Importing music taste
The solution
The feature will allow users to import their music taste (e.g. favourite artists, songs and playlists) from other music streaming platforms.
This will help users listen and discover faster. By learning about users’ music taste, we can provide them with better music recommendations.
Measuring company goals
A/B Testing
In the experiment, new users will have the option to import their music taste after creating an account.
This will help us:
Goal #1 - Validate feature desirability
Goal #2 - Increase user engagement
Goal #3 - Increase user retention
The Problem
New users struggle to discover their favorite music
because they do not get valuable recommendations
since we do not know their music taste.
HMW ease the transition from other music platforms to
let users discover music they like and keep engaging?
The Problem
New users struggle to discover their favorite music
because do not get valuable recommendations
since we do not know their music taste.
HMW eases the transition from other music platforms to
let users discover music they like and keep engaging?
How do users feel about playlists?
Key insights from user survey
Playlists tend to represent someone’s favorite music. People listen to them daily, as they are a valuable form of engagement. People invest time in creating them - effort they don’t want to loose when considering switching. The thoughs of having to rebuild their playlists from scratch is daunting. Being able to transfer playlists between music platforms would make users more likely to switch services.
Measuring company goals
A/B Testing
In the experiment, new users will have the option to import their music taste after creating an account. This will help us:
Goal #1 - Validate feature desirability
Goal #2 - Increase user engagement
Goal #3 - Increase user retention
Importing music taste
The solution
The feature will allow users to import their music taste (e.g. favourite artists, songs and playlists) from other music streaming platforms.
This will help users listen and discover faster. By learning about users’ music taste, we can provide them with better music recommendations.
Feeling of loosing plalist access
Likelyhood of swtiching service
How do users consume music?
Key insights from user interviews
People tend to listen and discover music in different ways. They also describe their taste differently (in terms of genre, tracks, album, playlists and artists). Two dimensions define how people consume music - playlist usage and digital streaming platform usage (DSP). By crossing extreme behaviors we got four different archetypes
Behavioural archetypes
Importing a playlist - User goals
Importing a playlist - How does it work?
TuneMyMusic.com
Playlist importing is enabled through the third-party tool TuneMyMusic.com.
The flow requires users to leave SoundCloud and complete a 8 step process off-platform to connect accounts, agree to disclosures, and upload/transfer a playlist from source to destination platform. From the design point of you, we added an import prompt in the home feed, where users land after signing up.
Autoselected
2. A shorter flow
The partnership with TuneMyMusic.com
TMM supported the integration with SC with customized flows.
Users will now copy/paste a playlist link. This will enable them to skip 6 steps off-platform since some information is embedded in the playlist link and some steps are autoselected.
Flow customization extended to UI, with the goal of improving the look & feel and the overall UX. Changes apply to colors (dark theme), fonts and buttons, copy and use ofcompany logo.
Paper sketching
Exploring layouts for the SoundCloud Mix
When ideating the layout for the SoundCloud Mix, we had the following questions in mind: How does the mix look like?
Are user track and SC suggestions differentiated? Should we signalize them? What should the playlist cover image be?
Measuring company goals
A/B Testing
In the experiment, new users will have the option to import their music taste right after creating an account. This will help us:
Goal #1 - Validate feature desirability
Goal #2 - Increase user engagement
Goal #3 - Increase user retention
Importing music taste
The solution
The feature will allow users to import their music taste (e.g. favourite artists, songs and playlists) from other music streaming platforms.
This will help users listen and discover faster. By learning about users’ music taste, we can provide them with better music recommendations.
1. The entry point
Modal not prominent enough
After signing up, users land in their Home feed. When asked to import a playlist, users could not immediately find the prompt module and expected to find it somewhere else.
HMW make the module more prominent?
Three limitations of the flow
What users did not like - Insights from user testing
We conducted 3 rounds of moderated usability testing, each with 5 participants in the age group of 18-25 (GenZ). Our main goals were to validate whether users understand the flow and collect insights about their perception as regards the use of TuneMyMusic.
1. The entry point
Module not prominent enough
After signing up, users land in their Home feed. When asked to import a playlist, users could not immediately find the prompt module and expected to find it somewhere else.
HMW make the module more prominent?
2. The flow
A not trustworthy third party
Users perceived TuneMymusic as not trustworthy, because of its look & feel and its sub-optimal UX/UI. They also found the process too complicated due to the many steps.
HMW improve the experience?
2. The flow
A not trustworthy third party
Users perceived TuneMymusic as not trustworthy, because of
its look & feel and its sub-optimal UX/UI. They also found the process too complicated due to the many steps.
