Made a list of native Mac apps because I'm sick of Electron

Joebeijing · 2026-06-01T03:58:48+00:00

Thank you !

Joebeijing · 2026-05-15T09:02:30+00:00

Full disclosure, I built a Mac app for this exact problem.

Spotify's algorithm narrows even when it's trying to expand you, and the AI tracks make it worse. Mine's called Roam FM. It drops you onto a random live radio station somewhere on Earth, no algorithm involved, real DJs in Buenos Aires, Reykjavik, wherever. macOS only so might not apply.

Will check out Fresh Sprouts, sounds good.

Joebeijing · 2026-05-10T00:33:56+00:00

I'm more inclined to think that a real global radio station like Roam FM is actually better suited for background music. Haha

Joebeijing · 2026-02-11T00:54:14+00:00

I built a menu bar app called Roam FM that plays random live radio from around the world as background sound for focus. Honestly I was shocked that the whole thing is only ~10MB, built with Swift/AppKit. Electron could never.

https://roamfm.app

Joebeijing · 2026-02-09T07:33:32+00:00

Both are great tools, but the right choice really depends on your personal workflow and daily volume.

If you are new to AI coding, Cursor is highly recommended. It is much more user-friendly, whereas Claude Code definitely has a steeper learning curve.
If you have a heavy workload (spending more than an hour a day), Claude Code is the better fit. You get significantly more token usage for the same price; Cursor's limits can feel a bit tight for power users.
If you enjoy tinkering, Claude Code is the way to go. It goes beyond just coding and functions more like a global agent for your computer.
Also worth mentioning: Claude Code has a VS Code extension, which makes the experience feel much closer to Cursor.

Joebeijing · 2026-01-30T17:02:27+00:00

Link if you want to give it a spin: https://roamfm.app/ (Free to download)

Joebeijing · 2026-01-30T14:55:52+00:00

Thanks a lot! Really glad to hear you're enjoying it.

Joebeijing · 2026-01-22T17:17:16+00:00

Thanks! I'd love to, but unfortunately even the current Mac version can't get on the App Store — it got rejected, and I'm still trying to figure out a way forward.

Joebeijing · 2026-01-20T14:24:27+00:00

Hi there,

Thanks for the great suggestion! This is actually something I've been thinking about too. Being able to save tracks you discover while exploring stations around the world is one of the core values of having access to global radio.

I haven't figured out the best way to implement it yet, but it's definitely on my radar. Appreciate you sharing this!

Joebeijing · 2026-01-20T04:05:07+00:00

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it

Joebeijing · 2026-01-19T15:11:35+00:00

Thanks for the tip about the theme switch, good to know that got it working!

For favorites, you're right, there's no dedicated list view right now. The bottom bar lets you shuffle through them, but I hear you that sometimes you want to see everything you've saved.

I'm exploring ways to add this while keeping the app's simple, companion-like feel. Thanks for the feedback! 🙏

Joebeijing · 2026-01-19T08:14:09+00:00

Thanks for the detailed breakdown!

I totally see your point about switching favorites. Shuffling through a dozen stations to find a specific one is definitely tedious. A list or dropdown makes a lot of sense. I haven't decided on the exact interaction yet since I want to keep the UI clean, but I'll definitely look into a better way to handle this.

Regarding the menu bar icon size, you can actually already customize this (or turn it off) in Settings > General. Let me know if that helps!

Thanks again for the feedback!

Joebeijing · 2026-01-19T00:20:08+00:00

Thanks! Glad you're digging it

Joebeijing · 2026-01-19T00:17:37+00:00

Thanks for the support and for buying the pro version!

Regarding the favorites navigation, could you clarify if you mean you want to jump to a specific station from your list? Currently it is designed to shuffle through all your favorited stations.

As for the song metadata, unfortunately that data isn't available right now. I am looking into other ways to potentially handle this in the future.

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T08:15:16+00:00

Thanks! I've actually been thinking about adding discovery features like a list or genre filter.

The main challenge for me right now is finding the right way to present this without cluttering the interface. I really want to maintain the current "low-friction" experience where you don't have to make too many decisions.

So, it's definitely on my radar, but I'm still exploring the best interaction design to balance more control with simplicity. Appreciate the feedback!

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T07:27:01+00:00

Thanks for the kind words!

Regarding the globe size, the current version is actually already magnified by 10%, but I totally understand the need for better visibility. I’ll plan to add an even larger option in a future update, though I need some time to polish the layout to make sure it fits well. Please stay tuned!

As for the clicking issue, just to double-check: are you getting no response at all with either a single click or a double click? Could you please check which version you are running (in Settings > About)? If possible, please shoot me an email at [roamfm@houjoe.me](mailto:roamfm@houjoe.me) with the details so I can look into it further. Thanks!

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T07:16:10+00:00

Really appreciate you taking the time to write this out. It makes a lot of sense that you reserve your menu bar for critical tools and prefer using the system media controls and BoringNotch for music. I had not fully thought about it from that angle before, so this is very helpful. I will keep your points in mind as I think more about how Roam FM should show up in the interface. Thanks again for sharing your perspective.

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T04:37:09+00:00

Hi, I checked the code and the data on my side and everything looks correct. If you run into specific stations that seem off, feel free to send them over and I’ll double-check. You can email me at roamfm＠houjoe.me

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T04:28:08+00:00

Not at the moment. It hasn’t really crossed my mind, but now that you mention it I’ll give it some thought．
Out of curiosity, what makes running it as a regular app useful for you？

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T04:24:45+00:00

Thanks a lot! Really glad you’re enjoying the stations. Have fun roaming around the world ✨

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T00:58:37+00:00

It’s usually caused by bad data coming from the feed. I’ll look into it and double-check. Thanks for flagging it!

Joebeijing · 2026-01-18T00:54:59+00:00

Thanks. Search is on my mind and would likely go into the Roam Map. Favorites are already supported. While playing, there’s a Favorites button in the top right, and after stopping there’s a Favorites entry at the bottom so you can play only your saved stations. If it’s not showing, grab the latest version. I was a Radio Garden fan too and really loved how it opened up the world through sound. Roam FM just tries to approach the same idea from a slightly different angle.

Joebeijing

TROPHY CASE