Spotify
Designing an Emotional AI Plug-In for the World's Leading Music Streaming App
Created Spotify Spectrum, an AI plug-in designed to help users select music based on their mood, addressing emotional health needs by offering a more personalized, comforting experience
Project Summary
Research that led to Spotify Spectrum, our AI plug-in designed to help users discover the perfect song for any moment.
Deliverables
See the full project breakdown below. ⬇️
Per peer review, the project received an average score of 4.32 out of 5 on strategy alone, and a 4.35 out of 5 overall.
Impact
Navigation Hub
My Role
Researcher and Ad Voice
Ella Gormanlove, Art Director
Smera Dhal, Art Director
My Team
My Research Tools
Google Scholar, Midjourney and Notebook LM
a Weeks
Timeframe
Spotify is the most popular music streaming app in the world. With over 210 million subscribers, the brand welcomed 15 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2020 - with the COVID-19 pandemic being a key contributor. The Q1 findings released by Spotify Technology S.A. stated that two in five consumers they surveyed in the US said they were listening to music to manage stress more than they typically do.
The Context
Spotify Users by the Millions
How can Spotify spread positivity by using technology to bring listeners closer to the creators and communities they love?
The Ask
Main Insight
Emotions Are Universal in Music — AI’s Assumptions Are Not
While most Spotify users (96%) listen to music to boost their mood, music actually triggers a wide range of emotional and neural responses — shaped by factors like tempo and genre. For instance, rap can support memory, while rock often sparks emotional intensity.
How people use music for emotional health also varies by generation. Gen Z and younger Millennials often turn to music to ease loneliness, while older Millennials and Gen X are more likely to use it for emotional regulation.
Despite nuances, Spotify’s AI model relies on surface-level data like location, time, and song traits to assume how users feel—revealing a gap between real emotional needs and how the platform currently recommends music to its users.
How Spotify Listeners Use Music
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Sonic Science study conducted by Spotify & Neuro-Insight, surveying 624 participants over a decade. Sonic Science Video Link
Spotify Technology S.A. (2020, April 29). Spotify Technology S.A. announces financial results for first quarter 2020. Business Wire.
Assuncao, W. G., Piccolo, L. S., G., & Zaina Luciana, A. M. (2022). Considering emotions and contextual factors in music recommendation: A systematic literature review. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 81(6), 8367-8407. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-12110-z
Hennessy, S., Sachs, M., Kaplan, J., & Habibi, A. (2021). Music and mood regulation during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One, 16(10), e0258027.
Herrero, E. M., Singer, N., Ferreri, L., McPhee, M., Zatorre, R., & Ripolles, P. (2020). Rock’n’roll but not sex or drugs: music is negatively correlated to depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic via reward-related mechanisms.
Krogh, M. (2023). Rampant Abstraction as a Strategy of Singularization: Genre on Spotify. Cultural Sociology, 0(0). https://doi-org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/10.1177/17499755231172828
Till, C. (2023). Spotify as a technology for integrating health, exercise and wellness practices into financialised capitalism. Big Data & Society, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517231210278
Ziv, N., & Hollander-Shabtai, R. (2022). Music and COVID-19: Changes in uses and emotional reaction to music under stay-at-home restrictions. Psychology of Music, 50(2), 475-491.
The research uncovered key issues for us to address related to the current user experience for Spotify listeners.
UX & Product Considerations
Spotify’s AI should give users more control over AI-generated music suggestions.
Spotify’s AI should be improved to reflect a wider range of emotions.
Our final product should positivity across all demographics.
Spotify Spectrum is an AI-powered feature that gives users more control over music recommendations during emotionally intense moments.
It redefines how Spotify suggests music by acknowledging that emotional needs exist on a spectrum—not as fixed states. By enhancing both emotional accuracy and user agency, Spotify Spectrum makes recommendations feel more personal and affirming.
The tool builds on Spotify’s existing AI model but shifts power back to the listener, allowing them to adjust recommendations in real time to better match how they truly feel.
Solution
Refer to the slide show, ad showcase video and key features section below for more details. ⬇️
Spotify Spectrum Intro Screen
Spotify Spectrum Instructions
Spotify Spectrum Send-Off
Spotify Spectrum - Invisible Grid
Spotify Spectrum
Spotify Spectrum Product Ad Showcase Video
Video by Smera Dhal
Spotify Spectrum: Core Features – Axes, Icons, and the Invisible Grid
Based on research on emotions and music preferences, Spotify Spectrum lets users navigate an interactive grid, instantly connecting each point to a song.
Artwork designed by Ella Gormanlove
The Turtle icon on the X-Axis represents slower songs.
Users can move their finger toward it to find music with a slower tempo.
The Sun icon on the Y-Axis represents happier songs.
Users can move their finger toward it to find upbeat music.
The Cloud icon on the Y-Axis represents sadder songs.
Users can move their finger toward it to find music with a sad or angry tone.
The Hare icon on the X-Axis represents faster songs.
Users can move their finger toward it to find music with a quicker tempo.
Project Reflection
I'm proud of the secondary research I conducted for this project.
Utilizing AI tools like Google's Notebook LM to analyze research papers helped uncover valuable consumer insights that were pivotal in shaping the final solution.
Check out my other projects below. ⬇️
