Spotify: A Gold Mine for Exciting New Product Features
Tiziano Ferro in “L’ultima Notte al Mondo” sings, “Il tuo sorriso dolce è così trasparente, che dopo non c’è niente,”
“Your sweet smile is so vivid,
That after it, there is nothing”
The melody alone, combined with his powerful tenor, will make any listener melt into their seats. But what makes him one of the most popular Italian artists of all time is his lyrics that can bring an entire stadium to tears.
A melody is often not enough though for a listener. Most of us want to experience the relatability of a heartbreak or of a happiness, captured by artists through their words. So how many feelings, cultures, and moments have been lost not in translation but lost in a lack of translation?
A new Spotify feature with a simple translation integration can not only enhance the art of learning languages but also connect people to feelings written across the world.
My LucidChart above depicts this integration using Selena’s “Si Una Vez”, one of the most powerful breakup songs of all time. A new “World” button will pop up if the song’s native language differs from the user’s chosen language on Spotify. There the user will be able to hit the button and reveal the lyrics translated for them.
As a product manager with 3+ years of experience, I’ve thought about the intricacies it would take to scope out a feature like this, but I’d be ready for the challenge.
My proposed rollout would be first the English to Spanish and Spanish to English translations given that Bad Bunny is the second most streamed artist on Spotify.
Not only will this feature provide a more intimate listening experience to the user, but it can also be monetized with exciting add-on tiers, like a language learning tier.
For a dollar more a month, a Spotify user can activate a “Linguist Mode” where they can fill in blanks of songs with words, tap on words and see their definitions or similar use cases, or filter songs by region of a language they’re learning.
If I’m learning Turkish for instance, I can select this in my learning tier and only be given the app with native Turkish songs.
I’ve brought ideas like this to both Snapchat and Disney Streaming, and I’ve had immense fun working with teams there to build software.
So please don’t hesitate to reach out, and feel free to explore my LinkedIn if you are curious about my other creative work in product management spaces: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-milligan12345/.
