YouTube Music(YTM) is one of the leading music streaming platforms on the market. To boost customer retention and loyalty, we must identify gaps on the platform compared to its competitors and explore opportunities for improvement. Through research, design, interviews, and testing, we aim to enhance the user experience and refine the platform’s offerings with new features.

Let's begin our comparison research

Notion & To-Do List are the strongest in terms of functionality but…

Notion's mobile version is too "complicated" to use. Users find it too time consuming to create different templates for their notes or tasks; it is used more on desktop instead.
To-Do List requires paid membership for specific features or customizations

Samsung Notes is very simple and easy to use but…

There is no calendar or reminders function to allow users to set alarms.
Users are not able to freely organize their items.

Comparing YTM, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music

Comparing YTM, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music

Comparing YTM, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music

So many choices—but which one do people choose, and why? I set out to discover the factors that differentiates YTM apart from other platforms. In order to so so, I conducted exploratory online research reading various articles, Reddit reviews, and Google reviews about YTM's standing on the market.

Multiple questions were created to lead into the competitive analysis:

What are some benefits to using YTM in comparison to other apps?
What are the biggest painpoints current users experience?
What are some feaures or services other platforms offer, but YTM does not?
Identify commonly used tools and features

Multiple questions were created to lead into the competitive analysis:

What are some benefits to using YTM in comparison to other apps?
What are the biggest painpoints current users experience?
What are some feaures or services other platforms offer, but YTM does not?
Identify commonly used tools and features

Multiple questions were created to lead into the competitive analysis:

What are some benefits to using YTM in comparison to other apps?
What are the biggest painpoints current users experience?
What are some feaures or services other platforms offer, but YTM does not?
Identify commonly used tools and features

YouTube Music is easy to navigate but….

Google Tasks is great for one-time or day-to day tasks but….

Reviews show that there is inconsistent audio quality since videos are sources directly from YouTube
There is a lack of good sorting features
No customization capabilities or a serach bar

Reviews show that there is inconsistent audio quality since videos are sources directly from YouTube
There is a lack of good sorting features
No customization capabilities or a serach bar

It lacks support for recurring tasks, making it less suitable for long-term planning or routine-based scheduling.
Reviews show that creating mutiple tasks can be too "slow" and a hassle since they have to click the save button for each new task.

Spotify allows the user to share music with friends but…

Playlist and song reccommendations can get repetitive
Does not have a "play next" button
Users believe the platform upcharges because of podcasts
Too many notifcations shoved in user faces "to grow engagement"

Playlist and song reccommendations can get repetitive
Does not have a "play next" button
Users believe the platform upcharges because of podcasts
Too many notifcations shoved in user faces "to grow engagement"

Apple Music has great audio quality but…

Limited range of songs from different countries
Discovery page does not include playlists; only auto-shuffle songs presented like a radio
Poor phone gesture controls that causes frustrations when queing or adding songs to playlists

Apple Music has great audio quality but…

Limited range of songs from different countries
Discovery page does not include playlists; only auto-shuffle songs presented like a radio
Poor phone gesture controls that causes frustrations when queing or adding songs to playlists

Amazon Music can be paried with different Amazon devices but…

Lack of music reccommendations and playlist making capabilities
Restricts the number of skips for both prime and free listeners

Lack of music reccommendations and playlist making capabilities
Restricts the number of skips for both prime and free listeners

Overall

It is apparent that YTM and Spotify are the top two choices for music streaming. Although YTM charges less and offers similar features to Spotifty, Spotify remains as the preferred option.

This could be due to the fact that Spotifty was released seven years before YTM. Especially in 2008, when the use of technology was rapidly advancing and social media was on the rise, users were likely introduced to Spotify early on. It was one of the few music streaming apps available at the time.

We need to further investigate the reasons behind this

We need to investigate the reasons behind this

We need to further investigate the reasons behind this

Let's see what our interviewees think

Getting to know the User Base

Getting to know the User Base

Getting to know the User Base

Our Participants

There was some difficulty finding participants who use YTM on a regular basis. I was able to recruit two YTM users and three Spotify users to conduct user interviews with.

I needed people who avidly listen to music on a daily basis to get a good sense of app habits, expectations, likes, and dislikes.

Nontheless, though we had a mixed pool of interviewees, insights from Spotify users will help bridge the gaps between the two platforms and highlight areas for improvement.

There was some difficulty finding participants who use YTM on a regular basis. I was able to recruit two YTM users and three Spotify users to conduct user interviews with.

