OVERVIEW
Project Overview
What is Spotify Friends?
Spotify Friends is an imagined feature built on the existing Spotify platform to deepen user engagement through shared discovery and real-time social features. It addresses the growing user behavior of finding music through social platforms, and brings those experiences back into Spotify.
OVERVIEW
Project Overview
GOALS
Enhancing User Engagement on Spotify
Through Social Interactions
To support Spotify’s mission as a discovery-first platform, this feature aims to increase user engagement, retention, and community through meaningful, in-app social interactions.
Peer Discovery
Increase
Engagement
Foster
Community
Align with
Vison
• Create a seamless, in-app way for users to discover music through their peers
• Foster community and real-time interaction around listening habits
• Align with Spotify’s vision as a discovery-first platform
• Increase user retention and engagement through shared experiences
RESEARCH
Understanding the Landscape
To validate the need for a social listening feature, I studied Spotify’s history, mission, market competitors, user behavior, and existing product features. I also conducted interviews to explore how users currently discover music.
"Unlock the potential of human creativity –
by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their
art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it."
Mission
Spotify founded, marking its entry into the music industry
Over 626M users solidifying its leadership in digital audio streaming
Leader in Digital Audio
Spotify, founded in 2008, has over 626M users today and continues to grow a leader in digital audio streaming.
Social Platforms = Music Discovery
Users add music to stories and short-form video content, leading followers to search for it later on Spotify
Instagram Stories
Peer Influence > Algorithms
A Nielsen survey found 70% of users discover music through friends
Apple Music's Shared Listening and ByteDance's rapid innovation highlight a growing demand for shared, social listening
Competitor Pressure
Apple's Shared Listening
I first started this project after noticing how many people – including myself – were discovering music through TikTok, Instagram, or watching what others shared online.
What if users could do this within Spotify?
Context & Market Trend
Music discovery is happening off-platform
Friends are a trusted source for new music
Spotify’s tools for passive discovery are strong, but social discovery is still limited
Spotify's History & Mission
Social Evolution
Spotify sees itself not just as a music player, but as a discovery business.
Features like Blend, Jam, and Collaborative Playlists show Spotify’s ongoing shift toward social listening.
“Instagram is the main place I discover new music… I’ll add it to Spotify later.”
“I stalk my friends’ Spotify profiles or ask them directly.”
“Sometimes I hear stuff in the car and ask people for the name.”
How do you discover music?
Interviews & Insights
I interviewed three colleges students to gain insights into how people are discovering music:
BUSINESS CONTEXT
What is Spotify Doing?
From SEC filings to product announcements, Spotify has made it clear: user retention and engagement are core business priorities. Features like Blend and Jam prove their interest in social connection, but the need for a centralized social hub remains unmet.
SEC Filing Insights
2019:
2023:
Spotify noted competition as a major threat – particularly platforms that innovate faster with user engagement.
Highlighted that ByteDance and others as shifting how users consume content.
Feature Patterns
Allows users to create playlists and invite others to add, remove, or reorder tracks.
Users can listen and add songs to a queue together, whether in-person or virtually.
Blend
Collaborative Playlists
Jam
Spotify often connects these new features to the idea of music bringing people together.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
A New Kind of Music Connection
Spotify Friends builds on Spotify’s strengths in personalization and discovery while addressing its social limitations. By creating a home for peer-based music interaction, Spotify can retain users and deepen emotional connection to the platform.
Strengthen Spotify's retention efforts through shared music culture
Enable real-time and asynchronous interaction
Reinforce Spotify's social discovery identity
A dedicated Friends Tab can:
Friends Activity Feed
See what friends are listening to and liking in real-time
Group Discovery
Curate music together in private groups
Recently Liked by Friends
View friends’ recently liked tracks
Live Listening (Jam Integration)
Sync playback and listen together, even from afar
SOLUTION
Spotify Friends Tab
The proposed Friends Tab is an all-in-one space for sharing, listening, and discovering music with friends. It seamlessly integrates with existing Spotify features to create a fluid, social experience without leaving the app.
DESIGN
From Concept to Prototype
The proposed Friends Tab is an all-in-one space for sharing, listening, and discovering music with friends. It seamlessly integrates with existing Spotify features to create a fluid, social experience without leaving the app.
Sketches
Brainstorming
User flow
User flow for mockup reference
Low-fidelity wireframes
User flow for mockup reference
PROTOTYPE
Better with Friends
The final UI showcases how the Friends Tab elevates the music experience—from real-time listening to collaborative playlists. Each screen is designed to encourage connection, not just consumption.
I wanted this to be an opportunity for users to not only discover but also nurture their sense of connection to others through music. This called for an intuitive and familiar design that aligned with Spotify’s interactive design. I didn’t want this feature to feel novel but rather something they might’ve already been using.
Add Friends,
Listen Together
Your Social Hub
Easily add friends, create your own listening groups, or join one to begin discovering music together in a more personal way.
Shared Sounds,
Private Space
Invite-Only Vibes
Create intimate spaces to share music with your closest friends. Curate playlists, listen together, and keep the vibe just between your group.
Control Your
Music Presence
Visibility Customization
Choose how you show up to friends. Whether you want to share everything, just a little, or nothing at all—your listening activity is fully in your hands.
REFLECTION
Room for Growth - Look for It.
Designing something to be incorporated into an already existing product challenged me in unexpected ways. I had to learn how to add without adding—integrating new features that felt seamless within Spotify’s established interface. It meant studying the platform’s patterns, language, and textures to ensure the design felt less like an update and more like something that had always been there.
This project also taught me the importance of context—understanding a product’s narrative, business goals, pain points, and how those intersect with the evolving market. It’s not just about what users need, but also what makes sense for the brand and where it’s headed.
While my research and analysis helped ground this concept in Spotify’s world, I’m excited by the idea of digging even deeper. If I were to take this further, I’d expand the scope to explore how Spotify’s broader vision—creativity, connection, and discovery—could inspire even more immersive, community-driven features.
Spotify Friends
Conceptual | Figma