Spotify Community

Spotify Technology engages in the provision of digital music services. It operates through the Premium and Ad-Supported segments. The Premium segment provides subscribers with online and offline streaming access of music and podcasts on computers, tablets, and mobile devices. The Ad-Supported segment offers users with limited on-demand online access of music and unlimited online access of podcasts on their computers, tablets, and compatible mobile devices. 

Task

Research and design a comment section for songs and podcasts on Spotify to increase engagement & time spent on app.

Discover

Market Research

I set out to see if commenting on Spotify was a desired feature by users and why they might want it. I conducted a user research survey to find out. 

1. How often do you use Spotify?
2. Do you mainly use Spotify on mobile or desktop?
3. What other apps do you use to listen to music? Podcasts?
4. Would you like the ability to comment on songs or podcasts?
5. Do you see yourself being an active commenter or mainly lurking/reading comments?
6. If you answered yes to question 4, why?

User Feedback – Songs

• I like seeing what other people’s thoughts are on a song.
• Allowing comments would allow a user to see the general public reaction to a song.
• I would love to have more connection with my favorite artists and I’m sure they would too. I feel if there was a comment section, Spotify could become THE place for music communities to develop and flourish. Having to guide fans, especially ‘playlist tourists’ across to external social media creates too much friction. But if I can spark an emotional connection right there… then I’m a fan.
• I would like to know what others think about the song..Like consider YouTube for example. When I read comments, I feel more connected to the video, the content creator, or the artist. People like to share their stories and experiences, and people connect with that, it’s a nice experience.

User Feedback – Podcasts

• Comments would be a great addition. It makes podcasts feel more like a community. It gives me something fun to do when my mind wanders or I get bored listening. 
• Other platforms have comment sections and it adds SO MUCH to the experience. The majority of podcasts will take questions from their audience and most of those use the comment sections from their most recent episode. And please make sure its comments for each episode, not just a “reviews” tab on their show page. 
• Comments are 50% of the reason I go back to YouTube.
• Especially for podcasts, where discussion enlivens the topics you just heard. Often comments are a source of expanded information and new perspectives. This is why I still prefer YouTube for podcasts. It’s a pity I cannot see the discussion around my favorite podcasts.
• My brain is ITCHING to read other people’s takes + write my own opinions while listening to longer podcasts. Would be a huge differentiator with built-in network effects. Honestly seems like a no-brainer to me. 
• It would allow for more of a community and shared experience as a listener, but also for the hosts. In my experience, a lot of hosts like to receive feedback and open discussions with their listeners. Moreover, to add to this shared communal experience, I think it would be really nice to see the comments posted at particular time stamps. For example, one could be commenting on a particular sound the host makes at a particular moment posting it at that exact time stamp. This way other listeners can see their reaction (and possibly share that sentiment) when that moment comes up. (Soundcloud does something similar)
• (Creator) We have a podcast and would like to be able to communicate and hear our audience
• (Creator) There’s a big disconnect between podcasters and people who are listening. We can’t see or hear what people are thinking about each episode or the whole podcast, so it seems as if we’re posting content into a void, although we know that’s not the case.

Competitive Research

1. UI Design

YouTube Music App

• Visibility: The comment section is not directly visible on the main playing interface, requiring users to navigate to additional menus or sections to view comments, which might reduce spontaneous engagement.
• Accessibility: Comments are more integrated with the video content on YouTube, making the experience slightly disjointed for purely music-focused interactions.

YouTube App

• Visibility: Comments are immediately accessible by scrolling down below the video content, making them highly visible and easily accessible, encouraging user interaction.
• Design Consistency: The UI maintains a consistent design language with the rest of the app, using familiar icons and typography, which aids in user navigation and comprehension.

SoundCloud

• Innovative Interaction: SoundCloud offers a unique approach by allowing users to comment on specific timestamps within tracks, making the comments more interactive and relevant to the audio experience.
• Visibility and Accessibility: Comments are visible on the track’s timeline and can be accessed by tapping on the comment bubbles, offering a seamless integration of community feedback with the listening experience.

2. UX Design

YouTube Music App

• Engagement: The separation of music and social interaction may limit user engagement with comments, as it requires additional steps to access.
• Feedback Loop: There’s less emphasis on community feedback in the listening experience, potentially missing out on enhancing user engagement through social interaction.

YouTube App

• Community Interaction: The app promotes a strong sense of community by making comments a central part of the video experience, enabling lively discussions and feedback directly beneath content.
• Navigation: Users can easily interact with comments while watching videos, making the experience more dynamic and integrated.

SoundCloud

• User Interaction: The ability to comment on specific parts of a track creates a highly interactive and engaging user experience, fostering a closer connection between artists and listeners.
• Community Building: This feature encourages a more active and engaged community, as comments can be more relevant and specific, enhancing the overall user experience.

3. Comparative Analysis

• Engagement and Interaction: SoundCloud stands out for its innovative use of timestamp-based comments, which enhances user interaction with the content. YouTube’s traditional comment system promotes community engagement but in a more general sense, while YouTube Music’s approach seems less focused on integrating social feedback into the music listening experience.

• Accessibility and Visibility: YouTube’s UI/UX design ensures that comments are easily accessible, promoting user interaction. In contrast, YouTube Music and SoundCloud require users to take additional steps or actions to engage with comments, which could impact spontaneous user participation.

• Community Feedback Integration: SoundCloud’s unique commenting feature offers a deeper level of engagement by linking comments to specific moments in tracks, which is a powerful tool for user interaction and feedback. YouTube provides a broad platform for user comments, making it suitable for general feedback, whereas YouTube Music’s separation of comments from the main listening experience may diminish the impact of user feedback on the listening experience.

In the competitive landscape of music and video streaming platforms, the integration and design of comment sections play a significant role in shaping user engagement and satisfaction. SoundCloud’s innovative approach to timestamp-based comments offers a unique and engaging user experience, closely followed by YouTube’s robust and accessible commenting system. YouTube Music, while benefiting from YouTube’s overall ecosystem, could further enhance its UI/UX by more seamlessly integrating comments into the music listening experience to promote user interaction and engagement.

Define

User Personas

Using my findings in the user research phase, I created two personas based on the different wants & needs of users: Songs and Podcasts. Alex wants to engage in meaningful discussions about the nuances of music, lyrics, and production techniques. Sarah wants to connect with fellow listeners to discuss episodes, share insights, and recommend other content.

Develop

Low-Fidelity Wireframing

Using what I’ve learned from user and competitive research, I began developing low-fidelity wireframes to map out the comments access points and user experience.

In an effort to increase engagement, I replaced the “Lyrics” section at the bottom of the playback screen with comments. While viewing lyrics is a feature users like, replacing it with an interactive and engaging feature such as comments will increase engagement and retention of users.

Result (Figma Prototype)