MusicWalla is a proposed online radio service that aims to overcome limitations of existing services like Pandora. It would integrate social networking features, allow on-demand streaming, offer location-based music rooms with multiple radio jockeys that broadcast to all users in the room, and enable live discussion boards. Initial user research found a need for more reliable playlists, social integration, collaboration on playlists, and an on-demand option. MusicWalla would combine the best of Pandora, Facebook, cloud music services, and a jukebox/chatroom experience.

1. MusicWalla
Be the RadioJockey!

2. Background
• It is no secret that the online radio industry is booming
• As of July, 2010 Pandora was the most popular Internet
radio service with 52% market share Tom Silverman & Tommy Boy Records
• In December 2010, Pandora had 612,642 average
active sessions. Ando Media
All said and done, does Pandora offer a complete
online radio experience?
o As I looked for answers, I came up with the idea for MusicWalla

3. User Research
After I got the idea for MusicWalla, I conducted a
formative usability analysis (FUA) to understand the
user requirements in depth
• Data was collected from 25 users
• Users were questioned on the following topics
o Issues with their current Online Radio
o FM radio versus Online radio
o Online radio and Social Networking
Results from this study helped me transform MusicWalla
from an idea to a concept.

4. So what is MusicWalla?

5. So what is MusicWalla?
• MusicWalla picks it’s features from
o Pandora
o Facebook / Twitter
o ‘On Demand’ service
o Cloud Music
o A Jukebox
o A Chatroom
• It also overcomes it’s competitors’ pitfalls

6. Features imported
• Online Radio service
• Music tagging
• Song up-votes

7. User Pains
Initial user research showed the following pitfalls in
Pandora’s radio service
1. Computer-generated playlists are not always reliable
2. Lack of social integration and collaboration
3. Lack of an ‘On Demand’ music service

8. Features imported
Social Integration
• Follow friends/people/artists
• Share followers’ playlists
• Edit followers’ public playlists

9. Features imported
• On demand music
o Access to the entire music library via the internet
• Cloud based music
o Access to the entire music library via the internet

10. Jukebox Features imported
• Multiple Radio Jockeys – Edit playlists
• Music is broadcast to everyone in the room
• Location-based music
• User picks songs from a given selection of music

11. Chat Room Features imported
• Topic/Genre based music rooms
• Location based music rooms
• Discussion boards

12. How does it work?
As an example…
• Consider an office setting
• Everyone in the office is logged onto MusicWalla on
their computers
• The users in the “room” are active participants in the
playlist.
• Remember
o it is a user-generated playlist
o It is a real-time collaborative playlist
o Everyone in the “room” is listening to the same song at a given time

13. MusicWalla Room: The Office (Public)
9 members joined
Music Genre: Random

14. MusicWalla Room: The Office
1. Current Song: Ich Will by Rammstein
played by user Dwight Schrute
2. Next song: The LiSle Drummer boy by Katherine Davis
played by user Angela Martin

15. MusicWalla Room: The Office
2. Current Song: With All I am by Hilsong
played by user Angela Martin
3. Next song: Hawthorne Heights by Scrantonicity
played by user Kevin Malone

16. MusicWalla Room: The Office
3. Current Song: Hawthorne Heights by Scrantonicity played by user Kevin Malone
4. Next song: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
played by user Meredith Palmer

17. music continues to play in a user loop
till it reaches the last user in the room...

18. MusicWalla Room: The Office
9. Current Song: Fireworks by Katy Perry
played by user Pam Beesly
10. Next song: Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne
played by user Dwight Schrute

19. once the last user plays his/her song,
the playlist control moves back the first
user in the queue.

20. MusicWalla Room: The Office
10. Current Song: Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne
played by user Dwight Schrute
11. Next song: Stronger by Mandisa
played by user Angela Martin

21. Sustainable Advantage
What is missing from the existing user experience?
All users in the Share music choice
“room” listen to Live collective with people in the
the same song at playlist
same physical
the same time
location
“true” Radio
Social Collaboration
Social Collaboration

22. MusicWalla is a “true”
Radio
It broadcasts music to multiple people at the
same time!

23. MusicWalla is a “true”
Social Online Radio
Social Integration
• Add Friends
• Share Playlists
• Follow friends/users

24. MusicWalla is a “true”
Social Online Radio
Social Integration
Social Collaboration
• Add Friends • Edit Friends’ Playlists
• Share Playlists • Contribute to the
• Follow friends/users “Room’s” Playlist

25. Competitive Advantage
Features
Pandora
Rdio
MOG
MusicWalla
Online Radio
Cloud Music
Genre based music rooms
On-­‐‑Demand Music
Social Integration
Social Collaboration
Music broadcast to all
users in the room
Location based music
rooms
Multiple Radio Jockeys
Live discussion boards

26. so next time..
you are at a friend’s party and want
to be the DJ,
switch to MusicWalla

27. or if..
you want to listen to some Pink
Floyd with other Pink Floyd fans,
switch to MusicWalla

28. or if..
you really DON’T want to share that
earphone with your partner
switch to MusicWalla

29. Team
• Vikas Vadlapatla
Masters in Industrial Engineering, Clemson University
usability guy.. product development guy
• <Insert Your Name Here>
<Insert qualification here>
software guy..
• <Insert Company Name Here>
<insert purpose for acquisition>