What's YouTube Music?

YouTube Music was launched in the year 2015 by the YouTube Team to engage the users for newly added Music streaming (Audio) as well as video for available content to be listened and watched via the new YouTube Music app.

YT Music provides their users with immense variety of almost all artist available due to the fact of their presence on YouTube the giant parent. In 2018 the app was redesigned for the web player version as well which involved a much better improved recommendation engine which runs in the same hood as a user's Youtube recommendations/usage history. After the revamp of YouTube Music it is a direct competition platform to Apple Music and Spotify .

YT Music is also an immense working potential app for the artists who present the user's with their work. User's can follow a particular artist and then also focus

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Let's Understand :)

Core Value Proposition

Youtube Music's core value proposition is to allow user to experience immense quality of music, podcasts and samples. This is done with usage of accurate and powerful recommendation engine customized for each user in unique way by providing with Powerful Radio Stations based on his previous listening history. It diversifies itself from the competition space in following different ways -

• Unlimited Content - Since Youtube and Youtube Music both have an immense cohort of all types of artists ranging from the industry's biggest names to all budding artists, to devotional genre till the motivational space . All are available in single place making it one stop solution for the user.
• Seamless Integration - Across all home devices and Google accounts, this is a very important feature. For example - if your home TV has Youtube App , but your phone as YT Music app, still you can cast the music you want to share on the TV!!!! Isn't it brilliant, despite the TV not having dedicated YT Music app it is enabling the user to enjoy his favorite music.
• Fast and Smart Downloads - YT Music gives user an option to have smart downloads enabled where audio matching to user's category are automatically added to offline playing section .
• Quick Switch b/w Audio to Video - Liked a song and grooving with it's beats , just switch to the video of the song being played with one touch and it plays from the same freaking time stamp as the audio was playing , leaving user with no reason to drop out of the app .

How do users experience the Core Value?

Users experience the core value by listening to their favourite Music, podcasts, sample and music videos along with experiencing the lyrics, streaming on their other devices via cast on Youtube Connected Smart TVs, and other streaming devices.

ICP Deeeeep Dive

ICP 1 : Miss Katie Perry

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Let's deep dive more on this ICP from Engagement and Retention Perspective

Engagement -

1. How long you've been using YT Music ? - 5-6 months
2. What's most important thing for Music ? Should not be interrupted with Ads & Quality of music should not be compromised
3. How do you use YT MUSIC? - App on Mobile , rarely listen on web player
4. What all do you listen to on YT Music? - Originals, Covers of famous songs, Instrumentals
5. What feature is most valued & why? - Recommendation engine, Smart Downloads, Audio-> Video Switch
6. Would you refer YT Music to anyone? - yes, always brag about the features to friends/family
7. What's your preferred communication from YT Music? - Mostly Notifications
8. When do you listen to music ? While working out, In cabs, when wanted to take breaks, chilling

Retention -

1. What feature is least valued & why? - The "Quick Pick" doesn't refresh very frequent unlike Spotify
2. Have you ever considered leaving YT music? - Not yet, embracing the seamless integration with Youtube and my history
3. Pain Points ? - Price Sensitive, keeps her priority of music defined, Product should be functional as well as value for money
4. Competition used & why? - Came from Spotify , but still spotify's quick pick was extremely intuitive and never got repetitive

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JTBD

Express herself to active music world at times and experience the joy of listening to new songs be it originals or covers . Loves to explore in and around her taste of music thereby it fits well with the recommendations. For her it is PERSONAL GOAL which YT Music is solving at the best level.

Thus if needed to segment this user on Casual /Core /Power Framework - This ICP is POWER User :) And thus YT music's usage and exploring a quite lot of features makes her An active user.

