San Diego, CA /
12:02 AM
San Diego, CA /
12:02 AM
Designing ZEE5 music as a 0→1 product
within an OTT ecosystem
Designing ZEE5 music as a 0→1 product
within an OTT ecosystem
Designing ZEE5 music as a 0→1 product
within an OTT ecosystem
Making music discovery seamless within the ZEE5 ecosystem
Making music discovery seamless within the ZEE5 ecosystem
Making music discovery seamless within the ZEE5 ecosystem
RESPONSIBILITIES
RESPONSIBILITIES
RESPONSIBILITIES
Requirement Gathering
Requirement Gathering
Requirement Gathering
Stakeholder Collaboration
Stakeholder Collaboration
Stakeholder Collaboration
User Research
User Research
User Research
Competitive analysis
Competitive analysis
Competitive analysis
Insight Synthesis
Insight Synthesis
Insight Synthesis
Information Architecture
Information Architecture
Information Architecture
User Flow Design
User Flow Design
User Flow Design
Wireframing
Wireframing
Wireframing
High-Fidelity Prototyping
High-Fidelity Prototyping
High-Fidelity Prototyping
My Role
My Role
My Role
User Research,
UI Design & Prototyping, Feature Scoping
User Research, UI Design & Prototyping, Feature Scoping
User Research, UI Design & Prototyping, Feature Scoping
Team
Team
Team
PM, UX Designer, Frontend & Backend Engineer
PM, UX Designer, Frontend & Backend Engineer
PM, UX Designer, Frontend & Backend Engineer
Duration
Duration
Duration
32 Weeks
32 Weeks
32 Weeks
Industry
Industry
Industry
OTT
OTT
OTT
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
In May 2022, ZEE5 expanded its entertainment ecosystem by launching ZEE5 Music, a dedicated music streaming experience built entirely from scratch and integrated within the existing OTT platform.
Before this launch, ZEE5 did not have a standalone or integrated music destination, despite owning a large catalog of movie soundtracks, music videos, and live performances. This represented a missed opportunity for daily engagement, content discovery, and retention.
The challenge was not just to add music, but to design a discovery-first, region-aware music experience that felt native to ZEE5, complemented video content, and drove measurable business impact.
In May 2022, ZEE5 expanded its entertainment ecosystem by launching ZEE5 Music, a dedicated music streaming experience built entirely from scratch and integrated within the existing OTT platform.
Before this launch, ZEE5 did not have a standalone or integrated music destination, despite owning a large catalog of movie soundtracks, music videos, and live performances. This represented a missed opportunity for daily engagement, content discovery, and retention.
The challenge was not just to add music, but to design a discovery-first, region-aware music experience that felt native to ZEE5, complemented video content, and drove measurable business impact.
In May 2022, ZEE5 launched ZEE5 Music, a discovery-first music experience built from scratch and integrated into the OTT platform.
Despite owning a rich catalog of soundtracks, music videos, and live performances, ZEE5 previously lacked a music destination, missing daily engagement and retention opportunities.
The goal was to design a region-aware, native music experience that complemented video content and delivered real business impact.
PROJECT CONTEXT
PROJECT CONTEXT
PROJECT CONTEXT
Before May 2022, ZEE5 had a wide range of content, including movies, shows, and live TV, but it lacked a dedicated section for music. Given the increasing demand for streaming music and ZEE5’s diverse user base, the challenge was to create an easy-to-navigate, visually engaging music experience that would:
Before May 2022, ZEE5 had a wide range of content, including movies, shows, and live TV, but it lacked a dedicated section for music. Given the increasing demand for streaming music and ZEE5’s diverse user base, the challenge was to create an easy-to-navigate, visually engaging music experience that would:
Before May 2022, ZEE5 had a wide range of content, including movies, shows, and live TV, but it lacked a dedicated section for music. Given the increasing demand for streaming music and ZEE5’s diverse user base, the challenge was to create an easy-to-navigate, visually engaging music experience that would:
Blend seamlessly with the existing ZEE5 ecosystem.
Blend seamlessly with the existing ZEE5 ecosystem.
Cater to a broad demographic with varying music tastes.
Cater to a broad demographic with varying music tastes.
Increase user retention and engagement through a delightful intuitive interface.
Increase user retention and engagement through a delightful intuitive interface.
Offer smooth integration with video content and the broader ZEE5 platform.
