Problem
87% of Spotify's revenue comes from Premium subscriptions, but only 40% of users subscribe to Premium.
Statista, 2023
Spotify users
by subscription type
Revenue generated
from subscription type
Opportunity
Playlist creators are
47%
of music streamers still buy physical music.
Mintel, 2023
Spotify playlists are the contemporary mix-tape, with one major difference— the music is rented.
Vinyl record sales represented
72%
of non-digital music revenue in the US.
RIAA, 2023
In 2021, vinyl record sales reached
$1B
in sales for the first time since 1985.
RIAA, 2023
How might we provide a physical Spotify offering so that premium users can own their favorite tracks in physical form?
OVERVIEW
Research
Brand Research
We further evaluated Spotify's revenue model and the features available to free users.
KEY INSIGHT
Spotify's ad-tier model is a major driver of its 46% conversion rate from free to paid subscribers. It exposes users to the platform's perks with minor inconveniences that make Premium more appealing.
The anatomy of a vinyl record
We familiarized ourselves with terminology, the physical product, its design, and its constraints.
KEY INSIGHT
Custom vinyl record competitors
We identified market competitors and evaluated their offerings and interfaces to inform our feature prioritization.
KEY INSIGHT
Few competitors offered an integrated design tool, and the editing features of those who did were limited.
Features of easy-to-use design tools
We evaluated design tools known for their ease of use to understand what makes them so popular with non-designers.
KEY INSIGHT
Attractive, editable templates are highly appealing to non-designers because they lower the barrier to entry.
SPOTIFY SPUN
How it Works
Get Started
We first examined the app's architecture to determine a logical home for Spotify Spun.
With a low-fidelity prototype, we were able to test and confirm that the most intuitive location for the feature is on pages where users currently navigate to create and edit their playlists.
Curate Your Tracklist
A Spotify playlist can hold up to 10,000 songs. A vinyl record… just 20 minutes on each side.
From our conversations with Spotify users, including those who already collect vinyl, we learned the majority were unfamiliar with the specifics of a vinyl's duration capacity. Without sufficient guidance, confusion and decision fatigue could easily turn the editing process into a frustrating experience.
Design Your Cover & Label
For users who lack design expertise, editable templates lower the barrier to entry.
Our evaluation of custom vinyl competitors revealed that most lacked built-in design tools. As a result, users needed at least a basic understanding of design principles, image file types and formatting, and the anatomy of a vinyl record. Meanwhile, when analyzing user-friendly design tools, we found that their most appealing feature for non-designers was a well-curated template library.
Go Premium & Checkout
Offering ad-tier users limited access to Spun's features increases the likelihood of conversion.
Offering an ad-tier version of the platform has proven to be a highly effective strategy for Spotify in converting free users to paid subscribers. As of 2024, the platform boasts a 46% conversion rate. Spotify Spun will follow suite. Its digital features will be made available to ad-tier users. However, to place an order, free users must be a premium subscriber.
SPOTIFY SPUN
The Campaign
Playlists dream in vinyl.
Insight— Every Spotify playlist aspires to be crafted with such care that it warrants becoming a vinyl.