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ICP 2 : Mr. Most Eligible Bachelor

Engagement -

1. How long you've been using YT Music ? 3- 4 Years now Paid user of Individual Plan
2. What's most important thing for Music ? Suggestions & Library content
3. How do you use YT MUSIC? - App usage
4. What all do you listen to on YT Music? Roadtrip songs, party songs
5. What feature is most valued & why? - Recommendations, and history of youtube influencing his YT music's play library
6. Would you refer YT Music to anyone? - Yes brags about to his friends
7. What's your preferred communication from YT Music? - Not any as such
8. When do you listen to music ? While driving on car, during parties, and while spending time with self​

Retention -

1. What feature is least valued & why? Radio stations , doesn't add to my daily routine
2. Have you ever considered leaving YT music? No
3. Pain Points ? Price always a point for him, fear of overpaying v/s the features used
4. Competition used & why? Been a free user of spotify in the past but moved to YT and YT music as a bundle and cherishes that

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JTBD

This ICP is a person for whom music is just a channel to express himself, socialize among his friends, gel out in a gathering. For him the primary goal is a SOCIAL Goal , also secondary is a Personal Goal where he uses the same for recreation and using same membership for YT .

Also if needs to be segmented we can segment him under Casual user based on the patterns explained above.

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ICP 3 : Mrs. Critic

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​Engagement -

1. How long you've been using YT Music ? Stopped User , Used it for couple of months
2. What's most important thing for Music ? Library and availability with license
3. How do you use YT MUSIC? - Used on App , not using anymore
4. What all do you listen to on YT Music? - Misses listening to Slow Reverb and Lofi covers
5. What feature is most valued & why? - Recommendations
6. Would you refer YT Music to anyone? - Not A referring person
7. What's your preferred communication from YT Music? - Not an active user so no communication channel preferred by this user

Retention -

1. What feature is least valued & why? - heavily priced for her and thus was not adding value
2. Have you ever considered leaving YT music? - yes already left user of YT Music
3. Pain Points ? -- Not having enough usecase, wanted specific songs and covers which are only available on YT music
4. Competition used & why? - uses amazon music as it's bundled free with her prime membership

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JTBD

A typical churned user, where YT music accordingly to her was not adding value. Thus from JTBD perspective this would have solved Personal Goal for her , but we shall deep dive in later stages on these churned users and the way to try and bring them back on the app.

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ICP 4 : Mr I , Me and Myself

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Engagement -

1. How long you've been using YT Music ? 8 -9 Months
2. What's most important thing for Music ? Availability of New Songs according to the mood
3. How do you use YT MUSIC? On the App on Phone
4. What all do you listen to on YT Music? Mostly Indie Songs, Originals and covers
5. What feature is most valued & why? Personalized Recommendations as it allows me to enhance my listening experience and cherish my time spent on the app
6. Would you refer YT Music to anyone? Yes have recommended it to many friends
7. What's your preferred communication from YT Music? Via Means of Notifications and occasional Emails as well

Retention -

1. What feature is least valued & why? Your Picks section on the app's home page , Reason being that it introduces same listening pattern from the auto addition
2. Have you ever considered leaving YT music? Not really
3. Pain Points ? Value addition V/s Price Paid
4. Competition used & why? Still having Free version of Spotify Loaded in the phone for a different perspective sometimes

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JTBD
For this ICP (as Me) I would categorize myself for a Personal Goal, as a primary (as it helps me to keep my hobby on the toes ) and a Social Goal as Secondary ( as it enables me to pitch better socially).
And if just basic segmentation comes to grabs, i would segment the user in Core User Segment.

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Natural Frequency

Natural Frequency is directly related to the number of active and engaged user for a particular app or model.
For YouTube Music, any user who spends around 30-40 mins of time on a daily basis listening to music/podcasts/samples or music videos. Here the user is validated to be an engaging user as he is repeatedly coming on the YT music to perform the core value which is listening to his favourite music and related tasks.


SubProducts

The most parallel or parent product for YT Music is YouTube itself. And here's why the strategy of having same subscription for both Youtube and Music works in the benefit. A user typically uses both products hand in hand due to their overlapping membership. Thus the benefit of 0 Ads and better bit rate quality for High Resolution Videos come for free when he is paying for the same Youtube Premium for his music needs.

