SoundCloud Redesign Case Study

Overview

SoundCloud is a music streaming platform with a social aspect that allows users to repost and share music to their follower's feeds. SoundCloud was integral in helping up-and-coming musicians or DJs get their music out. 

Timeline
5 weeks

Role
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher

Tools
Adobe XD
Adobe Illustrator

Background

Problem
SoundCloud usage has dipped from 320 million users (2017) to 272 million users (2019) due to the rise of other music streaming platforms and user frustrations with the UI. A considerable amount of reviewers critiqued SoundCloud's interface as confusing. How can we streamline the app to increase the number of users?
Solution
Personalize the app to users, increase accessibility, add missing features, and streamline navigation. Improving the interface will ease users' issues with the confusing interface.

User Research

25 music streamers from ages 18-50 were asked about their app usage. Results show that although most users used the SoundCloud app, most preferred other music apps.

25
User Surveys
76.9%
Use SoundCloud
73.1%
Prefer other apps for streaming music
48%
Users prioritize ad-free listening
in a music app

Of those that said SoundCloud is not the primary app they use for music, 18 people said they use Spotify, 2 use YouTube Music, and 2 use Apple Music.

SoundCloud GO is a paid feature that allows users to listen to music ad-free, download music for offline use, and enable high-quality audio. Results show that 96.2% of surveyed users do not have SoundCloud Go, but 46.2% are open to getting a subscription.

Ideation

Problem 1: Organization

Create a more simplified and accessible application by reducing the number of tabs and clicks to achieve the same goal by removing the tab dedicated to SoundCloud Go because increasing advertisements may turn users off from paying or using the app.

Problem 2: Streaming

A solution to the repetitive tracks from multiple reposters is consolidating the reposts into one tile. For example, a tile would say, "Artist + x others reposted a track." I will also add a queue to aid the multiple repost issue by allowing the user to choose a different track to play next.

Problem 3: Missing Features and Settings

A solution would be to add an inbox icon to the profile page in the app. Doing so would allow users to easily share playlists and music. I suggest adding a feature allowing users to share playlists with others. In this feature, added users could add music to a playlist so that everyone shared in the playlist could listen.​​​​​​​

I created user personas to understand any pain points that users may have when using SoundCloud. The typical user may need help with the app's organization and sharing music.

My main takeaway from the HTI is that some functionalities are complex when they could be simplified. For example, when users check their profile, they must click Library, their profile picture, and "Your profile." This shows the user must take three extra steps to reach their profile.

Iteration

I created wireframes to lay out the new organization of SoundCloud based off of the HTI that I made. Afterwards, I conducted interviews with 5 of the survey participants to get their feedback on the proposed app.

Feedback from user testing:

Solution

Incorporating the user feedback, I drastically changed the look and functionalities of the prototype. I made the icons easier to understand and minimized the number of buttons in each tile. I also included a now-playing overlay to let users know what song they're playing. I also had a hamburger menu for users to quickly navigate to their desired page. Further, I included an option to upload music from your phone. I optimized the images for iPhone to make them easier to see.

Prototype

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