I needed people who avidly listen to music on a daily basis to get a good sense of app habits, expectations, likes, and dislikes.

Nontheless, though we have a mixed pool of interviewees, insights from Spotify users will help bridge the gaps between the two platforms and highlight areas for improvement.

There was some difficulty finding participants who use YTM on a regular basis. I was able to recruit two YTM users and three Spotify users to conduct user interviews with.

I needed people who avidly listen to music on a daily basis to get a good sense of app habits, expectations, likes, and dislikes.

Nontheless, though we had a mixed pool of interviewees, insights from Spotify users will help bridge the gaps between the two platforms and highlight areas for improvement.

We aimed to gain deeper insights into the typical user experience when listening to music, their favorite features or services within the app, and the reasons why they continue to use their preferred platform

Affinity Map

We found that

Overall, users stick to the same platform they are already familiar with. They would consider other platforms ONLY if the prices were to increase drastically

Users want to listen to music in the easiest and quickest way possible, valuing simple and clean UI to prevent visual overstimulation
Interviewees state that their homepage becomes cluttered with unwanted categories at times
All users typically sort their playlists by "most recents" because "its the only good option" available
All users typically select "most recents" or "quickpicks" to listen to music, allowing the algorithm curate a playlist for them
When creating playlists, 4/5 users first "like" a song, then goes back to that specific playlist to organize
YTM users mentioned that their home page sometimes gets filled with uncessesary categories and would like the option to remove or pin items

Overall, users stick to the same platform they are already familiar with. They would consider other platforms ONLY if the prices were to increase drastically

Users want to listen to music in the easiest and quickest way possible, valuing simple and clean UI to prevent visual overstimulation
Interviewees state that their homepage becomes cluttered with unwanted categories at times
All users typically sort their playlists by "most recents" because "its the only good option" available
All users typically select "most recents" or "quickpicks" to listen to music, allowing the algorithm curate a playlist for them
When creating playlists, 4/5 users first "like" a song, then goes back to that specific playlist to organize
YTM users mentioned that their home page sometimes gets filled with uncessesary categories and would like the option to remove or pin items

Overall, users stick to the same platform they are already familiar with. They would consider other platforms ONLY if the prices were to increase drastically

Users want to listen to music in the easiest and quickest way possible, valuing simple and clean UI to prevent visual overstimulation
Interviewees state that their homepage becomes cluttered with unwanted categories at times
All users typically sort their playlists by "most recents" because "its the only good option" available
All users typically select "most recents" or "quickpicks" to listen to music, allowing the algorithm curate a playlist for them
When creating playlists, 4/5 users first "like" a song, then goes back to that specific playlist to organize
YTM users mentioned that their home page sometimes gets filled with uncessesary categories and would like the option to remove or pin items

Most important takeaways

Users typically sort their music by "most recents" only because it is "the only/best option"

Sometimes there are unwanted song or playlist reccommendations on home pages

Users find it difficult to search for songs within a playlist due to the lack of a search or proper sorting funciton

Users appreciate information - All interviewees agreed that they like seeing their seasonal recaps to see which songs they listened to the most

Now that the foundational research as been completed, its time to synthesize our data

Users often have to manually scroll through their playlists when searching for an artist or song. This is a problem because it makes playlist making and song searching a more tedious process

We need to explore ways on how to provide the proper search and sorting tools to help users complete their tasks faster

Identifying the Problem

Identifying the Problem

Identifying the Problem

The Features

Features were identified and selected based on insights from user interviews and further supported by secondary research on the most frequently mentioned apps.

Users often have to manually scroll through their playlists when searching for an artist or song. This is a problem because it makes playlist making and song searching a more tedious process

We need to explore ways on how to provide the proper search and sorting tools to help users complete their tasks faster

Defining the User Flow

I wanted to give testers a good idea of how the features work and for them to form their opinion on whether they'd utilize these features. Flows were designed to follow the typical user experience noted from user interviews.