According to stats YouTube Music overall has about ~ 30 mins of daily usage amongst all it's users where as Youtube Has about ~48 mins of average watch time on a daily basis -> thereby categorizing it in for Daily Frequency platform for music needs.
Source

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Thus the Natural Frequency of YouTube also falls in similar category usage of about 40-45 mins of average watch time per day. So on a broader term we can place it as a product on Daily Frequency of usage

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Engagement Framework

Engagement Framework enables to do the categorize which type of engagement works best for YouTube Music's case. They are broadly classified as

1. Depth
2. Breadth
3. Frequency

Let's tabulate them based on user characteristics and in accordance to different parameters.

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📌Based on the above analysis and framework we have selected 2 options

• Depth - Frequency * Time
• • The more the time spent on the app the better - ex 3 hr of listening time in a day for * 14 days
  • This is building the habit in the user
• Breadth - Features explored on the platform
• • Exploring Music, Covers, Podcasts, Videos , Lyrics etc on the app
  • This is showing user's commitment & faith towards the app.

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What Action makes a user Active?

For any user who comes to YT Music and listens to the existing library of available audio for a minimum of 2 hours in a week can be considered as an active user. The core action here is listening to audio. He/She may listen to any sort of audio present on the app, be it in form of music, podcasts, samples or watching audio-> video for selection.

Key Metrics to Track Active User

We can track the active user % by couple of metrics

1. Tracking app download in the particular set frame of time.
2. Users who have successfully been listening to music via YT Music for a set of 7 days in continuity despite a free/paid membership.
3. Fetching Youtube Music Influenced Premium members.

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SEGMENTATION

Let's try to segment these users based on various factors.

Here are some facts about User demographics which are visible from various sources.

First user segmentation is based on the usage of YT Music between Casual , Core and Power user.

Segmentation based on Features used

let's try to differentiate between these users on basis on the features they explore and use.

1. The bare Minimum
2. Middler User
3. Bring IT on User

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Advanced Segmentation

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Engagement Campaigns

Let's Move Casual -> Core User

Problem statement -

• Increase YT Music's presence in the lives of the corresponding ICP
• Make them aware of different features
• Increase FOMO based engagement
  

Success Metric - Significant increase in average Listening time on the app

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Campaign 1 -

• Segment - Target users who are using YT Music for occasional music use.
• Goal - Increase their app usage of audio listening time
• Pitch & Content - "Did you know you can play videos of your favourite music Tracks" and include app based stickers on trendy music which can create "Brag" among their social circles and provide leaders with 1 month of free YT premium for self/family
• Offer - "Listen more, and keep listening on US"
• Frequency & Timing - "Adapt the campaign on user pattern, and pitch it towards a time towards end of day so that he can get the urge to open the app, Can be notification based.
• Success Metric - The user enabling himself to watch videos

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🤑Let's Gift Premium

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Problem Statement - use this opportunity to convert your casual to core users

• Segment - Enable casual users to add his family/friends to Premium memberships
• Goal - Increase more customers to get premium
• Pitch & Content - "Gift Premium to your loved ones & you get more premium" allow users to invite friends to premium and if successful both get 1 month of premium free
• Offer - 1 month Premium on you :)
• Frequency & Timing - Provide frequent ads on his youtube viewing, casual notifications once in a day , Check click rate and history of notifications click by the user
• Success Metric - More users signing up for premium membership

Share your Musical Map 🚗

Problem statement - Engage users to create and share across with friends

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• Segment - Both Casual and Core users can be part of this campaign
• Goal - Increase collaborative and reach amongst user's 1st contacts
• Pitch & Content - "Let your close ones experience your rare music find" / "Like it Share with your friends" / "Ask this Valentine's for their playlist"
• Offer - Allow even free users to experience the collborative playlist features, and make them addicted to the feature as they pay for the subscription
• Frequency - Push notification on the app, via a small banner on the app's home screen for enabling user to find the campaign
• Timing - Post a successful like of a music or addition of the same in playlist
• Success Metric - Check share button CTR and map the customer's click map around playlist areas.

