SmartCompanion
SmartCompanion is a free, open-source audioguide for museums, tourism and cultural institutions. Visitors open it in their phone's browser — from a QR code or a link — and listen their way through your stations. It is a Progressive Web App: no app store, no install required, and it can be added to the home screen and run offline.
The Quickstart walks the whole path on one page, from forking the app to a branded audioguide on the web. To see what you are building first, try the Animals or the Leon demo on your phone.
What these docs cover
Running an audioguide — for anyone setting up a guide for a venue:
| Section | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Quickstart | Fork, brand, add content, deploy, test — the whole path on one page |
| Content | The data format in full: stations, tours, languages, texts, media, PINs |
| Customization | Colours, logos, the app icon, and several branded variants in one repository |
| Features | The screens, the audio player, offline mode, installing, embedding |
| Deployment | GitHub Pages, Netlify, your own server, or a managed plan |
| Reference | Architecture, build settings, scripts, browser support, troubleshooting |
Building on the library — for developers writing their own app or changing the pages:
| Section | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Library | @smartcompanion/data, /services and /ui: installing, the service facade, routing, the components |
| Storybook | Every UI component, with its props and events |
How the pieces fit
| Project | What it is |
|---|---|
audioguide-app | The app you fork and deploy. A thin shell: routes, menu, branding, build. |
smartcompanion-library | The npm packages behind it — almost everything a visitor sees. This site lives there too. |
data-format | The JSON schema your content is written in, and the example data files. |
native-audio-player | The Capacitor plugin for background playback and lock-screen controls. |
engraft | The tool that applies your branding to the app without editing its source. |
Not a developer?
You do not have to be. Everything a visitor sees comes out of one JSON file, and Content explains it from scratch. If you would rather not touch the technical side at all, SmartCompanion offers a managed plan with a content management system, hosting and support.