Offer smooth integration with video content and the broader ZEE5 platform.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROBLEM STATEMENT
“ How might we design a native music experience within ZEE5 that enables effortless discovery, respects regional preferences, and increases daily user engagement without disrupting the core OTT experience? ”
“ How might we design a native music experience within ZEE5 that enables effortless discovery, respects regional preferences, and increases daily user engagement without disrupting the core OTT experience? ”
“ How might we design a native music experience within ZEE5 that enables effortless discovery, respects regional preferences, and increases daily user engagement without disrupting the core OTT experience? ”
Research Methods
Research Methods
Research Methods
User interviews
Usability testing
Competitive analysis
Online surveys
Data review
Business & Technical investigation
Post-launch data analysis
Focus groups
User Research
User Research
User Research
Target Audience
Target Audience
Target Audience
Personas
Personas
Personas
Meet our users - we are solving fragmented music discovery and engagement within an OTT ecosystem for them.
Meet our users - we are solving fragmented music discovery and engagement within an OTT ecosystem for them.
Meet our users - we are solving fragmented music discovery and engagement within an OTT ecosystem for them.
Affinity Mapping
Affinity Mapping
Affinity Mapping
To synthesize insights from user interviews, surveys, and focus groups, we conducted an affinity mapping exercise to identify recurring behaviors, motivations, and pain points related to music consumption within an OTT context.
To synthesize insights from user interviews, surveys, and focus groups, we conducted an affinity mapping exercise to identify recurring behaviors, motivations, and pain points related to music consumption within an OTT context.
To synthesize insights from user interviews, surveys, and focus groups, we conducted an affinity mapping exercise to identify recurring behaviors, motivations, and pain points related to music consumption within an OTT context.
Data Sources Used
Data Sources Used
Data Sources Used
1:1 User Interviews
1:1 User Interviews
1:1 User Interviews
Focus Groups
Focus Groups
Focus Groups
Open-ended Survey
Open-ended Survey
Open-ended Survey
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Product Positioning
Product Positioning
Product Positioning
Discovery Experience
Discovery Experience
Discovery Experience
Library and Habit Formation
Library and Habit Formation
Library and Habit Formation
Playback and Consumption UX
Playback and Consumption UX
Playback and Consumption UX
Focus Groups
Focus Groups
Focus Groups
3
3
Focus Groups
Focus Groups
8-10
8-10
Participants Each
Participants Each
2
2
Segments
Segments
Key Insights
Key Insights
Key Insights
ZEE5 Music functioned as a cultural discovery layer, not a Spotify alternatice
ZEE5 Music functioned as a cultural discovery layer, not a Spotify alternatice
Soundtracks & regional playlists outperformed global charts
Soundtracks & regional playlists outperformed global charts
Music videos drove stronger emotional engagement and longer sessions than audio-only listening
Music videos drove stronger emotional engagement and longer sessions than audio-only listening
Defining Success & Constraints
Defining Success & Constraints
Defining Success & Constraints
What Does Success Look Like?
What Does Success Look Like?
What Does Success Look Like?
