Curate

Curate is a personal media tracking application designed for individuals who are serious about the films, books, and television shows they consume. It provides a unified platform to log, rate, and review all forms of media, offering a more personal and curated discovery experience. The problem Curate aims to solve is the fragmentation and algorithmic bias present in many existing media tracking platforms. Users often find themselves juggling multiple apps for different media types (e.g., Letterboxd for films, Goodreads for books) or relying on systems that prioritize engagement over genuine taste. This can lead to a less personal discovery process and a cluttered digital life. One of the core features of Curate is its comprehensive tracking capability. Users can log everything they watch and read, including movies, TV series, and books. This allows for a centralized record of media consumption, making it easy to recall past ratings, reactions, and notes. The platform supports adding ratings, reactions, and personal notes to each item, providing a detailed personal history of media engagement. Discovery is another key aspect, with Curate emphasizing "real human taste" over algorithmic recommendations. The platform offers curated collections of top films, TV shows, and books, allowing users to explore hand-picked content. This feature helps users discover quality media without the noise of traditional recommendation engines. Additionally, users can see what their friends are watching and reading, fostering a more social and trusted discovery process. The social layer of Curate is being built with a focus on genuine connection and curiosity, not exploitation. It aims to connect users with like-minded individuals whose recommendations can be trusted. Unlike platforms with likes and comments, Curate's social interactions are centered around the media itself, creating a shared record of what users genuinely love. Curate offers robust import functionality to ease the transition for new users. It supports importing data from popular platforms like Letterboxd, Goodreads, StoryGraph, Trakt, and TV Time. These importers bring across ratings, reviews, watch/read dates, future watchlists, reading lists, and custom lists. Future imports for IMDb and general CSV files are also planned. The overall approach of Curate is to provide a simple, clean, and ad-free environment. It prioritizes user experience and personal connection, aiming to be a joyful space for media enthusiasts. The platform is designed to feel personal rather than overly social, with interactions focused on shared taste and genuine discovery. The benefits for users include a streamlined media tracking experience, a more personal and trustworthy discovery process, and the ability to connect with others who share similar tastes. By eliminating ads and algorithmic manipulation, Curate allows users to focus on the media they truly enjoy and discover new content that aligns with their preferences. Concrete use cases for Curate include managing personal watchlists and reading lists, discovering new films and books through curated collections, seeing what friends are consuming, and building a personal archive of media ratings and reviews. It's ideal for anyone who wants a single, organized place to keep track of their media consumption and find new recommendations. Curate is available for free and is primarily a web-based application. The target audience includes individuals who are passionate about films, books, and TV shows and are looking for a more personal and less algorithm-driven way to track their media and discover new content. The platform is built by Will Blacklock. In summary, Curate offers a refreshing alternative for media tracking, prioritizing user taste, genuine discovery, and a clean, ad-free experience, all within a single, unified platform.