Why the scope of this case study
- I curate music
- I decided ahead of time that I want to share curated music on Instagram stories
- Most of my music consumption is via streaming platforms (Youtube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Mixcloud, Spotify, Tidal)
Exploring the intersection between software and music
In a nutshell, it’s self indulgent research, I’m trying to make life easier for myself, reduce the amount of friction I face when I want to share music, also have the end result in a manner that’s easily consumable - that’s why I also care about how the end result looks.
Looking at how software interacts with the world around it
What form/bodies of music do I share?
Tidal
- Was the fastest feeling
- Has a custom UI flow for sharing, and it feels most optimised for sharing to Instagram Stories
- End result is purely visual, no clickable link to take you straight to the sound, which is a problem for the end user. now I must manually open my music app and search for the song - not good enough.
when I refer to “the user” in these videos, I mean the end consumer, the person I’m curating music for
Spotify
disclaimer: I worry that my spotify comparisons might not be an accurate representation of the app’s UX, my Spotify library is massive, and I know that contributes to a UI that feels slower in some instances, like waiting for “liked songs” to load takes a while, as theres over 6500 of them.
- A decent custom flow for sharing
- Not as fast as Tidal
- Dedicated share to instagram story
- End result has a “Play on spotify” option
YouTube music
- sucks for sharing to IG.
Bandcamp
disclaimer: Bandcamp UX is generally quirky & can feel a little dated. But I still can’t help but love it & its flaws. Has a minimalist, “here for the music & not much else” feeling to it.
- Can’t share to instagram stories, as it only shares link text
- No visual element to their sharing
- Uses default Apple share screen
Soundcloud
- Easy to share to IG stories
- Feels fast enough
- Includes a clickable link on the story
Mixcloud
- Visual & audio end result, no clickable link. Becomes sharing just for vibes, because of that