Music Engagement First

Gorillaz recently released a new album, Humanz, and along with it came a flurry of activity including a visit to the podcast Song Exploder. I’m always impressed with Song Exploder and find it generally gets me more interested in the releases they feature.

Being an app developer, I wondered if there was a way to take that experience and make it more interactive. So I sat down with my friend and talented UX designer Julian Bossiere to see if we could imagine a new app that put music engagement first.

The Stories Behind the Songs

The base of this experience is the artist commentary. I love music, I love the artists who make it, and I want to hear them talk about it.

Taking Apart Music

When the artist mentions something that can be engaged with, it appears below. This could be an article on a collaborator, a referenced song, or an alternate take that wasn’t used in the final version.

When you hear something you’re curious about, just tap on the linked media. The commentary will be paused and then you can then hear as much of the referenced material as you like.

Media can also come in different formats. If the artist is referencing samples or multi-part tracks, they appear as playable instruments. Tapping will trigger the sound or toggle the part.

Video can also be linked to embed reference materials or behind the scenes content.

An Expanded Experience

Commentary on its own is engaging and can easily provide a 15 minute fan experience. Making it interactive gives the fan an opportunity to extend that into a longer and deeper session.