Democratizing music production

Client
Indiloop LLC

Year
2013 - 2014

Indiloop was a Canadian social platform aimed at democratizing the audio production experience, empowering users to create and share music with ease. The platform allowed users to remix existing tracks using a patented beat-matching algorithm that synchronized the BPM of instruments and vocal stems, enabling users to experiment with music creation, regardless of their technical skill. The experience was highly interactive, with social features like following, commenting, and sharing remixes within the community.

Indiloop’s goal was to empower users to create music with minimal technical knowledge while offering advanced tools for experienced users, all within an intuitive interface.

We designed a space for experimentation and creativity, blending music-making with fan engagement on a social platform where users could discover, listen to, and interact with remixes.

By collaborating with music companies, we provided isolated stems from popular songs for users to remix, disrupting traditional music platforms and innovating the music release process.

Getting the word out

As Indiloop was music and community first, we collaborated closely with music labels to create marketing material that was fun-first, aiming to both promote the platform and highlight the work of partnering labels.

Our approach centered around creating engaging content that appealed to both casual listeners and budding musicians. This included interactive campaigns, remix challenges featuring popular tracks, and exclusive access to stems from well-known artists.

By focusing on fun, creativity, and accessibility, we shed light on the unique capabilities of Indiloop while showcasing the label’s artists in fresh and innovative ways. This partnership-driven strategy helped position Indiloop as an exciting space for fans and creators alike.

These flyers were shared at Warped Tour 2014 in the USA.

Collaborating with labels

In addition to our partnership with Vans Warped Tour, we worked closely with music labels to run localized remix contests, customized for different states and cities. These contests featured exclusive tracks and stems from popular artists, giving users a chance to remix their favorite songs while engaging with the Indiloop platform.

Each contest was tailored to its region, offering unique rewards and recognition, such as tickets to local concerts or meet-and-greets with artists.

This strategy not only showcased Indiloop's creative potential but also fostered deeper engagement with both fans and the music labels, driving participation on Indiloop and spotlighting local music scenes.

In-House asset creation

Indiloop ran lean, so we made the most of each team member's skill set - and I often wore many hats, including the creation of in-house assets.

This included designing banners, promotional materials, and business cards to help promote the platform and support the team. As the only design-focused team member, I took on the responsibility of ensuring these materials aligned with our brand’s identity and visually communicated the platform's core features. Whether it was business cards for networking events or digital assets for online promotion, we maximized our impact with minimal resources by leveraging creativity and efficiency.

Gamification

To enhance user engagement and retention, we introduced gamification elements into Indiloop's platform. Users earned points and badges for activities like creating remixes, sharing tracks, and engaging with the community.

Leaderboards aimed to foster a sense of community competition and achievement, motivating users to explore more features and improve their skills.

We also created challenges, such as remix contests, where users could win rewards and recognition from both peers and industry partners.

This gamified approach not only incentivized creativity but also helped build a strong, interactive community around music-making.

Wireframing & protoyping

With thousands of tracks and stems, as well as layers of features like music creation, listening, social interaction, and gamification, wireframing became an essential part of our design process. It allowed us to visually map out how all of these elements could work together to create a cohesive and intuitive user experience. In close collaboration with the other team members, we iterated on different wireframes to refine the user flow, ensuring the platform's complexity didn’t overwhelm users.

To complement the wireframes, we developed live prototypes that allowed us to test interactions and gather valuable feedback. These prototypes were instrumental in guiding design decisions, helping us make adjustments early, and ensuring a smooth user experience as we integrated various platform features. Through continuous iteration, we were able to strike a balance between content, functionality, and engagement.

Process

1 Collaborated with a small, five-member team, where communication and adaptability were key.

2 Researched existing social platforms and music software to determine which features to implement and innovate upon.

3 Prioritized continuous iteration, responding to user feedback and market changes.

4 Measured success through analytics, user testing, and interviews.

5 Regularly experimented with UI flows and information architecture to balance user needs with business goals.

6 Provided end to end design direction, including art direction, branding, UX/UI, gamification and promotional material for the platform.

7 Engaged with users through Mailchimp campaigns, social media, and contests to promote Indiloop and encourage platform participation.

The takeaway

Indiloop was an exciting, fast-paced experience that had its ups and downs, ultimately shaping my early career. As the only design-focused team member, I leaned heavily into iteration and trial and error, often learning through mistakes.

While I could have focused more on pre-production and early testing, the process taught me invaluable lessons about product design, user experience, and collaboration.

We successfully promoted events like the Vans Warped Tour, introduced users to the joy of making music, and created unique remixes that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.

Despite its eventual closure, Indiloop provided key insights into the challenges of building a product from the ground up and the importance of user feedback, establishing scalable design systems, and iterative design.