Spotify | Social strategy for a top music streaming company

Upon joining Spotify, the prevailing objective was to elevate the user experience through the creation of distinctive social features that would set the platform apart in the growingly competitive music streaming industry.

Upon my arrival, we observed significant insights regarding social features. Traditional social elements like an activity feed and messaging were found to lack strong engagement and were perceived as catering primarily to power users. In contrast, users with existing social connections on the platform exhibited higher engagement and retention metrics. These insights crystallized into our guiding principle, termed "Social as a layer." This concept aimed to conceptualize social not as a separate destination within the app but as an ambient, ever-present element—evoking a sense of connection with familiar individuals and their relationship to music. This philosophy seamlessly aligned with Spotify's overarching goal of providing music for every moment, catering to a broader audience, including more casual users.

Following extensive explorations of various features, the Friend Feed emerged as the quintessential embodiment of this vision. A subtle yet powerful feature, it enabled users to effortlessly observe real-time listening activity of friends and those they followed. Requiring minimal user action, it seamlessly integrated into the user experience and evolved into a fundamental aspect of Spotify's digital landscape, resonating with millions of users.

Even seven years later, the Friend Feed stands as a testament to its enduring success, distinguishing Spotify from other music platforms and solidifying its position as a unique differentiator in the industry.