Today, artists release remixes, sped-up versions, acoustic iterations and other variations individually. This creates discovery friction for listeners (who often miss these versions) and cluttered catalogues for artists (with variations scattered across singles, EPs, or compilations). Currently, streaming platforms don’t support this trend and fail to support dynamic variations as every version is siloed. The challenge for our start up was "how might we design a scalable way for artists to deliver evolving music experiences and versions in a single track, while keeping discovery simple for listeners?". As one of the founding members and main product person on this project, I designed a potential solution to solve this challenge.
- Conducted surveys and user interviews on listening habits: 59.7% said they were intrigued by dynamic variations, while younger audiences (25–34) showed highest interest.
- Designed personas and service maps to model how artists, listeners, producers and streaming platforms would interact with 4DAP.
- Sketched multiple playback flows for how variation skipping might work (e.g. vertical navigation vs. randomised play), testing pros and cons of each.
- Created designs exploring different UI models: “new variation” button, time-of-day variation switching, and hidden vs. explicit variation indicators.
- Collaborated with independent artists, JUCE and C++ developers to produce prototype tracks with component variations.
- Industry consultation with Marc Lazarus (Head of Engine Room, UMG) validated feasibility and relevance for major labels.
- Listeners: described 4DAP as “refreshing” and said it encouraged repeat listens because every play could be unique, increasing the longevity of a single track. Mood-based preferences emerged from our research (lighter daytime vs. heavier nighttime versions).
- Artists: valued the ability to deliver variations without cluttering their release catalogue and offering a more eclectic listening experence for fans
- Platforms: saw potential for greater differentiation in a crowded streaming market with little innovation beyond hi-fi audio.
- Explored variation-based playback controls:
- Randomised listening: each play subtly different.
- Seamless switching: jump between versions at the same timestamp.
- Time-based variations: morning vs. evening versions.
- Mapped the creator workflow (upload tool + file consolidation system) and listener journey (from play button to variation awareness).
- Created a marketing site for the start up
- Built a Replit prototype app to simulate the experience of randomised playback.
- Planned roadmap included a proprietary API, DAW plugins, and a new file type to support scalable distribution.
- Collaborated with independent London artists to produce demo tracks showcasing 4DAP playback modes.
- Early user tests showed increased engagement and willingness to replay tracks when variations were available.
- MVP prototype validated interest among both creators and listeners.
- Secured industry validation from UMG (Engine Room) and tested with independent artists, bridging both mainstream and grassroots use cases.
- Expand prototype into a web app with integrated upload + playback.
- Partner with independent labels for early adoption.
- Continue testing creator tools and DAW integrations to lower the barrier for artist adoption.
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