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Watch Together,
Anywhere

Host synchronized YouTube watch parties with real-time chat, video controls, and seamless playback synchronization across all viewers.

Get startedAPI reference
People watching together

Get started in minutes

Set up your own watch party instance with just a few steps

1

Install dependencies

Clone the repository and install dependencies using your preferred package manager.
git clone https://github.com/nawinsharma/watchNChill.git
cd watchNChill
npm install
2

Configure Redis connection

Create a .env.local file with your Redis connection URL. You can use a local Redis instance or a hosted service like Upstash.
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
For production deployments, use Upstash Redis with the rediss:// protocol for secure connections.
3

Start the development server

Run the custom Next.js server that includes Socket.IO for real-time communication.
npm run dev
Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser to access the application.
4

Create your first room

Click Create Room on the landing page, enter a host name, and start watching videos together with friends.
As the room creator, you’ll automatically become the host with control over video playback.

Explore by topic

Learn about the core features that power Watch N Chill

Synchronized playback

Host controls play, pause, and seek with automatic synchronization across all viewers using periodic sync checks

Room system

Create rooms with short IDs, join as host or guest, with automatic cleanup and Redis-backed persistence

Real-time chat

Live chat per room with typing indicators and persistent message history stored in Redis

Host controls

Promote guests to host, manage video playback, and control room settings with automatic host handoff

Deployment guides

Deploy Watch N Chill to production with Docker, cloud platforms, or bare metal

Environment variables

Configure Redis, CORS origins, and rate limiting settings

Local development

Set up your local environment with Node.js and Redis

Docker deployment

Run Watch N Chill with Docker Compose for easy containerized deployment

Architecture deep dive

Understand how Watch N Chill synchronizes video playback in real-time

Architecture overview

High-level system design and component interactions

Backend services

Socket.IO event handlers, Redis repositories, and rate limiting

Frontend hooks

React hooks for room management, video sync, and chat

Real-time sync

How video synchronization works across multiple clients

Ready to build your watch party?

Start with our quickstart guide or explore the API reference to integrate Watch N Chill into your application.

View quickstartExplore API

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