EQualizer by ADvocado— Audio Platform Innovation Challenge
It is universally known that history repeats itself…
Let’s turn back to the “hippie era” and let the music, wherever it comes from, touch our ears and our souls.
Nowadays, life has become extremely difficult and well-being is necessary for everyone. Music has to be outside the box, and there is no place for racism in it. You cannot color music, only allow its color to get inside your soul.
We want to represent other cultures and give them the chance to be known and to be heard. And that means, all of them.
International collaborative work is not promoted through other already existing platforms such as Smule, Star Maker Karaoke, Yokee, Vampr, and Rockport.
Connecting with people and co-creating are at the base of making music and this is what we want to promote.
That’s how we came up with our music-making platform, EQualizer.
We want people to make music with one another, not only cover songs. Sharing knowledge and learning more from one another is also important in the music-making progress, but other platforms don’t give access to such tools.
Through our eyes, the user can be a listener and a creator at the same time, who can comment on others’ music, react, and collab with fellow artists. Bringing diverse cultures and artists together can be game-changing for the music industry and create masterpieces.
So, why serve your love for music alone and don’t share it with others?
We conducted some interviews and collected insights for our plan for our platform. Based on those, we created two personas for possible users.
One of them is in the music field but doesn’t have the recourses to pursue her passion and needs some help. The other one enjoys music but would like to be more involved in the field and needs a starter.
Based on those interviews and our analyses, we found some problems/gaps in the market of music-making apps.
Well, first of all, as mentioned earlier, there’s no app or format where you can co-create music & interact with people around the world. Also, not everybody has the access to tools that help with music-making.
That’s why we want to create something that will give equal opportunities to everyone involved in the process.
We will offer music lessons, tutorials, and such and the ability to possibly make connections in the field for future reference and, of course, for recognition purposes.
So, with those out of the way, how does the EQualizer work as a platform, you may be wondering.
Well, it’s very simple.
A user can record their music piece or explore already existing ones through genre categories. Then, they can join in and complete others’ songs, it goes both ways. Then, their song is ready to be put out in the world and get attention to it!
It’s a platform where everyone comes together to create and express themselves through music. That is our value proposition.
What about the features and benefits?
We are willing to offer tools to help create something from scratch, tutorials for getting started with a piece, as mentioned before, allowing people to make connections for the future, widen users’ horizons with a selection of genres and cultures combined and get recognized and pursue a possible career.
What inspired us for the whole “creating the platform” process?
Our idea is in parallel with some trends and needs that have arisen from existing products or platforms. Regarding our market validation, we focused on the virality of TikTok singing chains with the feature of the duet, with which users can add a new clip to an existing one creating a short sample. The ability to duet and combination through the app is the reason for a big amount of videos daily, confirming the need for co-creation from the users.
At the same time, artists need a shared and diverse space, where they can meet and interact with other creators and collaborate regardless of distance or social identity.
That’s how EQualizer will operate as a bridge connecting the virality of instant collaboration and interaction tools with the creation of a diverse community.
Like with any other business operation, there has to be a business model, which will support our services and, of course, our revenue.
There will mainly be a freemium model, as the app will contain free features, such as the tools for recording the sample, sound effects, and some music lessons for amateurs. There will be ads, but also an ads-free option and additional purchasable content, like some intermediate lessons.
Our train of thought has also created a future roadmap, which is divided into some specific goals.
Firstly, more collaborations with music experts who will operate as coaches for the provided music classes.
Secondly, EQualizer will reach a worldwide audience, so it can make a diverse community.
Thirdly, after some months after the platform launch, there will be a detailed focus on user experience and feedback, improving the platform’s function and features.
Lastly, according to the platform’s performance, a podcast co- creation option might be added, enhancing the audio experience.
What about our market plan?
Regarding the market plan, considering that we are discussing a digital platform, it must be promoted digitally. So, there will be a social media plan, where music influencers will be sponsored through Instagram and YouTube to review the app and advertising through channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit.
Behind this operation, there’s, of course, the desired outcome which consists of a social cause, inspiring minds with an antiracist message embracing all cultures and social identities under the umbrella of music co-creation.
With all that being said, we want to get through the message that music, is in fact, an international language.
By ADvocado — team members: EleniChaldeaki, Priya Kumar, Nektaria — Paraskevi Gad, Athanasia Oikonomopoulou
Special thanks to our professor Betty Tsakarestou
