Problem.
Spotify’s short-form video exists, but:
It is hidden inside artist profiles
It only features official content
It lacks public interaction
Users leave Spotify to discover, react to, and share music socially.
Discovery happens outside the platform.
Outcome.
Spotify Bits expands infinite scroll into a social, personalized feed accessible from Home.
It introduces:
Vertical discovery
Likes and comments
Share and save
Algorithmic personalization
Discovery becomes interactive, without changing Spotify’s core navigation.
Industry Context.
Spotify is the only major music streaming platform that has started integrating infinite scrolling behavior inside the app (compared to Apple Music, Tidal, and YouTube Music). This already gives Spotify an advantage in terms of engagement mechanics.
However, when looking at true competitors for infinite scrolling platforms, the real comparison shifts to platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. These platforms dominate short-form infinite scrolling and have become primary spaces for music discovery.
Based on the current market, Spotify needs to incorporate
• Native interaction tools (likes, comments, shares) inside the vertical feed
• Fan-generated short-form content, not only official artist clips
• Clear audio attribution directly linked to tracks and artist profiles
• Connection between Spotify’s chat and infinite scrolling feature
User insights.
Through analysis and observation, two main patterns appeared:
People discover music socially.
Creators want visibility inside streaming platforms.
These insights shaped two personas.
Designing Within Spotify’s Core Principles
Relevant
Spotify is built on personalization.
Spotify Bits extends this by introducing a vertical feed that adapts to:
• Listening history
• Engagement behavior
• Social signals
• Music taste patterns
Human
Spotify currently enables listening, but not conversation.
Spotify Bits introduces:
• Comments
• Likes
• Creator attribution
• Fan participation
• Chat integration
Unified
This was the most important constraint.
I did not redesign Spotify.
Instead:
• No new navigation was introduced
• The feature lives inside the Home tab
• Existing infinite scroll behavior was extended
• Spotify’s typography and interaction patterns were preserved
• Chat integration connects the system
Feature System.
Spotify Bits lives directly inside the Home screen as a discovery module. Instead of forcing users to search for the infinite scrolling feature through artist profiles, the experience becomes instantly accessible.
Once inside, users enter a vertical feed where they can scroll, like, comment, share through Spotify Chat, save songs, or visit creator and artist profiles.
The feature connects naturally with existing systems like playlists, chat, and liked songs, making it feel native to Spotify rather than an external add-on.
Before vs After Journey.
The user journey shows how Spotify’s current infinite scroll works vs. how it could work with Spotify Bits.
Right now, you have to search for an artist and go into their profile to find short clips. It’s mostly official content, and interaction is limited.
With Spotify Bits, the feature lives on the Home screen. You get quick onboarding, then jump into a vertical feed with artist and fan content, where you can like, comment, and share directly; making music discovery more social and interactive.
Visual Identity Integration.
To introduce Spotify Bits in a way that feels native to Spotify, I collaborated with illustrator Joyce Wang to develop a visual identity that aligns with Spotify’s expressive and culture-driven aesthetic.
The goal was not to create a visual extension that feels part of Spotify’s ecosystem.
Coliborativelly we created the logo and introduction illustration of Spotify Bits.
Final Feature Experience.
Once inside Spotify Bits, users enter a full-screen, infinite-scroll experience inspired by TikTok-style vertical video. The design brings together the engagement patterns users already understand with Spotify’s audio-centric strengths.
The feature includes:
Infinite vertical scrolling for continuous music-driven discovery
Like, comment, share, and save interactions designed in the Spotify style
Mute/Audio toggle for better accessibility in different environments
Creator crediting through usernames and captions
Song attribution via a dedicated mini song card synced with licensed audio
Artist visibility that keeps creative ownership intact
Every decision focused on merging familiar interaction patterns with features that reinforce Spotify as the home for music discovery.
Impact.
Why This Matters
Short-form platforms dominate user attention.
• TikTok users spend an average of 95 minutes per day on the app (Data.ai, 2023).
• 75% of TikTok users discover new artists on the platform (TikTok Marketing Science).
• 67% search for songs on streaming services after hearing them on TikTok (TikTok Marketing Science).
This shows:
• Music discovery happens outside Spotify
• Streaming happens after discovery
• Infinite scroll + interaction drives high engagement
Spotify currently captures listening — but not the discovery moment.
Hypothesis
Introducing interactive short-form discovery inside Spotify could:
• Increase time spent in the Home tab
• Increase discovery-to-save conversion
• Reduce reliance on external discovery platforms
• Strengthen in-app creator participation
Success Metrics
• Home session duration
• Scroll depth
• Comment engagement rate
• Discovery-to-playlist conversion
• Cross-artist listening rate