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Chance to Get featured in Month Wind 📅

Problem statement - Give more adrenaline rush to core & power users to keep using

• Segment - Especially Target Core and Power Users
• Goal - Create a sense of FOMO and adrenaline insights on the youtube app
• Pitch & content - Workout on a small quiz or challenge which runs daily - pitch could be "Guess right and get chance to feature in Monthly leaderboard" And only selected users will be part of it , creating the sense of FOMO and bring the rush in the user.
• Offer - Monthly leaderboard winners and top 3 will get a relative product discount or even some bigger prize like a small portable speaker etc to highest scoring. This can be scaled in multiple campaigns like dream 11 and segment user based on his or her interest and internet location.
• Frequency - Pop up in the app for the lucky chosen offer, not everyone having access for it, and making user to act on it.
• Timing - Start campaigns at start of month to engage maximum users and validate the user's interest by usage of the app
• Success Metric - Increase in interaction and sharing with participation on the competitions

Get chance to feature in Exclusive Insider Artist Talks 💃

Problem statement - Keep Power users actively engaged on the app to keep using the app

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• Segment - Especially Target Power Users
• Goal - Motivate users to keep using YT Music on high active notes
• Pitch & content - Get your free pass to Exclusive insider Talks, curate exclusive contents based on different GEOs.
• Offer - Provide with Fan specific passes to extreme successful users
• Frequency & Timing - Specific campaign for power user, and ensuring they act on it during middle day for better engagement. can be done via whatsapp since he is a power user
• Success Metric - Increase in popularity, people using search intent for the campaigns .

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RETENTION

Birds Eye View

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According to a recent data released by Alphabet, Youtube Music (Premium) has crossed 100 Million active premium subscribers in the Month of Jan /Feb 2024 where as the active user count is somewhere around 850 million

Thus percentage of people retaining on the Premium Subscription is around ~ 12 % from this data but it is not with respect to Time.

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Here's spotify the biggest competitor's retention curve .

We can map Youtube Music on similar grounds, so I am assuming that for youtube typically this curve flattens about in 3-4 weeks time period and the retention is about 50 % of the users signing up on D0

Microscopic view

Which ICPs drive best retention?

• For Youtube Music the Core and Power users drive the retention for the YT music.
• It's these ICPs which value the feature set and also explore all features of the app. They also brag about the product among their peers and create a sense of privilege among themselves.

What Features drive best retention?

I conducted a small survey which was sent out to GX community, friends, family with a small questionnaire . Here is the snippet of the features most valued by the customers which can give a clear idea of the same.

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• Extensive Content Library -
• • Users value newness and this is only possible when you have content
  • with the content being highest from its competitors this give YT music an edge over others to satisfy and retain its customers by the same
• Personalized Recommendations -
• • Content without a good recommendation engine is of no use. It is the engine which uses user's past choices, listening history and history to create a perfect recommendation.
• Ad free Listening
• • Life is too busy to listen to ADs , and that's where YT music plays its part
  • All premium customers enjoy this feature and turning to ad version again is a major downgrade to their listening lifestyle
• Background Playing
• • Even if YT music or YT is pushed to background, the app still continues to play.
  • Thus even if a person is watching a video on yt music app, the video can be minimized if a sudden work needs attention

Define Churn and its Reasons

Also from the same survey which I conducted, I saw a pattern of least used features and pain points from the app.

