Timeframe
31 Days
Project Type
Add a feature,
Music industry, Improving a platform
Role
Sole Designer, Research, UI/UX Design, Prototyping, Testing
Project Overview
Context
In today’s fast-paced digital world, music streaming platforms are no longer just about listening—they’re about fostering connection, community, and lifestyle. Apple Music has established itself as a leader in premium sound and curated content, but it currently lacks features that integrate users’ digital listening habits with real-world experiences. As fans crave more ways to feel connected to their favorite artists—and each other—especially through live events, there’s a growing opportunity for Apple Music to bridge this gap and strengthen its emotional value to users
The Problem
How might I connect music lovers to more events going on in their city?
Despite Apple Music’s robust offerings, fans must leave the app to discover and buy tickets for live events. Users juggle Apple Music, ticket platforms, venue sites, and social media, making the experience fragmented and time-consuming—often causing them to miss shows. Emerging artists also struggle for visibility, as smaller concerts rarely appear on major platforms. Users, especially younger ones, want a simpler, more personalized way to connect their digital music experience with local live entertainment.
Solution
Apple Music Local is designed to bring concerts directly to music lovers. Using listening data and location, it curates nearby performances—from top artists to rising local talent—and lets fans view event details, buy tickets, and set reminders, all within the app. Integrated into the Home tab, it delivers personalized, real-world recommendations, simplifying discovery and deepening the connection between fans, music, and their communities—turning passive listening into active engagement.
User Interviews
How do User's Interact with their Music?
Number of Participants
6 interviewees
Methodology
1:1 interviews conducted on Microsoft Teams
Demographics
Music lovers of all ages
Goal
Explore user behaviors, preferences, and painpoints around discovering and attending local live music events.
Quantitative Highlights & Findings
83%
currently already use a music streaming service like Spotify, Apple Music, or Pandora.
In my findings, there was a strong generational divide--Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to access local live events in their streaming service.
67%
said discovering local events is important to their overall music experience.
A majority care about live events as part of their music journey.
100%
of participants said they would use their primary music streaming app to discover concerts and currently do this with musicians.
Strong support for integrating this feature directly into existing platforms.
Key Pain Points & Challenges
67%
of participants said it’s hard to discover all the available local events due to fragmented platforms.
Opportunity to centralize event listings directly in the music app.
50%
cited cost-related barriers like high ticket prices or hidden fees.
Sites like Ticketmaster hide their fees and aren't transparent about it up front.
50%
expressed a need for more tailored event suggestions.
Opportunity to leverage user data to surface artist-relevant events.
Competitive Analysis
How do other Music Apps Approach This?
After analyzing competitor platforms and interviewing users, it became clear that while major music apps excel in streaming and personalization, none of them fully address the live event discovery and ticketing experience. This presents a strategic opportunity for Apple Music to differentiate itself by solving real user frustrations.
Affinity Map
Organizing my Findings
83%
of participants said they discover most of their new music through their streaming platform.
67%
said they have to leave their streaming app to find out about shows, often going to Google, Ticketmaster, or venue websites.
81%
said they check multiple sources — social media, venue sites, friends — to find out what’s happening locally.
User Persona
An Outgoing Live Music Lover
Josie was inspired by patterns I saw in my user interviews — especially younger users who love music and going out but struggle to find local shows easily. A lot of them mentioned discovering artists on Apple Music or social media, but said it’s a pain to jump between apps just to find concerts and buy tickets. Josie represents that user: outgoing, social, and always looking for something new to do on the weekend. Her goals and pain points helped me stay focused on designing something that feels fun, convenient, and actually solves the problem.
User Journey Map
Mapping Josie's Journey: From Discovery to Purchase
Analyzing Josie’s journey and her pain points helped me uncover key areas of friction—from bouncing between multiple platforms to navigating a confusing ticketing process. Mapping this out revealed clear opportunities for Apple Music Local to step in and simplify the experience, creating a smoother, more personalized path from discovery to purchase.
