Spotify
CloseInspired by the feeling of falling in love with a song on its first listen; Spotify Jukebox is a real-time song recognition feature that helps users discover new music in the moment.
Overview
The task for this project was to explore a design system and seamlessly integrate a new feature that enhances the user experience. As a revered music streaming app, studying Spotify paved the way for a lot of brainstorming into its music discovery capabilities and how to add value to the user's listening experience.
How do people discover music outside of Spotify? What moments make users want to save a song immediately?? How can Spotify make discovery feel more personal, timely, and less repetitive???
Solution
Through different research methods and iterative testing, I designed Jukebox: a song-recognition feature integrated into Spotify’s design system. The feature allows listeners to instantly identify songs they hear and add them directly into playlists, listening history, or future recommendations.
Survey
Knowing Spotify has a large user base, I conducted a survey with over 20 participants to gather insights on how users interact with the app. I wanted to gauge user satisfaction and identify pain points that I could turn into an opportunity for a new feature.
Problem
Spotify listeners want to discover new music, but existing discovery tools can feel repetitive, overwhelming, or disconnected from the moments when they actually hear something they like.
Research Questions
- How do people search for new music?
- How do people currently use Spotify and its features or campaigns?
- How can we create a more personalized music discovery experience without repetition?
- How could Spotify help users identify songs without leaving the app?
User Interviews
Emma
Full-time student, track star, and casual Spotify listener.
"I don't like having to search through long lists of songs or categories to find what I'm looking for."
Insight
People want a more intuitive way to discover new music without having to sift through extensive lists.
How Might We
Limit the number of options presented to users at any given time to reduce cognitive load?
Kitty
Photographer, outdoor concert fan, and avid Spotify listener.
"I love discovering new music, but the homepage is a mess so it's hard to find music that matches my mood and preferences."
Insight
People want discovery to be seamless and tailored to their tastes.
How Might We
Create a more personalized music discovery experience that reduces repetition and increases engagement?
Lexi
Fitness instructor, rhythm enthusiast, and moderate Spotify listener.
"I recycle a lot of the same songs and playlists, so I'm always looking for something new especially when I'm taking a class myself and can use it for my own playlists."
Insight
People want to explore new music without disrupting their current listening experience.
How Might We
Help users capture new music inspiration without interrupting their current activity?
Ideation
After my discussions with current users, I began sketching with the understanding that I needed to make sure the new feature was introduced the same way Spotify typically integrates features or social campaigns. I jumped around with different ideas but ultimately settled on a few key concepts.
Updating the Search Tool
Encourage users to explore new music by improving the search functionality to better match their preferences.
Customize your Library
Allow users to create their own music library using categories and organization options custom to their needs.
Profile Quiz
Help users discover new music that aligns with their preferences by creating a simple quiz to understand their taste.
Song Recognition Tool
Allow users to identify unknown songs by uploading an audio clip or using their device's microphone.
Past Listening History
Show users what they listened to and when to help them discover new music or reconnect with an old favorite.
Low Fidelity
Flow 1
Updating Search
Speaking to real users, I noticed the search page was not being fully utilized despite being part of the main navigation. There was potential to expand the search functionality to match a user's preferences. Using the search tool, users can have the option to save songs into a playlist dedicated to new music.
Testing
Round 1
Save Search
I conducted usability testing with five participants who were familiar with Spotify. The test participants did not naturally think of “saving searches” as a useful behavior, preferring to use the search function repeatedly instead. They also acknowledged that the search page is not effectively utilized for music discovery, so there was still a need to improve and define that connection.
Round 2
Jukebox
During the second round of testing with three new users, they responded more positively to a dedicated song recognition feature that felt immediate and easier to understand. Users appreciated that Jukebox could function as a quick standalone tool while still connecting back to Spotify’s broader search functionality.
High Fidelity
Real-time Song Matching
Users can now identify unknown songs in the moment by using their device's microphone to sync with Spotify's database.
Add to Playlists
Users can add songs to their playlists directly from the search results or see their entire Jukebox log to create custom playlists.