MuseIQ
A gamified music platform that pays rising artists for every validation from listeners.
- Duration
- 4 months
- Research to developer handoff
- Role
- Product designer
- Team size
- 6 people
- 1 PM, 4 engineers, 1 designer
- Platform
- Mobile app
- Industry
- Music
- Location
- Remote
Results & impact.
Results from launch and the first months of listener activity.
- $150KFunding securedRaised for MuseIQ
- 12KActive listenersIn the first three months
- 40%Validation rateListeners who back at least one track
- 2xArtist sign-upsCompared with the beta
- 68%Monthly retentionListeners returning each month
Where it started.
MuseIQ is a music platform for rising artists. Listeners discover new music and validate the tracks they back; each validation pays the artist, and payouts arrive monthly. The goal was a fair, direct and predictable income for artists, and a more active way for listeners to support them.
The core problem
Artists and listeners both wanted a closer connection, but every platform they used kept them apart and paid in ways artists couldn't predict.
- 01
Unfair pay
Many artists struggle to earn fairly from their music.
- 02
Unpredictable income
Irregular income makes it hard to sustain a career in music.
- 03
Passive listening
Most music platforms offer little interaction, so artists and listeners stay disconnected.
Business goals
- 01
Fair pay for artists
Pay artists directly for every validation
- 02
Predictable income
Monthly payouts artists can plan around
- 03
Active listening
Turn listeners into backers, not just streamers
- 04
Grow the artist base
Make joining and earning simple for new artists
Research & insights.
We spoke with independent artists and regular listeners, and reviewed how existing music platforms paid artists and engaged fans.
- 01
Artists can't plan their income
Payments were small, irregular and hard to trace back to listeners.
- 02
Listeners want to help
Many wanted to support new artists but had no simple, direct way to do it.
- 03
Progress keeps people coming back
Listeners stayed engaged when they could see their contribution add up.
Design principles
We reframed the brief from "another streaming app" to "how might listening itself become support for an artist?"
One tap to back an artist
Validating a track is the main action, never buried in a menu.
Make progress visible
Points, levels and awards show listeners what their support adds up to.
Show artists their audience
Statistics show who is listening and where, so growth feels real.
How the design evolved.
The work ran in five phases, each building on what the last one found.
- 01
Research
Reviewed the client's goals and the music apps artists and listeners already used
- 02
User flows
Mapped discovery, validation and payouts
- 03
Wireframes
Sketched profiles, validation and the rewards screens in low fidelity
- 04
UI design and prototype
High-fidelity screens and a clickable prototype
- 05
Design system and handoff
Shared components and specs for the developers
From wireframes to final design
Early concepts treated validation like a like button. Testing showed listeners didn't understand it paid the artist.
Issues found
- Validate looked like a like button
- No sign that validating paid the artist
- Rewards hidden in settings
Improvements
- Large Validate button beside Follow
- Clear note that each validation pays
- Points and awards on the profile
Final solution.
The product turns listening into support, so each decision makes backing an artist easier.
- Solution 01
Make Validate the main action on an artist's page
On most platforms, supporting an artist is passive and indirect. The artist profile puts a large Validate button beside Follow, so backing an artist is one tap and pays them directly.
- Solution 02
Reward listeners with points and awards
Listeners need a reason to keep validating new music. Listener profiles show spirit points, progress to the next level and awards, so contributing feels like progress.
- Solution 03
Show artists who is listening
Artists need to see their audience grow to stay motivated. An artist statistics page shows where listeners are, by country, alongside subscription details.
Key features
Also in the app, alongside the three decisions above.
Subscriptions
Plans with a 30-day trial that fund artist payouts.
How I used AI.
AI sped up research and content work; every decision was still checked by hand.
Research synthesis
Clustered interview notes from artists and listeners into themes, then checked them by hand.
Realistic prototype content
Generated sample artists, tracks and playlists so prototypes felt like a real catalogue.
Where I overruled it
It suggested a leaderboard ranking listeners. Testing showed it discouraged new listeners, so I used personal levels instead.
What people said
“For the first time I can see who is listening and what it earns me each month.”
“Backing an artist takes one tap, and I can watch my points grow.”
“The monthly payout makes music feel like a job I can plan around.”
What I learned.
- 01
Gamification only works when the reward is real
Validations pay the artist, so the points mean something to both sides.
- 02
Income has to be predictable to be trusted
A monthly payout schedule mattered as much as the amount.
- 03
Explain what an action does at the moment it happens
One line under Validate fixed more confusion than any onboarding screen.
- 04
Personal progress motivates more than rankings
Levels kept new listeners engaged where a leaderboard put them off.
What's next
- 01
Live sessions
Let artists stream live sessions to the listeners who back them
- 02
Fan messaging
Let artists thank and message their top supporters
- 03
Collaborative playlists
Let listeners build and share playlists of artists they back
Let’s work together.
Hiring a design lead, or planning a product that needs one? Email me at arifulislamsunny@gmail.com or book a call.