Jukebox
Social for music lovers
Problem Statement
How might we make the discovery process more social for music lovers so they can find good music easily?
Problem Background
Music is ingrained in our culture. Around 90% of the world listens to it. We may not listen to the same things, but the mere act of it is useful to us in one way or another.
In the past, people consumed music less frequently because technology was more analog. Eventually though, the invention of streaming platforms ushered in the digital format, and everything became accessible all at once. However, while we’ve been privileged with the convenience of music on demand, we are also now burdened with years worth of content with no clear way to decide what we truly like.
In my research of users’ music discovery habits, I discovered that about 86.7% of users were selective of the songs they listened to. People are generally picky with their music. Interestingly, a majority of this subset of users, about 62.5% of them, also preferred to discover new songs through other people. These users favored organic recommendations because unlike algorithms, they’ve stated that people can “verify and discuss one’s music choices”.
This led me to believe that there was a positive correlation between one’s “selectiveness” over music and their need to connect. That is, people who are conscious about their music prefer organic means (i.e. other people) to discover new songs.
As research shows, people’s emotional responses to music are intricately tied to the other core social phenomena that bind us together into groups. To put it simply, the pleasure we derive from listening to music results from our need to connect. (Loersch, C., & Arbuckle, N. L. 2013.)
Ultimately, discovering music we love is more likely when other people are involved. Currently, there are no platforms which have fully enabled this process.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
- People are constantly looking for new music
- People have difficulty finding new music because they are selective-either they are too particular or don’t know what they like
- People prefer discovering songs through others-either to verify or just talk about it
- People feel the need to share a song after realizing that they like it
Supporting Data
- 60% of all users surveyed stated that they look for new music on a weekly basis
- 86.7% of users are conscious of their music and have difficulty finding new songs because they are picky with their choices (reasons include: wanting to stray from the mainstream, algorithmic suggestions don’t always hit)
- Out of this subset of users, 62.5% of them also preferred to discover new songs through other people because they verify the user’s choice and/or can discuss it freely
- 78% of users have a tendency to either save or share a song after they realize they love it
Landing on the Solution
Based on our target users’ pain points, we knew we wanted to work on the following features:
- As a user, I want to log music that I love, so that I can keep track of my favorite music → A feed of songs posted by users and ones they follow
- As a user, I want to share my thoughts on songs I like, so that I can connect with others who feel the same way → a comment section on all songs
- As a user, I want to follow other users’ (friends, celebrities, etc.) accounts so that we can connect over music tastes → User profiles
- As a user, I want to send/receive songs to/from other users so that I can find music easier → A “send” feature for all songs
- As a user, I want to browse comment sections so that I can see what others think of a song
Explanation of Solution
One solution here would be to create a user-centric discovery experience. The social aspect is important because unlike algorithms, other people can verify your taste. An organic recommendation cuts through millions of songs and shortens the process significantly. Thus, it would function similarly to a social network but just for music. People will be able to post, save, and share songs as they’d like and everyone would be able to follow one another with their own profiles. Ideally, this creates a feedback loop where users actively engage with the app in browsing profiles, comments, and feeds all to find songs that are special to them.
User Flows/Mockups
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Martin Guevara
I learned three main things throughout the 4 weeks:
- Shipping something good is better than getting stuck on something perfect. At the beginning, I was taking too long ideating because I wanted a flawless product. However, I realized that iteration is ultimately better than staying in my thoughts because it’s a constructive cycle of validation. I learned to love iterative processes-user surveys, interviews, and even asking questions on Discord-as a means to better my product spec.
- Letting the problem drive the product instead of solutions. I remember a session where someone stated: “Defining a problem well is already half the solution.” In my research, it was only when I realized that people’s selectiveness with music was tied to their need to connect with others that the solution showed itself to me. I learned to be comfortable working from a point of uncertainty.
- A spec can evolve over time, and PMs must be adaptable to this. I experienced this multiple times especially after conducting my user research. It was uncomfortable having to rewrite my spec over and over again, but I realized it was just undergoing a process of correction. I learned to embrace the changes instead of fearing it!
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.