audio Player component onto the screen
3. Configure the Audio Player properties:
   
   • URL of Song: Use Magic Text → Current Song > Audio URL
   • Artist Name: Current Song > Artist > Name
   • Album Name: Current Song > Album > Title
   • Enable "playing on other screens"
   • Set autoplay based on user preference

Step 10: Customize Audio Player UI

Configure these sections in the Audio Player:

• Artwork: Set size to 300x300, enable rounded corners
• Progress Bar: Customize colors to match your theme
• Play/Pause Buttons: Set size and colors
• Forward/Back Buttons: Configure skip time (15 seconds)
• Left Button: Configure for "Add to Favorites"
• Right Button: Configure for "Add to Playlist"

Step 11: Link Songs to Audio Player

Since Audio Player can't be used in lists:

1. In your song lists, add a Link Action to each item
2. Link to the "Now Playing" screen
3. Send the Current Song as data
4. Add a Create action to the Plays collection to track listening

Search Functionality

Step 12: Build the Search Screen

1. Add a Text Input component for search
2. Set placeholder text: "Search songs, artists, or albums"
3. Add three Custom Lists in Adalo below:
   
   • Songs (filtered by Title contains Input value)
   • Artists (filtered by Name contains Input value)
   • Albums (filtered by Title contains Input value)

Step 13: Configure Search Filters

For each list:

1. Click on the list component
2. Go to the "Filter" section
3. Add filter: [Property] "Contains" Form Inputs > Search Input
4. The list will update in real-time as users type

Playlist Management

Step 14: Create Playlist Creation Flow

1. Add a "Create Playlist" screen
2. Add Text Input for playlist name
3. Add Text Input for description
4. Add Image Picker for cover image
5. Add a Button with action: Create > Playlist

Step 15: Build Playlist Detail Screen

1. Create a screen receiving Playlist data
2. Display playlist info at top
3. Add a Custom List of songs
4. Configure list to show songs in the playlist
5. Add "Add Songs" button linking to song selection screen

Step 16: Implement Add to Playlist Feature

1. Create a modal or screen for playlist selection
2. Show user's playlists in a Simple List
3. On selection, create the many-to-many relationship
4. Add confirmation message

User Features

Step 17: Implement User Authentication

1. Create Sign Up screen with:
   
   • Text Input for Email
   • Text Input for Password
   • Text Input for Username
   • Button with "Sign Up User" action
2. Create Login screen with similar components
3. Add "Sign in with Google" component if desired

Step 18: Build User Profile Screen

1. Display user info from logged-in user
2. Add sections for:
   
   • Favorite Songs (Custom List)
   • Created Playlists (Custom List)
   • Following Artists (Custom List)
3. Add settings button for theme toggle

Step 19: Create Library Screen

1. Add toggle buttons for view options:
   
   • Playlists
   • Albums
   • Artists
   • Downloaded (placeholder)
2. Use Custom Lists with visibility conditions
3. Filter each list based on user relationships

External Integrations

Step 20: Set Up Audio File Storage

Since Adalo has storage limits:

1. Create an account with Cloudinary media storage service or AWS S3
2. Upload your .mp3 files to external storage
3. Copy the direct URLs for each audio file
4. Store these URLs in your Songs collection

Step 21: Configure External Collections (Optional)

For large music catalogs:

1. Set up an Airtable or Xano database
2. In Adalo, go to Database > Add Collection > External Collection with APIs
3. Configure API connection
4. Map fields to your Adalo properties

Step 22: Implement Stripe Subscriptions

1. Create a Stripe account and set up subscription plans
2. Add Stripe Subscription component to Premium screen
3. Configure with your Price ID from Stripe
4. Update User's Premium Status on successful subscription

Performance Optimization

Step 23: Optimize Lists and Images

1. Enable "Load Items as User Scrolls" on all lists
2. Set maximum items to display (e.g., 20-30)
3. Use image compression: Add ?q=30 to image URLs
4. Store album artwork at appropriate sizes (300x300 for covers)

Step 24: Optimize Database Queries

1. Add indexed properties for frequently searched fields
2. Limit relationship depth to 2-3 levels
3. Use count properties instead of counting relationships
4. Cache frequently accessed data

Testing and Publishing

Step 25: Test Core Functionality

Test these critical features:

1. Audio playback across different screens
2. Background play on mobile devices
3. Playlist creation and management
4. Search functionality
5. User authentication flow

Step 26: Prepare for Publishing

1. Optimize all images and remove unused components
2. Test on multiple devices using Adalo's preview
3. Configure app settings (name, icon, splash screen)
4. Set up analytics with Mixpanel integration

Step 27: Publish Your App

For Web App:

1. Choose a subdomain or connect custom domain
2. Publish directly from Adalo

For Mobile Apps:

1. Subscribe to Adalo's app building service
2. Provide app store assets
3. Submit for review

Advanced Features and Tips

Implementing Shuffle and Repeat

1. Add True/False properties to Users collection for preferences
2. Use conditional actions on the Audio Player's "Track Ended" action
3. Implement logic to select next song based on mode

Creating Personalized Recommendations

1. Track user listening habits via Plays collection
2. Create Smart Lists filtered by:
   
   • Genre matching user's top genres
   • Artists similar to followed artists
   • Unused songs from favorite albums

Handling Large Music Libraries

1. Implement pagination with "Load More" buttons
2. Use External Collections for catalogs over 10,000 songs
3. Create category filters to reduce initial load

Important Limitations to Consider

1. Audio Player Limitations:
   
   
   
   • Only one player per screen
   • Cannot be placed inside lists
   • Only supports .mp3 format
   • No native queue system
2. Storage Constraints:
   
   
   
   • 5GB limit on Starter plan
   • Use external storage for audio files
   • Optimize all media assets
3. Performance Considerations:
   
   
   
   • Limit components per screen
   • Avoid deeply nested relationships
   • Test thoroughly on actual devices

Resources for Continued Learning

• Audio Player Documentation: Official guide for the Audio Player component
• Adalo YouTube Tutorials: Video tutorials for various features
• Adalo community forum: Community discussions and solutions
• Adalo's Component Marketplace: Additional components for enhanced functionality

This guide provides a comprehensive roadmap for building a functional Spotify clone using Adalo. Remember to start simple and gradually add features as you become more comfortable with the platform. The key to success is understanding Adalo's components and working within its constraints while leveraging external services where needed.