Music Streaming Service Analysis on Young Users

The Younger Generation’s Take on Entertainment (Especially When It Comes to Music)

 

In order to promote a local music streaming service to more young users, I conducted some research to dive deeper into the target group. Here is a brief of my findings and strategies.

 
 

There were 188 questionnaires successfully collected from my target users, with 91 of them currently subscribed to music streaming service. I then further conducted 17 in-depth interviews, with an average interview period of 70 minutes. The full research focuses on the recreational preferences, music taste, and experience using similar music streaming applications of Taiwanese youths.

 

Aim for High Efficiency and Convenience

 

Under 3 Clicks

Younger users prefer navigating through apps/websites in the shortest possible amount of time and with the least moves – it would be best to complete any action in three clicks.

1 Playlist Only

Young users prefer playing music with one single playlist; though a user usually owns several playlists, they are not listened to as frequently.

OK with No-interference Ads

Younger users are highly tolerant of advertisements when they use streaming services for free, as long as the ads do not interfere with normal navigation.

 

Personal Suggestion: Simplify User Flow

Adjust button placements in the app to simplify the navigation process

Adjust how advertisements and notifications are shown on the screen

 

Flexibility-oriented Recreational Lifestyles

 

Flexibility is Key

Whichever recreational content concerned (mobile games, novels, TV series or YouTube,) instead of investing too much time in one option, younger users prefer swift actions like being able to skip, speed up or pause halfway.

Fragmented Time

Leisure time slots are typically fragmented, at least our younger users believe they are.

Free Online Entertainment

Significantly willing to pay for offline social activities than entertainment content that are easily found online.

 

Personal Suggestion: Short & Easy to Control

Provide short audio content, e.g. podcast shows under 20 minutes

If music is paused by phone calls or other app activities,

it should continue automatically after the disruption

 

Different Activities, Different Music

 
 

Leisure: Light activities

  • Goal: Add a bit of background audio to reduce boredom

  • Songs Genre: Personal playlists, Recommended, Charts

  • P.S. Include non-music content, e.g. podcast

Work: At office, Study

  • Goal: Focus and relieve stress

  • Songs Genre: Soft personal playlists

Sleep: Lie down / Wake up

  • Goal: Sleep aid / To feel more awake

  • Songs Genre: Soft / High BPM, Personal playlists

  • P.S. Additional features, e.g. sleep timer

Strong Feelings: Excited, Sad

  • Goal: To resonate with

  • Songs Genre: Specific songs (actively search for them)

 
 

Personal Suggestion: Playlist for Specific Purposes

Add mixed playlists, including DJ selections and AI-recommended playlists

Add playlists that are curated by mood

Add search methods, e.g. tags

 

So, What Would Make Them Pay?

 

Conversion Cost

After setting up playlists and acquiring the habit of using one music platform, it is hard to convert to another, unless there exists a major defect in the former such as unsuccessful searches for specific songs, albums or artists (aka an incomplete song library).

Convenience

Mobile-friendly, OK to turn off the screen, convenient search function, and a comprehensive song library

Community

A desire to use the same services as their friends, or invitations from friends (sometimes also FOMO)

 

Personal Suggestion

Enhance Attractiveness: strengthen community ties, hold group sharing activities

Remove Obstacles: a feature enabling playlist transfer between platforms with a single touch

 
 

2019/07

I completed this solo project during my internship for the music streaming service. The results were for internal use only.