Unlocking a new way to listen to music on the platform.

Segment Mode - A Spotify Case Study

COMPANY

AppDev

ROLE

UX Designer

Duration

8 Weeks

Project Description

Segment Mode is a new feature integrated into Spotify's UI that allows users to "segment" different sections of their favorite songs. With the rise of short snippet audios, Segment Mode helps users find sections of songs and allows them to listen to that section on loop.

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

User Interviews

NPS Increase

26%

User Satisfaction Increase

10%

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

Background

Spotify's Untapped Potential For Dancers

Music is central to dance, and Spotify’s vast library of over 100million songs makes it a top choice for dancers. However, it lacks tools to support choreography, dancer's outlet for expressing their own creativity through a series of sequential dance moves.

This shortfall conflicts with Spotify’s mission to unlock creativity. By adding features for dancers, Spotify could empower choreographers and strengthen its role in fostering artistic expression.

Spotify CeO Daniel eK

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

UX Research

Why is Spotify not efficient?

I conducted user research with dancers that use Spotify to choreograph with to really understand what part of the choreographing process was limiting when using the platform.

I found 3 key insights to what dancers pain points are when choreographing with Spotify:

Lots of Scrubbing

Takes a lot of time to choreograph, since they have to go back to sections of songs they want to dance to.

Constant Replay

Dancers listen to song over and over again picking up different elements of the song they want to dance to.

Outside Tools

Dancers customize the song they choreograph with tools outside of Spotify.

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

Problem Statement

Dancers struggle to choreograph with Spotify due to limited music manipulation options, restricting their ability to efficiently create and refine choreography.

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

The Process

Brainstorming

Addressing User Needs

I found that accessing sections of songs was very important in the choreographing process since dancers don’t choreograph to an entire song. My initials sketches addressed this by making sections of songs more accessible in the listening process.

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

Customizable Sections

I decided to explore this feature due to its flexibility in allowing dancers chose what parts of the song they want to choreograph to. It’s ability to create a new listening experience for choreographers can allow dancers to clearly listen to a section of a song continuously rather than scrubbing back every time to listen to that section.

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

Navigation Different Ways to Loop

Relistening to a song over and over again was important for dancers, so I designed different ways for dancers to loop sections of songs on the platform. In deciding which design to go with, I considered what was on the market and what would be most seamless into Spotify's existing UI.

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.

High-Fidelity Prototyping

Integration into Spotify's UI

I explored different flows to execute this feature, but decided to develop a flow with its own screen. I believed having a different screen to separate it from the music player was important, as it would prevent any interruptions from listening to the music. It also follows Spotify's "adding to queue" screen, making it compatible with Spotify's existing UI.

Solution

Flow 1: Segmenting song after playing.

Project Description

Flow 3: Segmenting song after scrubbing through song.

Flow 2: Segmenting song from the end of the song.

Forward

The importance of short snippet audio

Short snippet content is everywhere and in today's fast-paced social media age, Spotify's "Clips" feature uses under-30-second vertical videos to showcase creativity and connect fans to music.

Segment Mode builds on this by letting users highlight specific song sections, potentially driving viral hits, increased streams, and new listening experiences. Originally designed for dancers, Segment Mode has the potential to resonate with broader audiences and amplify Spotify's innovation.

Spotify "CLIPS" UI

Unlocking a new creativity

Through my final prototype, I believe Spotify can provide the opportunity to unlock a new facet of human creativity through dance. Being able to loop songs to efficiently create choreography can unlock the potential for more dances to be created. Afterall, dancers are artists too, creating art through movement.

Project Description

Problem: Spotify restricts users with how they can listen to music on the platform since users can't manipulate the music.

Solution: Segment Mode allows users to "segment" sections of songs for choreographers.