Amazon Music Reimagined
More personal, more Rewarding
Showed interest in earning and redeeming rewards.
Control Over Algorithm
“if i could get recommendations more suited to my music taste”
Emotional Connect
“More social features, ability to add notes, emotes, or react to songs with friends”
Suggestion Mode
Fine-tune recommendations in real-time for a personalized experience
Rewards & Loyalty Program
Exclusive perks, discounts and engagement-based rewards
What resonated most with the people?
Project Type
Product Design, Design Innovation, Prototyping
My Role
UX Researcher, UX Designer
Project Timeline
1 Month
Client
Amazon Music
Software Used
Figma, Adobe Premier
Amazon Music
Increasing retention/Strengthening loyalty
Amazon Music asked us to explore how the platform could improve user retention. Our goal was to redesign the mobile experience to make it more personal, engaging and emotionally rewarding. Our concept centered around user agency and music-based rewards and was chosen as the winning solution by Amazon Music.
Problem Statement
Amazon Music lacked emotional connection with its users. They found the recommendations inaccurate, the experience emotionally flat, and the overall platform uninspiring. Many used it simply because it came with Prime, not because they loved it.
How might we design an experience that builds loyalty, reflects user identity and makes people want to come back?
Our Team
Sakshi Rane (ME!), Shreya Lohakare, Radhika Balaji, Nabhi Shah - Team 565 Collective
Process For The Solution
We surveyed 50 + users and conducted 10 interviews. Themes we heard :
Key Pain
Points
No control over recommendations
No feedback or recognition from the system
No connection between music and identity
No meaningful reason to return daily
Our Solution
Before narrowing in on our final solution, we explored a range of feature concepts, each aimed at addressing a different facet of user retention, emotional engagement and brand loyalty. Here’s a look at the ideas we tested:
Gamified Rewards
Users could earn "Listening Points" for time spent streaming and redeem them for artist merchandise, concert tickets, or VIP perks.
Music Journal
This feature let users pick how they got music suggestions through trending, sound match, or smart picks, making discovery more personal and in their control
Mood Concept
We also looked into syncing with wearable devices like Fitbit to detect mood or activity. The app could then suggest playlists to match physical or emotional statescurating music to suit your energy
Suggestion Mode
This feature let users pick how they got music suggestions through trending, sound match, or smart picks, making discovery more personal and in their control
Why we chose Suggestion Modes and Rewards System
Suggestion Mode
Suggestion Modes empowers users with a sense of control. It improves discovery through transparency and personalization, and offers a scalable tech solution that differentiates Amazon music from competitors aligning people and technology
What’s Trending – Based on users
Sound Match – Genre/mood-driven
Smart Suggest – A hybrid experience
Rewards & Loyalty System
Rewards & Loyalty combines user motivation with Amazon’s e-commerce power. IT increases retention by making users feel recognized, while encouraging purchases and deeper engagement aligning people and business value.
Earn points for time spent, playlist creation, and music discovery
Redeem points for artist merchandise and exclusive drops
Visual dashboard with progress and rewards
Together, these two features formed a product experience that felt personal, rewarding, and distinctly Amazon. They struck the right balance between user value and business advantage.
What We Designed
Suggestion Mode
Rewards & Loyalty
Why it's good for Amazon
Daily Engagement
Premium Subscription
Strengthen Ecosystem
Recommendation Quality
Drives daily Engagement
The reward system introduces a gamified habit loop that keeps users returning to maintain progress.
Micro Rewards
Micro-rewards for actions like discovering new songs or completing playlists make daily use feel satisfying.
Outcome
We created a winning mobile experience for the Amazon Music Design Challenge that boosted music discovery, gamified exploration, and linked listening to merch—earning praise from Amazon Music’s exec team.
Encourages Social Sharing & Virality
Referral rewards encourage users to invite friends. Community challenges create organic social buzz.
High Impact Due to Listening Behavior
46% of users play a single track instead of a playlist, relying heavily on the algorithm for the next song.
A Psychological Effect on Users
Gives users the sense that the algorithm is tailored specifically for them rather than passively accepting its suggestions with no choice.
Increases Retention & Customer Lifetime Value
A tiered system keeps users coming back to maintain their status (e.g., Prime vs. Unlimited).
What I Took Away
Emotional Connections
This project taught me that people return to a product when they feel like it sees them. Small touches like choosing your discovery mode or getting a reward for listening can turn a utility into a relationship.
Aligning User Needs with Business Goals
This project taught me that people return to a product when they feel like it sees them. Small touches like choosing your discovery mode or getting a reward for listening can turn a utility into a relationship.
Design That Brings People Back
This wasn’t just a design challenge it was a reminder that the best products are the ones that understand people, reward them for their time, and give them something to come back for.
