Challenge
The music industry has long exploited artists, limiting their growth and connection to fans. WAV Media sought to reverse this by putting artists first, offering the tools and benefits needed for career growth and community interaction. The initial app was limited to a small pool of curated artists, restricting content and user engagement. The goal was to scale the platform to support all emerging artists and foster a self-sustaining community.
Research
Identify artists’ challenges in growing their careers and determine what fans seek in a music discovery app that current platforms do not offer. Methods & Platforms:
Qualitative Research: Conducted interviews with artists and usability studies using Usertesting.com.
Quantitative Research: Used Amplitude for data analytics to measure clickthrough rates and track user behavior.
A/B Testing: Continuously tested features to optimize user experience and engagement.
Key Insights
1. Artists needed tools to express themselves creatively while building an audience.
2. Fans desired more intimate and exclusive content that allowed deeper connections with artists.
3. Existing music discovery platforms lacked innovative features that promoted new talent effectively.
Opportunity
How might we support the artist journey while still providing engaging content?
👭 Create a Community Build an engaging platform where artists could innovate and express themselves, and fans could experience an intimate connection similar to a small-venue performance.
📹 Enhance Content Creation Optimize the content posting process and introduce exclusive tools like a custom music visualizer.
📊 Artist Management Develop tools for artists to manage their brand and content while leveraging audience insights.
🎹 Career Development Establish partnerships with media outlets, events, and distribution channels to aid artist career growth.
Initiatives and Solutions
Homepage Redesign Challenge: The original home feed did not effectively showcase content or help users discover new material.
Solution: Redesigned the home feed to highlight high-quality content at the top, followed by shortcuts for navigation and dynamic modules tailored to users’ preferences. The updated modules provided a balanced mix of popular content and personalized suggestions.
Custom Reacting Visualizers
Problem: Independent artists often lack resources for digital video creation.
Solution: Developed a first-of-its-kind sound-reacting visualizer tool that allowed artists to upload their music and generate engaging visual content. This tool positioned WAV as a unique platform for up-and-coming artists.
Creator Management
Features: Built a creator dashboard where artists could track earnings from digital gifts (with an 80/20 split) and withdraw their earnings through a connected PayPal account.
Impact: Empowered artists by giving them full control of their financials, fostering transparency and trust.
Final Results and Impact
🎯 Increased Engagement: Boosted daily user engagement by 10% through feature innovations, while driving significant artist content uploads with new creation tools.
📈 Event Success: Delivered a seamless livestream experience for Kanye West’s “Ye” listening party, achieving 300,000 concurrent viewers, Overall #5, and Music #1 on the AppStore.
🌟 Platform Growth: Enhanced artist discoverability and platform usage through a dynamic home feed, resulting in a 20% uplift in user retention over six months.
💰 Revenue Impact: Improved app monetization by supporting key events, contributing to a 15% increase in gross revenue during high-profile campaigns.