Bandcamp
Case Study Summary
Our Challenge
Bandcamp is a go-to platform for independent artists, but for listeners, discovering new music is frustrating. Unlike mainstream apps with algorithm-driven recommendations, Bandcamp lacks intuitive discovery features, making it hard for fans to connect with emerging talent. Our goal? Enhance music discovery and fan-artist engagement while staying true to Bandcamp’s artist-first ethos.
Our Approach
Working in a team of four, we rotated leadership roles to foster collaboration. Using the Double Diamond design process, we:
Researched user pain points through interviews and competitor analysis.
Defined key user needs—fans wanted easier discovery and stronger artist connections.
Designed & tested solutions, iterating based on feedback.
Our Solution
We introduced intuitive discovery tools and engagement features:
Swipe-to-discover: Users preview song snippets and like/dislike tracks for faster exploration.
Enhanced artist pages: Behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and event details strengthen fan engagement.
Personalised user profiles: Fans can track favourites and revisit saved artists.
A social ‘Feed’: Artists share updates directly with fans, fostering a deeper connection.
The Impact
Usability testing proved our approach worked. Our System Usability Scale (SUS) score jumped from 51.8 to 91.6—far surpassing industry benchmarks. Users praised the seamless discovery experience, and artists saw greater engagement potential. By blending usability, engagement, and artist-first design, we transformed Bandcamp into a platform where fans don’t just listen. They connect.
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Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a beloved platform that allows independent artists to sell directly to fans. However its artist-focused approach has left fans behind. Many fans struggle to discover new music and build connections with the artists they admire. This lack of engagement affects both listeners and creators.
Research
Objectives
Identify the pain points and motivations behind discovering new music.
Understand how fans currently interact with artists and what they wish to see more of.
Explore how independent artists engage with their audience and what barriers they face.
interviews
We designed a set of 16 open-ended interview questions and spoke with 17 participants, gathering qualitative insights about their listening habits, frustrations, and desires. Additionally, we interviewed an independent artist to understand their perspective on fan engagement.
“They see it as part of the culture, a crucial lifeline for scenes where love, not money, is the main driver”
Philip Sherburne, American journalist, musician and DJ
Key Takeaways
Some key frustrations included:
Fans crave more meaningful artist interactions, beyond simply listening to their music.
Music discovery tools are lacking, making it difficult to find independent artists.
Transparency and behind-the-scenes content matter, as fans want to feel personally connected to the artists they support.
To structure our findings, we created an affinity map and developed a set of 'I statements' to represent user needs:
"I want to support independent artists directly."
"I find Spotify useful for discovering music, but it lacks personal artist interaction."
"I feel a stronger connection to an artist if I have access to exclusive content."
Identifying the User
From these insights, we pin pointed our users by developing three user personas:
Liam – A superfan who seeks deeper connections with artists.
Mia – A casual listener focused on the music itself.
Emma – An independent artist looking to grow and engage her fanbase.
Liam became our primary focus, as he best represented Bandcamp’s core audience.
Liam's Painpoints
Limited tools for discovering new independent artists.
Lack of direct artist interaction.
Frustration with mainstream platforms that prioritise major label artists.
Designing the Solution
How might we allow Liam to better connect with artists?
How might we make music discovery more intuitive and engaging for him?
During our research, we explored the concept of parasocial relationships—a psychological phenomenon where fans form deep one-sided connections with artists they’ve never met.
This can often be seen with celebrities and influencers and can be harnessed by independent artists to foster stronger fan engagement. By enabling musicians to share exclusive content and personal updates, Bandcamp could help fans feel more connected to artists without placing a burden on the artists themselves.
SOLUTION 1: Improved Discovery
We designed a swipe-based discovery tool where users could quickly sample song snippets deciding whether to like or skip them. This approach mimics the engaging nature of short-form content platforms, making discovery seamless and interactive.
SOLUTION 2: Enhanced Artist Profiles
We revamped artist pages to include exclusive content such as behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and personalised updates. This feature fosters a deeper connection between artists and fans by allowing fans to see more of the creative process.
SOLUTION 3: Personalised User Profiles
We introduced a feature where users could track their saved songs, artists, and interactions in a dedicated profile section. This allowed listeners to revisit their discoveries and stay updated on their favourite artists.
Refinement
Prototyping and Testing
To refine our ideas, we created initial sketches and voted as a team on the strongest concepts. From there, we developed a prototype that guided users through key features:
A redesigned homepage for better music discovery.
An interactive artist page with exclusive content.
A swipe-based discovery tool for browsing new music.
A personalised profile section for saved music and artist interactions.
We measured the effectiveness of our prototype using the System Usability Scale (SUS), a standard tool for evaluating user experience. Our first round of testing scored 57.5, below the industry benchmark of 68, indicating usability issues.
Instead of seeing this as a setback, we saw it as an opportunity for iteration. Based on user feedback, we made targeted refinements, resulting in a second-round SUS score of 97.5—a remarkable improvement that validated our design choices.
Conclusion
Our design improved Bandcamp by:
Making music discovery easier with an intuitive swipe-based tool
Strengthening artist-fan relationships through exclusive content and updates
Boosting user retention by helping listeners track and revisit their discoveries
These solutions stayed true to Bandcamp’s artist-first values while creating a better experience for fans.
The outcome: A more engaging, user-friendly platform that empowers independent artists and builds lasting fan connections — showing how user-centered design can drive meaningful product improvements.
I designed a re-entry modal that appears when reopening the app. This modal clearly introduces the new features helping users quickly get up to speed and encouraging deeper engagement with the updated experience.