Feature Set
Prioritizing Location Data & Personalization
Based on my research, it became clear that users want a seamless, all-in-one way to discover local live music and buy tickets without the usual hassle. To meet that need, I prioritized features like location-based event suggestions, algorithm-powered recommendations based on listening habits, a quick and easy Apple Wallet checkout, and clear event descriptions so users know exactly what to expect.
Must Haves
Location data
Checkout
Apple Wallet support
Apple algorithm access
Nice to Haves
Filter by genre
Venue seat maps
Can Come Later
Concert previews
"Friends are going" feature
User Flows
Mapping the Experience
Buying a Ticket Through Apple Music Local
I wanted to make it as easy as possible for someone like Josie to find a concert they care about and buy a ticket without jumping through hoops. So I mapped out a simple, straightforward user flow that removes the friction—from discovering local shows to checking out quickly. It was all about keeping the journey focused, intuitive, and frustration-free.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Early Sketches of my Design
Touchpoints
After figuring out the flow, I sketched out the core screens to bring that journey to life. I focused on making it easy to browse, find events that actually match your taste, and check out in just a few taps. These early sketches helped me explore layout ideas and make sure everything felt smooth and natural before moving into high-fidelity designs.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Moving to Digital
Touchpoints
This is an existing screen within Apple Music, the red circle indicates where the Apple Music Local icon will go. I thought it would fit well in the "Home" tab.
The user can browse all the different live events in their area.
User can view the description of the event, venue name, and how far they are from it. Here, they are able to get tickets.
User's can choose how many tickets they want to purchase.
They can browse seats and prices based on the venue.
User's can review their order and purchase ticket.
Order confirmation and option to add the ticket to their Apple Wallet.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Matching Apple's UI
Touchpoints
Using Apple’s color palette and typography, I designed the feature to blend seamlessly into the existing Apple Music interface. The goal was to make it feel native — like it had always been part of the app — while still standing out enough to guide users toward local event discovery.
Apple Music Local Icon
Browse Events
View Event Details
Number of Tickets
Seat Selection
Checkout
Confirmation
Usability Testing
How does the Flow Work with Users?
I ran a usability test to see how intuitive the experience felt when searching for a concert and purchasing tickets. Overall, users found the design easy to navigate, though a few pain points surfaced—like unclear tap areas and some initial hesitation on the homepage. These insights helped guide small but meaningful design tweaks to improve clarity and interaction.
Number of Participants
5 participants
Methodology
Remote monitored test on Google Meet.
Success Rate
Demographics
Gen Z & Millenials
Goal
-
Measure the success and easy of use of the new Apple Music Local feature.
100%
Iterations
Feedback Driven Changes
Increase Tap Areas
During testing on the “Shows Nearby” tab, users instinctively tapped on different parts of the concert section, but only the arrow was interactive. I updated the design so the entire box is now tappable, making it more intuitive and aligned with user expectations.
Before: Only 1 touchpoint
After: User has more tapping freedom
Optimizing Layout to Match UI and Avoid Clutter
I received feedback that my seat selection page felt a bit cluttered. I also noticed it didn’t fully align with Apple’s design standards. Based on that, I refined the layout to create a cleaner, more focused experience that better matches Apple Music’s list view patterns.
Before
After
Conclusion
Closing Reflections
Working on Apple Music Local helped me realize how disconnected the process of discovering live shows really is—even though so many of us are already discovering new artists in our music apps. It felt exciting to design a feature that could actually make that process easier, more personal, and more fun. Through interviews and testing, I saw how much people want something like this, and how small changes can go a long way in making a smoother experience.
This case study also pushed me to pay closer attention to visual details—especially when designing for an existing brand like Apple. Making sure everything felt consistent with Apple Music’s UI helped me think more intentionally about spacing, layout, and interactions. Usability testing was super helpful too—it reminded me that users don’t always interact with a design exactly how you expect, and that’s a good thing to learn from.
Overall, this project really reinforced why I enjoy UX. It’s about making things feel effortless for real people. I loved takling a problem that I—and a lot of others—have felt, and turning it into something that could genuinely improve someone’s experience.