Task Flows Key

Search Bar

Tap image to enlarge

Search bar is typically use when searching for a song within a playlist or a playlist within a library. Users will also have to delete and add songs to playlists to make it a more realistic experience

Extra Sorting Options

Press image to enlarge

Two new sorting types added; users will have to choose the best option they would use the most. I am expecting them to select the ones I added.
Additionally, showcasing song or playlist play times will be added to accommodate the sorting features

Pinning/Removing items

Press image to enlarge

Ability to pin and remove items from the home page added

Viewing Play times

Press image to enlarge

Play time indicators were added to provide more information for users

Users often have to manually scroll through their playlists when searching for an artist or song. This is a problem because it makes playlist making and song searching a more tedious process

We need to explore ways on how to provide the proper search and sorting tools to help users complete their tasks faster

Users often listen to premade playlists or songs that appear on the homepage. However, these categories frequently change in order or content when the app is reopened. This is problematic because it makes it more difficult to find and listen to their favorite music.

We need to explore ways on how to help users organize and customize their homepage to cater to their preferences

The Features

Features were identified and selected based on insights from user interviews and further supported by secondary research on the most frequently mentioned apps.

Set up is complete

Let's design

The Features

Features were identified and selected based on insights from user interviews and further supported by secondary research on the most frequently mentioned apps.

Playlist Search Bar

YTM users have to manually scroll through playlists in order to find a specific song.

Therefore, a playlist search bar will be added to allow users to locate songs faster and create playlists more efficiently.

YTM users have to manually scroll through playlists in order to find a specific song.

Therefore, a playlist search bar will be added to allow users to locate songs faster and create playlists more efficiently.

YTM users have to manually scroll through playlists in order to find a specific song.

Therefore, a playlist search bar will be added to allow users to locate songs faster and create playlists more efficiently.

Extra Sorting Options

Data shows that users use the "most recent" sorting feature the most because it is "the only best option".
Therefore, additional sorting features, such as viewing the most or least played songs within the library or playlist, will be added to give users more flexibility and utility.

Data shows that users use the "most recent" sorting feature the most because it is "the only best option".
Therefore, additional sorting features, such as viewing the most or least played songs within the library or playlist, will be added to give users more flexibility and utility.

Data shows that users use the "most recent" sorting feature the most because it is "the only best option".
Therefore, additional sorting features, such as viewing the most or least played songs within the library or playlist, will be added to give users more flexibility and utility.

Removing/Pining

Interviewees expressed their frustrations when their home page is cluttered with reccommendations or categories unrelated to their interests.
Therefore, an option to remove unwanted categories or pin favorites will be added to fit user needs.

Interviewees expressed their frustrations when their home page is cluttered with reccommendations or categories unrelated to their interests.
Therefore, an option to remove unwanted categories or pin favorites will be added to fit user needs.

Interviewees expressed their frustrations when their home page is cluttered with reccommendations or categories unrelated to their interests.
Therefore, an option to remove unwanted categories or pin favorites will be added to fit user needs.

Defining the User Flow

Defining the User Flow

I wanted to give testers a good idea of how the features work and for them to form their opinion on whether they'd utilize these features. Flows were designed to follow the typical user experience noted from user interviews.

Task Flows Key

Search Bar

Press image to enlarge

Search bar is typically use when searching for a song within a playlist or a playlist within a library. Users will also have to delete and add songs to playlists to make it a more realistic experience

Press image to enlarge

Extra Sorting Options

Two new sorting types added; users will have to choose the best option they would use the most. I am expecting them to select the ones I added.
Additionally, showcasing song or playlist play times will be added to accommodate the sorting features

Press image to enlarge

Search Bar

Search bar is typically use when searching for a song within a playlist or a playlist within a library. Users will also have to delete and add songs to playlists to make it a more realistic experience

Press image to enlarge

Pinning/Removing Home Page Items

Ability to pin and remove items from the home page added

Setting up the frames & testing

Hand-drawn low-fidelity sketches were created first, and then translated onto Figma for user testing. I wanted to ensure that the designs and button placements were correctly designed, ensuring no misclicks or confusion.

Wireframing and Testing

Each screen displays a hand-drawn replication of the key screens I planned to design on Figma. Items colored in red represent new icons or other UI additions for the features I planned to add.

Drawings were then translated into Figma as mid-fidelity designs. Basic connections were created in order to prepare for mid-fidelity user testing.

Particpants said the features were well-designed, however…

they found it difficult to fully understand how the features worked due to the designs state— such as incomplete image uploads and basic prototyping connections that made it harder to follow the flow smoothly.