Let's try to bucketize these Top Reasons for Churn -

• INVOLUNTARY REASONS
• • Moved to different country where YT Music is unserviceable
  • Students unable to continue on the cheap student plan
  • Better ecosystem integration Like Apple Music across apple devices
  • Usage of Cracked versions of Apps Like Youtube Vanced
  • Not sharing friend's family plan anymore due to sour relationship
• VOLUNTARY REASONS
• • Presence of competitive prices from other players and bundled membership (Amazon music comes free with prime membership)
  • Becoming a secondary app to competition like spotify which is one of the biggest competitor
  • Localized content not visible in quick searches
  • Top picks are not getting updated frequently
  • Usage not valued, or features not known or explored by the user
  • Price sensitivity
  • App glitches and hangs lower end phones

Negative Actions to watch for !!

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• Decrease in the usage numbers of YT music
• Decrease in likes 👍 button on songs by the active user shows less engagement from the user
• Delinking of his home/personal WIFI devices for casting from the YT music app
• Decrease in sharing of songs/playlist with friends/social media
• YT music App uninstall from devices
• Canceling Auto renewal of membership
• Blocking notifications from the YT music app
• Frequent support tickets raised for his experience on the YT MUSIC platform
• Lower CSAT numbers
• Going through unsubscribe flow or search queries for YT music

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Resurrection Campaigns !!

• You've been missed
• • Segmentation - Target At Risk and Churned Users
  • Pitch and Content - Send them with email stating "You've been Missed & here's a special gift for you" . It will catch the user with an element of money which can be used to bring him back
  • Offer - This will include a premium subscription for 15 days - or a month depending upon the user's history with the YT Music
  • Frequency & Timing - An email once or twice after the user is termed churned, with label as "Limited Time only" so as to introduce urgency for him to come back.
  • Success Metric - People clicking on these campaigns and signing up back with activating premium membership again
    
    
• We're giving you chance to relive your childhood
• • Segmentation - Target Price Sensitive User who have churned or have stopped renewing their membership
  • Pitch and Content - "Once a kid always a kid" and "Let's bring back old days" These will target and catch the people who have left due to price
  • Offer - We can offer them limited time pricing on least bucket which is the student based subscription which is as low as 59 Rs/ month. Trying to win them back from their competition
  • Frequency & Timing - Track the User with Unsubscribe flow, and monitor if he is removing card details. Time it within a day of these activities
  • Success Metric - User coming back and subscribing again, clicking on offer & becoming an active user again
    
• Here's what you've missed while you were away
• • Segmentation - Trying to bring back the user's who were casual
  • Pitch and Content - "There's a lot of new music added since you last used" This can show how the user has missed out on the new trendy musics which has been added on the library and and call on them.
  • Offer - Provide a specific features free for sometime, not all membership and enable user to experience the same via the YT music app
  • Frequency & Timing - Via Email only once or twice to target. Maybe when he casually browses his email in the 2nd half of the day or on weekends when he gets time to get on personal email
  • Success Metric - Tracking active user numbers
    
    
• Perfect Playlist for Every Mood
• • Segmentation - Audience who look out for a 30min to 1 hr playlist and then let it play
  • Pitch and Content - "We got your back, just play and forget" , showcase with an ad how yt music can be chosen for holi music party and you can keep emjoying the colors and water balloons and not to worry on what to play next
  • Offer - Discount on Premium for a month incase he decides to come back on the app
  • Frequency & Timing - Via a push notification or ad campaign in targeted audience.
  • Success Metric - Track usage and frequency of these users and membership signups as well.
    
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• You'll miss even best features of Youtube
• • Segmentation - Target audience who are high users of Youtube the core app
  • Pitch and Content - "YouTube Premium is more than you think" and pitch them about the benefits of higher bitrate videos of Youtube and along with that showcase how YT Music can add value. Ex - a small devotional music video can be played via yt music app instead of youtube with background playing also available with lyrics of the music.
  • Offer - Slash Premium Prices for a month to 50% to get the customer back
  • Frequency & Timing - During his Youtube usage with pitched perfect ad which he cannot skip thereby watching it for minimum of 20-30 seconds
  • Success Metric - Immediate clicks on Avail Now option and Clicking the renew my membership button Heat maps
    

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Happy Listening

From YT Rakshit Music