A screener survey was conducted to qualify potential users. We were looking for specific users, ones who listen to music, streaming music, who are DJs (amateur or professional). 84 responses were received providing answers to important questions relating to SoundCloud’s fundamental features. From those reponses we conducted 13 intervies. The interviews are an important aspect in the research process to gain detailed understanding of what we learned from the survey responses and thought process of potential users. We asked them questions such as “What does DJing mean to you?” “How often do you make playlists” “Do you share your playlists?” “Do you make playlists with others?”

 

Following the user interviews we gathered all of the data and created an Affinity Diagram. To determine who the main users were, either DJ, or general music listener, if they liked to combine playlists by collaboration or not, and if they wanted to do it live, we separated the map into four sections. (LIVE, PREDETERMINED, DOES NOT WANT TO COLLABORATE, WANTS TO COLLABORATE)

 

The results were conclusive, DJs have no interest in collaborating live/real time. We were able to validate that, that feature was unnecessary for SoundCloud to move ahead with, however, the average person or amatur DJ would be interested in that as a party type feature. Most people felt that music was usually very personal or private, and if they did share their music it was with friends in a living room or through social media.

 

We were able to organize our findings into 70 different data points such as motivations for making playlists, streaming music services they use for making playlists, how they like to collaborate, challenges/pain points, and pleasures.