Spotify LIVE is a new feature for Spotify’s webpage and app that will immerse its users in virtual live concerts, while preserving the adrenaline rush they’d feel at a real-life concert. The idea came from the surge in use of virtual meetings, and the rise in popularity of virtual concerts in eastern countries.

The Start

I created this project during my UX course at Google and Reichman Tech School. When I was first presented with this project I was thrilled, as I am an avid concert groupie.

Based on my hands-on experience with concerts, I took the approach of giving an alternative way to experience concerts rather than creating something that would entirely replace concerts.

The main reasons people are choosing virtual concerts these days are distance, cost, and accessibility. What I wanted to do is emphasize those values, and find even more values that will make people consider attending virtual concerts.

The Research

Before delving into Figma and designing screens, I wanted to find out what I needed to preserve from the "original concert experience".

In order to convince users to try out the feature, it's crucial to understand why they attend concerts in the first place, and provide a virtual counterpart, or something even better, for those thrill-inducing elements.

The key elements that surfaced in my research were:

  • Interaction with like-minded fans

  • Connection with the artists

  • Anticipation for the show

And on top of that, there was a need for a new element, an element that would help enhance the selection of the virtual experience.

  • Convenience and Accessibility

Inspiration

To take inspiration and to get a better understanding of the process of buying concert tickets, and how virtual events and premieres run, I explored three different platforms:

- As the largest ticket buying platform, and a platform I use very frequently, I took the elements that describe a ticket and its inclusions.

- A South Korean company backed by some of the largest entertainment groups in the country, Weverse offers fans from all over the world to watch their favorite K-Pop groups in virtual concerts.

- As the largest ticket buying platform, and a platform I use very frequently, I took the elements that describe a ticket and its inclusions.

The Feature

The final feature allows users to buy tickets, stream the concerts, and connect with the artist and fellow fans.

All within Spotify's platform.

The discover page, which is the homepage for the LIVE feature, shares a similar design to Spotify's regular discovery page, maintaining the same experience users get when they navigate the platform, apart for one difference. The top category, which is concerts the user bought a ticket for, is bigger. It was done to differentiate it from the other categories and to serve both as a reminder and incentive for users about their upcoming concerts.

The concert page includes a show poster, to build excitement with the users, and includes all the details about the concert and directs users to multiple actions within the LIVE feature.

  • The information presented about the concert details everything the user needs to know. What local time is the concert, a short synopsis, the performing artist and guests, and an option to check the lead artist's Spotify page to listen to their music.

  • Artists can provide multiple ticket options for purchase, that includes different benefits, such as a group call with fans, soundcheck access, merch, and much more. When selecting different tickets the user will be presented with what each ticket includes and it's price.

  • Paying for the concert ticket is done directly through Spotify's platform. No 3rd party payment, no need to move through screens.

  • From the LIVE concert page, the user sees action buttons that can lead them to either merch commemorating the event, recreation of real-life concert merch buying, or recommendations for shows they might want to attend, to engage the user with the feature even further.

  • Purchasing tickets for a Spotify LIVE concert can be done on mobile phones as well. Same functionality on the go, with a small tweaks to the UI to adapt to for screen size.

This will be the user's screen when watching a LIVE concert. This screen provides the user with actions that preserve the feelings of a real concert, and a bit extra.

The right side of the screen features a Live Chat feature, in which users watching the concert can comment and share their excitement with other concert watchers, just as they would in a real life mosh pit.

The left side of the screen shows the song which plays live, who are the artists performing the song, the cover of the song and an option to add the song to the user's library. This is done to eliminate the use of other apps that are used in concert by attendees who don't recognize the song, and a quick option to add the song to their library if they like it. It's also shown who is performing right now (in case there are guests) and what other artists are about to perform.

On mobile phones, there will be a toggle between the 2 features, so there will be no scrolling and the screen area will be fully utilized.

Fans can use the Live Chat feature before the show starts, with a countdown to the show’s beginning to recreate the experience of entering a venue and experiencing the anticipation and connect with other like-minded fans.