Key Points from Testing

4/5 users were confused by the playtime indicator; they did not understand what it was representing and felt like it made the containers look crowded - redesign needed
One participant pointed out that it felt "odd" when the search bar opened a new screen; "I expected to be able to type right away" - flow reconsideration needed
4/5 users chose to sort their items by "most played" - validates our feature addition
2/5 users said the note board looked "a little complicated", but this could be due to the fact frames were handrawn and presented to users - validation needed in final user test

Let's see the final designs

Extra Sorting Options

Press image to enlarge

Two new sorting types added; users will have to choose the best option they would use the most. I am expecting them to select the ones I added.
Additionally, showcasing song or playlist play times will be added to accommodate the sorting features

Pinning/Removing Home Page Items

Press image to enlarge

Ability to pin and remove items from the home page added

Viewing Play times

Press image to enlarge

Viewing Playtimes

Press image to enlarge

Play time indicators were added to provide more information for users

Play time indicators were added to provide more information for users

I wanted to investigate whether the features added are ones that users would actively use. The features are designed for playlist creation, song searching, and customization. After testing, users were asked to share their thoughts.

Set up is complete

Let's design

Set up is complete

Let's design

Setting up the frames & testing

Setting up the frames & testing

Hand-drawn low-fidelity sketches were created first, and then translated onto Figma for user testing. I wanted to ensure that the designs and button placements were correctly designed, ensuring no misclicks or confusion.

Wireframing and Testing

Each screen displays a hand-drawn replication of the key screens I planned to design on Figma. Items colored in red represent new icons or other UI additions for the features I planned to add.

Drawings were then translated into Figma as mid-fidelity designs. Basic connections were created in order to prepare for mid-fidelity user testing.

Particpants said the features were well-designed, however…

Particpants said the features were well designed, however

they found it difficult to fully understand how the features worked due to the designs state— such as incomplete image uploads and basic prototyping connections that made it harder to follow the flow smoothly.

Key Points from Testing

4/5 users were confused by the playtime indicator; they did not understand what it was representing and felt like it made the containers look crowded - redesign needed
One participant pointed out that it felt "odd" when the search bar opened a new screen; "I expected to be able to type right away" - flow reconsideration needed
4/5 users chose to sort their items by "most played" - validates our feature addition
2/5 users said the note board looked "a little complicated", but this could be due to the fact frames were handrawn and presented to users - validation needed in final user test

4/5 users were confused by the playtime indicator; they did not understand what it was representing and felt like it made the containers look crowded - redesign needed
One participant pointed out that it felt "odd" when the search bar opened a new screen; "I expected to be able to type right away" - flow reconsideration needed
4/5 users chose to sort their items by "most played" - validates our feature addition
2/5 users said the note board looked "a little complicated", but this could be due to the fact frames were handrawn and presented to users - validation needed in final user test

Let's see the final designs

Final Product

Final Product

Final Product

Feature Designs

Designs below were referenced from screenshots taken from the platform. New feature components were designed with the same fonts, colors, and styles to fit YTM's style. Iterations were made based on mid-fidelity user tests.

Are our Features Functional?

Are our Features Functional?

Are our Features Functional?

To evaluate the features' effectivenesses and usability, we recruited five participants who completed a series of tasks to explore the app’s features. They shared their experiences after each task and overall impressions of the design

Test Goals

1. Ensure added sorting options are categories users would use
2. Observe whether pinning or removing items feels fluid and is considered useful
3. Determine whether viewing playtimes is beneficial for users
4. Ensure search bars are used effectively and streamline the user experience across flow

Results and Revisions

Results and Revisions

Results and Revisions

Overall, user tests were a success and the app was fully functional! All features were positively received by users with 100% success rate for task completion.

All users said the pinning feature was their favorite and would use that feature the most

All users selected "most played" as their sorting option
All users would use the search bar within a playlist to find specific items, but most of the time, would rely on sorting instead

Overall, user tests were a success and the app was fully functional! All features were positively received by users with 100% success rate for task completion.

All users said the pinning feature was their favorite and would use that feature the most

All users selected "most played" as their sorting option
All users would use the search bar within a playlist to find specific items, but most of the time, would rely on sorting instead

Overall, user tests were a success and the app was fully functional! All features were positively received by users with 100% success rate for task completion.

All users said the pinning feature was their favorite and would use that feature the most

All users selected "most played" as their sorting option
All users would use the search bar within a playlist to find specific items, but most of the time, would rely on sorting instead

Adding to the Pin Feature

Users liked pinning, but wanted more

Users mentioned wanting the ability to pin songs & playlists
Participants expect these pinned items to appear on the home page as well

Users mentioned wanting the ability to pin songs & playlists
Participants expect these pinned items to appear on the home page as well

Users mentioned wanting the ability to pin songs & playlists
Participants expect these pinned items to appear on the home page as well

Ability to pin song/playlist to home page flow created

Changing Play Times Visual

It looked a bit too cluttered

Users enjoyed viewing their playtimes and described it as a "cool feature to see"
However, found the rows of songs looking too visually packed with information.