HMW improve the experience?
3. The output
Track unavailability
On the imported playlist, some tracks might not be available in some countries, or available only behind paywalls. Users were disappointed when they learned that tracks were not available.
HMW turn this limitation into an opportunity?
3. The Output
Track unavailability
On the imported playlist, some tracks might not be available in some countries, or available only behind paywalls. Users were disappointed when they learned that tracks were not be available.
HMW turn this limitation into an opportunity?
To manage users' expectations, we added a learn more modal. It explains what a SoundCloud Mix is and its value.
1. The entry point
A more prominent
We redesigned the trigger module and placed it at the top of the home feed. Users are now prompted to paste a playlist link and create a mix via Tunemymusic.com
SoundCloud Mix - The solution
The hypothesis - turning negative into positive
If we... allow new users to import a playlist, and replace non-available tracks with recommendations.
Then... they will receive the music they like as well as enhanced personalized recommendations to interact with.
The problem
New users struggle to discover music they like. They don't get valuable recommendations because we don’t know their music taste.
HMW ease the transition from other music platforms to make users discover the music they like and keep engaging?
1. The entry point
A more prominent modal
We redesigned the trigger module and placed it at the top of the home feed. Users are now prompted to paste a playlist link and create a mix. Once clicked, they are redirected to Tunemymusic.
To manage users' expectations we added a learn more modal that explains what is a SoundCloud Mix and its value for the user.
2.1 A shorter flow - UX Changes
The partnership with TuneMyMusic
TMM supported the integration with SC with customized flows. Pasting a playlist link will enable users to skip 6 steps off-platform because some information is embedded in the playlist link and some other steps are autoselected. Flow customization extended to UI (2.2).
2.1 A shorter flow - UX Changes
The partnership with TuneMyMusic
We TMM supported the integration with SC with customized flows. Pasting a playlist link will enable users to skip 6 steps off-platform because some information is embedded in the playlist link and some other steps are autoselected. Flow customization extended to UI (2.2).
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3. The output
Track unavailability
Users will not experience missing tracks or paywalls but a custom mix of user tracks and SC suggestions. To keep users engaged, artists featured in the list can be followed. This will leave seeds for engines and improve recommendations.
2.2 A shorter flow - UI Changes
The partnership with TuneMyMusic
Flow customization extended to UI, with the goal of improving the look & feel and the overall UX. UI Changes applied to colours (dark theme), fonts and buttons, copy updates and use of company logo.
Importing music taste
Enabling users to transition to Soundcloud by allowing them to import libraries from other streaming platforms.
The solution - SoundCloud Mix
The Hypothesis
If we... allow new users to import a playlist, and replace non-available tracks with recommendations.
Then... they will receive the music they like as well as enhanced personalized recommendations to interact with.
Paper sketching
SoundCloud Mix - Exploring layouts
When ideating the layout for the SoundCloud Mix, we had the following questions in mind:
-
What does the mix look like?
-
Are user tracks and SC tracks differentiated?
-
Should we signalize them?
-
What should the playlist cover image be?
Experiments results
Data and research insights
We observed lots of positive signals of the desirability of the feature, but due to some technical limitations, we will need deeper integration with TMM to let the conversion happen in the background, without having to push users off-platform.
We observed +10% in listening time and +5% engagement with recommendations. However, being pushed off-platform to TuneMyMusic.com was the main reason for not completing the flow from the source to the destination platform.
The importance
In this project, I could learn how crucial it is to involve engineers at an early stage. Because of the partnership with TMM, we had to skip some steps of the import process to deliver a better UX.
Therefore discussing flow options and edge cases at the beginning turned out to be critically important. This meeting played a pivotal role in the design iteration process as we could assess dependencies, and constraints and discuss technicalities as well as the feasibility of design decisions, focusing on the impact they could have on the user.
Kick-off with engineers
Not only an evalution tool
The recipe: Listening, being genuinly curious and asking questions have being vital in the understanding of business metrics and KPI’s.
They are not only a tool to evaluate results at the end of a project: I experienced that knowing how a project can influence a business is a motivation booster, a valuable input to guide and justify intentional design decision. In the long term, it helps operating and performing at a higher level, challenging others ideas, analyzing business needs and product requirements.
Business metrics
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SoundCloud
Digital tip jar
1. The entry point
Module not prominent enough
After signing up, users land in their Home feed. When asked to import a playlist, users could not immediately find the prompt module and expected to find it somewhere else.
HMW make the module more prominent?
Theachers' platform
Expath
The tipping jar
SoundCloud
Key learnings and take aways
What worked well