Primary Objectives Fulfilled
Primary Objectives Fulfilled
Increased discovery and consumption of music content within the ZEE5 ecosystem
Improved CTR through clearer entry points, better content grouping, and contextual placement
A lightweight, intuitive experience that feels native to the existing OTT app Competitive Advantage
Competitive Advantage
Competitive Advantage
Positioned as a discovery-first, region-led music experience rather than a full-scale Spotify alternative
Positioned as a discovery-first, region-led music experience rather than a full-scale Spotify alternative
Leveraged exclusive movie soundtracks and music videos unique to ZEE5
Leveraged exclusive movie soundtracks and music videos unique to ZEE5
Enabled audio + video parity, creating emotional engagement competitors could not easily replicate
Enabled audio + video parity, creating emotional engagement competitors could not easily replicate
Potential Limitations
Potential Limitations
Technical Constraints
Technical Constraints
Technical Constraints
Reliance on existing OTT infrastructure limited deep personalization and advanced music-specific features
Reliance on existing OTT infrastructure limited deep personalization and advanced music-specific features
Performance considerations constrained real-time recommendations and richer motion interactions
Performance considerations constrained real-time recommendations and richer motion interactions
Platform Dependency
Platform Dependency
Platform Dependency
Music engagement was dependent on overall ZEE5 app traffic rather than standalone adoption
Music engagement was dependent on overall ZEE5 app traffic rather than standalone adoption
Limited ability to match dedicated music apps on offline usage and algorithmic depth
Limited ability to match dedicated music apps on offline usage and algorithmic depth
Design Strategy & Principles
Design Strategy & Principles
Design Strategy & Principles
Design Process
Design Process
Design Process
Low Fidelity Sketches
Low Fidelity Sketches
Low Fidelity Sketches
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
High Fidelity Design
High Fidelity Design
High Fidelity Design
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Method
Moderated remote testing using high-fidelity prototypes
Internal dogfooding sessions
Moderated remote testing using high-fidelity prototypes
Internal dogfooding sessions
Key Findings
Music needed stronger homepage visibility
Language cues needed to be persistent
Playback controls needed simplification
Music needed stronger homepage visibility
Language cues needed to be persistent
Playback controls needed simplification
Design Actions
Improved home surfacing
Clear regional indicators
Simplified Now Playing interface
Improved home surfacing
Clear regional indicators
Simplified Now Playing interface
Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Metrics Tracked
Metrics Tracked
Metrics Tracked
Click-through rate(CTR)
Click-through rate(CTR)
Click-through rate(CTR)
Entry-point performance
Entry-point performance
Entry-point performance
Session duration
Session duration
Session duration
Audio vs video engagement
Audio vs video engagement
Audio vs video engagement
Results
Results
Results
CTR increased from 0.39% to 0.89% in 60 days
CTR increased from 0.39% to 0.89% in 60 days
Users engaging with music videos had longer sessions
Users engaging with music videos had longer sessions
Regional playlists consistently outperformed generic charts
Regional playlists consistently outperformed generic charts
Business & Technical Investigation
Business & Technical Investigation
Business & Technical Investigation
Business Goals
Increase daily app opens
Support AVOD engagement
Engagement region-specific campaigns
Increase daily app opens
Support AVOD engagement
Engagement region-specific campaigns
Technical Constraints
Existing ZEE5 navigation framework
Performance on low-bandwidth networks
Content Licensing & Metadata Gaps
Existing ZEE5 navigation framework
Performance on low-bandwidth networks
Content Licensing & Metadata Gaps
Launch & Growth Strategy
In-app onboarding
Push and region-specific notifications
Data-Driven Iteration Post-Launch
In-app onboarding
Push and region-specific notifications
Data-Driven Iteration Post-Launch
Regional Engagement
Regional Engagement
Regional Engagement
42%
West India
35%
North India
15%
South India
8%
East India
Learnings
Learnings
Learnings
Personalization works best when culturally relevant
Consistency builds trust; differentiation builds delight
Music inside OTT succeeds as a discovery layer
Growth design is as critical as interface design
Next Steps for success
Next Steps for success
Next Steps for success
AI-powered personalized playlists
AI-powered personalized playlists
AI-powered personalized playlists
Artist-curated experiences
Artist-curated experiences
Artist-curated experiences
Podcasts and live audio
Podcasts and live audio
Podcasts and live audio
AI-powered personalized playlists
AI-powered personalized playlists
AI-powered personalized playlists
Song watch parties
Song watch parties
Song watch parties
Social playlist sharing
Social playlist sharing
Social playlist sharing
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
“ZEE5 Music transformed fragmented content into a habit-forming, discovery-led experience. By grounding design decisions in personas, affinity mapping, usability insights, and real performance data, the product delivered measurable engagement gains while staying native to the ZEE5 ecosystem.”
“ZEE5 Music transformed fragmented content into a habit-forming, discovery-led experience. By grounding design decisions in personas, affinity mapping, usability insights, and real performance data, the product delivered measurable engagement gains while staying native to the ZEE5 ecosystem.”
“ZEE5 Music transformed fragmented content into a habit-forming, discovery-led experience. By grounding design decisions in personas, affinity mapping, usability insights, and real performance data, the product delivered measurable engagement gains while staying native to the ZEE5 ecosystem.”
Designed for the Multiverse of Users
"From first click to final scroll, let’s create experiences that transcend timelines."
Designed for the Multiverse of Users
"From first click to final scroll, let’s create experiences that transcend timelines."
Designed for the Multiverse of Users
"From first click to final scroll, let’s create experiences that transcend timelines."