Users enjoyed viewing their playtimes and described it as a "cool feature to see"
However, found the rows of songs looking too visually packed with information.

Users enjoyed viewing their play times and described it as a "cool feature to see"
However, found the rows of songs looking too visually packed with information.

Spacing was increased to provide more breathing room

Final Takeaways

Final Takeaways

This project was both fun and interesting to work on. As a daily YouTube Music user, I enjoyed iterating on an app I personally use. However, my biggest challenge was the lack of YTM participants, which led me to compromise and recruit Spotify users as well. As a result, my testing results may be somewhat skewed.
I relied heavily on my findings from user interviews, Reddit discussions and Google reviews to iterate and exectute. Nonetheless, I believe the features were well-designed and functional, effectively addressing user frustrations as a whole.

Final Takeaways

This project was by far the most challenging one I’ve worked on. Building a complete end-to-end application with multiple features, branding, and meticulously designed micro-interactions truly put my skills to the test.

I conducted extensive external research, analyzing existing applications on the market, and taught myself how to implement complex feature interactions. However, due to time constraints and Figma limitations, I had to unfortunately discard some feature ideas.

A very surprising lesson I learned was

A very suprising lesson I learned was

A very surprising lesson I learned was

People across different platforms, even within music streaming apps, have varying listening patterns. Spotify users tend to create playlists and use customization tools more frequently, whereas YouTube Music listeners rely on the algorithm to suggest the best songs/playlists, selecting music directly from the home page.

Wow! You made it to the end

So….

Want to connect?

Wow! You made it to the end

So….

Want to connect?

Wow! You made it to the end

YouTube Music

Adding new features to the platform

See Prototype

YouTube Music

YouTube Music

Adding new features to the platform

Adding new features to the platform

See Prototype

See Prototype

YOUTUBE

YOUTUBE

YOUTUBE

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

FEATURES

FEATURES

FEATURES

PLAYLISTS

PLAYLISTS

PLAYLISTS

SEARCH BAR

SEARCH BAR

SEARCH BAR

PERSONALIZED

PERSONALIZED

PERSONALIZED

ROLE

ROLE

TOOLS

TOOLS

DURATION

DURATION

Here's the sitch

Here's the sitch

Here's the sitch

Notion & To-Do List are the strongest in terms of functionality but…

Notion's mobile version is too "complicated" to use. Users find it too time consuming to create different templates for their notes or tasks; it is used more on desktop instead.

Samsung Notes is very simple and easy to use but…

There is no calendar or reminders function to allow users to set alarms.

Users are not able to freely organize their items.

Comparing YTM, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music

Comparing YTM, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music

Comparing YTM, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music

YouTube Music is easy to navigate but….

YouTube Music is easy to navigate but….

Google Tasks is great for one-time or day-to day tasks but….

Reviews show that there is inconsistent audio quality since videos are sources directly from YouTube

Reviews show that there is inconsistent audio quality since videos are sources directly from YouTube

It lacks support for recurring tasks, making it less suitable for long-term planning or routine-based scheduling.

Reviews show that creating mutiple tasks can be too "slow" and a hassle since they have to click the save button for each new task.

Spotify allows the user to share music with friends but…

Spotify allows the user to share music with friends but…

Playlist and song reccommendations can get repetitive

Playlist and song reccommendations can get repetitive

Apple Music has great audio quality but…

Limited range of songs from different countries

Discovery page does not include playlists; only auto-shuffle songs presented like a radio

Apple Music has great audio quality but…

Limited range of songs from different countries

Discovery page does not include playlists; only auto-shuffle songs presented like a radio

Amazon Music can be paried with different Amazon devices but…

Amazon Music can be paried with different Amazon devices but…

Lack of music reccommendations and playlist making capabilities

Restricts the number of skips for both prime and free listeners

Lack of music reccommendations and playlist making capabilities

Restricts the number of skips for both prime and free listeners

Overall

Overall

Overall

Getting to know the User Base

Getting to know the User Base

Getting to know the User Base

Affinity Map

Affinity Map

We found that

We found that

We found that

Most important takeaways

Most important takeaways