Spotify (Re)Wrapped
How can we help people reconnect with the music they once loved but have since forgotten? In a world where music discovery often focuses on the new and popular, we wanted to flip the script and shine a light on the hidden gems buried deep in users' Spotify libraries. This is the story of how we developed "Spotify (Re)Wrapped," a web app designed to help users rediscover their forgotten favorites.
And yes, my Spotify username is indeed bubbles8935716! Self-plugging it here if you’d like to check out my taste in music. 😉
Overview
Background
User research design project for the Stanford University class CS 377U: Understanding Users, taught by Google UX research director Frank Bentley.
Who
Sophie Chen, Helen He, Anchal Sayal, Jasmine Steele
When
April - June 2024
Skills
Product Development, User Research, User Studies
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The creators of Spotify (Re)Wrapped hereby declare that our use of the term 'Wrapped' is intended solely for the purpose of whimsical entertainment and light-hearted musical exploration. Let it be known that we believe in respecting intellectual property rights and our playful adaptation of 'Wrapped' seeks to compliment, not infringe, on the linguistic creativity of Spotify’s popular feature. The term 'Wrapped' as used herein represents a legally distinct, yet musically reverent, endeavor!
The research phase
Initial interviews
We first started with an open-ended research journey to understand music listening habits of fellow young adult music lovers.
We engaged with a starter group of five participants, each with unique music tastes and playlist curation habits, recruited from around Stanford campus or our hometowns. Interviewees ranged fromn superusers like Brian, who listens to music almost 24/7, to casual users like Edra, who listens to music once in a while.
Each participant did a one-on-one interview, a tour of their music library, and a playlist curation exercise.
Meet our participants
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Age: 34
How they describe themselves: Hardworking, persistent, go-getter
Music listening intensity: 24/7! Music is a soundtrack to my life!
Music curation intensity: A casual curator who likes to categorize but doesn’t go overboard
Top music genres: French Hip Hop, Heavy Metal, Classic Rock
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Age: 22
How they describe themselves: Sentimental, wholesome, nerdy, and geeky
Music listening intensity: Casual, daily-ish thing
Music curation intensity: A casual curator who likes to categorize but doesn’t go overboard
Top music genres: K-Pop, C-Pop, Classical, Retro Video Game goes here
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Age: 24
How they describe themselves: Driven, nightlife-oriented, articulate, and UX-savvy
Music listening intensity: 24/7! Music is a soundtrack to my life!
Music curation intensity: Prefers simplicity and often categorizes by genre or occasion
Top music genres: Progressive House, Pop, Hip Hop, Sensual
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Age: 24
How they describe themselves: Artsy, nerdy, silly, quirky, and easygoing
Music listening intensity: 24/7! Music is a soundtrack to my life!
Music curation intensity: Regularly curates like they’re a full-time curator for the Louvre
Top music genres: Show Tunes, Rock
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Age: 24
How they describe themselves: Creative, analytical, private, passionate, esoteric
Music listening intensity: Casual, daily-ish thing
Music curation intensity: A casual curator who likes to categorize but doesn’t go overboard
Top music genres: Indie Rock, Video Game, Show Tunes
Notable interview quotes
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“I don’t have time to create playlists anymore, I did when I was younger, I would make a playlist for everything. I would be like oh my god there should be a playlist for this. Now with family and work I don’t find time to do the same”
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“I’m not particularly adventurous when it comes to music. So finding something that’s similar… that I look for. And it’s comforting in a way because then I don’t have to stretch myself too much to feel something that I want to feel rather than stepping into something obscure.”
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“I usually name playlists based on things I’m feeling in the moment, or things symbolic of something that speaks to me. Like “from the front row”... that was one I made after my partner and I went to a concert and they played Rachmaninoff… That was a meaningful time for me.”
Interview findings
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Our participants had varied reasons for creating playlists. Edra created playlists to encapsulate meaningful experiences, while Henry developed a systematic approach to discover unique tunes across multiple platforms. These techniques underscored the need for more robust and flexible discovery tools within music platforms.
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Common challenges included difficulties in maintaining diversity in music libraries, the inefficiencies of the "Liked" songs list, and the need for better integration of tagging systems. Users like Brian faced the issue of similar song cycles, while Serena struggled with songs unavailable on Spotify.
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Participants frequently resorted to workarounds due to platform limitations. Serena and Carrie used YouTube for missing songs, while Henry relied on his multi-platform discovery system. These workarounds highlighted the demand for comprehensive music libraries and enhanced integration features.
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Music was a medium for social connection and emotional expression. Edra and Carrie used playlists to capture personal experiences, and Henry sought peer validation for his eclectic tastes.
Product brainstorming
How we unwrapped Spotify (Re)Wrapped
As we synthesized these insights, a recurring theme emerged: users often saved songs to their "Liked" list but then forgot about them. This "like button dumping ground" indicated a potential need for rediscovery. Users expressed curiosity about revisiting these forgotten tracks, suggesting an emotional and functional desire to reconnect with their musical past.
This led us to conceptualize Spotify (Re)Wrapped, a product concept aimed at unearthing and rediscovering long-forgotten liked songs, bringing back the memories and emotions tied to these tracks.
The need
How can we help music listeners remember what they have in their music dumping grounds and how can that trigger music discovery or playlist creation?
The product idea
What if there was a way for them to listen to a remix of songs they haven’t heard for a while and remember what they have in their “like button dumping ground” better?
Initial prototype
We first made a paper prototype of Spotify (Re)Wrapped, which we used to do first-time usability studies for improvement.
Polished prototype
A refined version, thanks to feedback from the paper prototype! Created using the Spotify API, NodeJS, and Heroku.
Real-world field study
Using the polished prototype, we conducted a field study for gathering real-world user feedback and validating our findings. We recruited 11 participants and used both qualitative and quantitative methods to discover insights on how Spotify (Re)Wrapped performed in the wild.
Quantitative feedback
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Users found the Rewrap feature easy to use, with a preference for rewrapping their entire library rather than specific playlists.
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Some users abandoned the feature due to concerns over data privacy during the authorization process.
Qualitative feedback
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Users were drawn to the idea of rediscovering forgotten music, with curiosity driving their engagement. However, they desired more control over how rediscovered songs were integrated into their libraries.
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The concept of "forgotten" music varied among users. Some expected songs they hadn’t heard in years, while others were content with less frequently played tracks from the past year.
Final recommendations
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Allow users to tailor rediscovery criteria, such as the time since last played and specific themes or genres.
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Adopt a consistent design system that aligns closely with familiar platforms like Spotify to improve usability.
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Ensure a responsive design that works seamlessly across different devices.
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Implement clear reassurance messages during the authorization process to alleviate user concerns.
Project conclusion
Through our comprehensive research and iterative design process, we created Spotify (Re)Wrapped to help users reconnect with their musical past. Our journey revealed that while there is a genuine desire for music rediscovery, our initial one-size-fits-all approach was insufficient. Users need more personalized and adaptive rediscovery features that account for their individual preferences and definitions of "forgotten" music.
While our journey highlighted the need for further refinement, it confirmed the potential of our concept. With continued improvements, Spotify (Re)Wrapped can provide a unique and engaging rediscovery experience, allowing users to rediscover and relive their forgotten musical memories.