Welcome to the new Screamer Radio
2024-04-12
I'm thrilled to announce a significant update to Screamer Radio, featuring a refreshed user interface with light and dark themes, and a new, modern logo. This update takes advantage of modern .NET capabilities, compiled into native code to enhance performance and efficiency.
Additionally, I'm introducing Screamer Radio Plus, a subscription service designed to support the project's ongoing development.
New user interface
I've devoted considerable effort to ensuring the new interface is visually appealing and user-friendly. The introduction of both light and dark themes offers a customizable user experience, this took a lot of extra effort but in the end it was worth it.
Below are some screenshots of the new design, click either to show a gallery.
Screenshots of light theme
Screenshots of dark theme
Technical notes for the curious
The previous interface was built using WPF, a UI framework from Microsoft, which unfortunately has not been well-supported in recent years. As .NET has advanced, WPF has remained stagnant and has been holding Screamer Radio development back.
To address this, I have spent 6+ months working on migrating to Avalonia, an open source cross-platform UI framework suitable for .NET applications. This also allowed me to upgrade the application to .NET 8 and compile it to native code, resulting in significant performance improvements.
New logo
As part of this refresh, it was also time to update the logo. The previous one has served Screamer Radio well but didn't align with the new aesthetic. The new logo is more contemporary and aligns better with the visual direction of the application.
Old logo from 2004
New logo
Screamer Radio Plus
Having developed Screamer Radio for over 20 years in my spare time, it has always been a labor of love rather than a profit-making endeavor. Thus the application has always been free, but has been supported by ad revenue which has unfortunately dwindled significantly over the years. The ad revenue no longer covers the operational costs, let alone the development efforts, so it is time to try something new.
In response, I'm launching Screamer Radio Plus. An affordable subscription that will help fund further development. While most features of Screamer Radio will remain free, Screamer Radio Plus subscribers will gain access to exclusive features, starting with the dark theme.
Looking ahead, I plan to integrate additional exclusive features into Screamer Radio Plus, such as support for third-party radio station listings. My immediate goal is to integrate RadioBrowser into the platform, which, while free to use, requires substantial development effort to support.
Thank you for your support
Your support and feedback have been crucial to Screamer Radio's development. I invite you to download the new version and explore the enhancements firsthand. Please consider subscribing to Screamer Radio Plus to help sustain and evolve the project. If I gain enough subscribers, I might be able to devote even more time to developing the project, further enhancing your listening experience.