Case Study
Mino Music Mobile App
Overview
Changing the Digital Music Landscape in Nigeria
Digital streaming has redefined how we listen to music. Previous generations relied on downloaded audio files, such as MP3s, to aggregate a stored digital library of music. However, today’s streaming delivery methods require no file download. Instead, users only need a smart device and a digital service for virtually instant access to a multitude of audio file formats.
Music streaming technology has wielded sustainable impact on a global scale, gaining momentum in virtually every country where people have mobile devices. The Nielsen’s 2018 Year-End Music Report revealed that in 2018 alone, American listeners streamed a record-breaking 900+ billion songs over a 12-month span, accounting for 75 percent of all U.S. music revenues. Our collective affinity for digital streaming is a trend that’s predicted to grow, both in the U.S. as well as internationally. According to Statista.com, there were a 67.5 million digital music subscribers in 2015, a number that’s is expected to surge to over 200 million sometime in 2019, firmly establishing streaming as the preferred method of choice for users across the world.
The Challenge
Build the "Spotify" of Nigeria
NotJustOk, a leading streaming resource in Nigeria, has established itself as one of Africa’s most popular digital music resources. First launched in 2006, the brand not only caters to its direct markets but also supplies music and podcasts to Spotify, the world’s top music streaming service. As a result, NotJustOk has successfully grown its web-based platform and global footprint to include a growing 1.2 million viewers per month from over 180 countries.
NotJustOk already had a well established and highly-functioning website. However, its previous mobile applications were technologically obsolete and rendered completely unusable, eliminating the brand’s ability to compete within the mobile marketplace.
In 2018, brand executives turned to Helium to develop new native iPhone and Android apps to tap into the expansive, mobile music streaming demographic and transition its services from laptops alone into the hands of its loyal, ever-growing pool of mobile followers across the globe.
The Solution
Cutting-Edge Innovation
Helium’s solution for NotJustOk was Mino Music, a from-scratch digital platform explicitly designed to launch the brand into the mobile sect. Helium developed both iOS and Android platform applications to drive Mino Music’s reach within the mobile device vertical and appeal to the broadest possible global demographic, while still maintaining its current African consumer base. Beyond the iPhone and Android Phone systems, the Helium team also included functionality for Apple Watch and Google Watch as an extension of the music apps to expand user accessibility, allowing listeners to control songs, volume, and selected playlists, much like Spotify and Apple Music platforms.
Helium Leveraged Cutting-Edge Innovation Throughout The Design
Mino Music leverages a dynamic technology suite including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Google Analytics
Additionally, both the iOS iPhone and Apple Watch versions of Mino Music include Swift technology while the Android phone and smartwatch functionality used Java programming on Google Play.
The Highlights
Key Features
Mino Music Design Stands Out From Other Digital Options
Helium utilized several differentiating features across both application platforms to promote a positive user experience with every engagement. Some of Mino Music’s most distinctive functionality includes:
Music Playback
Music playback prolongs the single battery charge of a device when used as a music player only. Including music playback in NotJustOk’s mobile apps helps users optimize battery life when setting the device to Flight mode and using headphones rather than the speaker.
Social Media Login
Mino Music’s iOS and Android mobile apps use both Facebook and Twitter logins to accelerate the registration process as well as minimize failed sign-in attempts with users.
Account Kit
NotJustOk users without Facebook or Twitter can still access their profiles using Account Kit, a technology that allows login without a password. Account holders only need an email address or phone number to sign-in.
Offline Functionality
Offline mode supports the apps’ functionality without an Internet connection. Using offline mode with NotJustOk helps power fast loading time, eliminates roaming costs, and saves on battery usage.
Push Notifications
The push notification feature in Mino Music’s iOS and Android platforms delivers quick and efficient audience communication. Helium included this technology to stimulate engagement levels, re-engage users, support brand consistency, and potentially increase overall conversion rates.
Subscription Service
The platform’s subscription functionality was implemented to help drive more reliable revenue sources across all devices.
The Software
Technologies Used
Apple Swift
Java (Android)
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Google Analytics
Testimonial
"They’re amenable to our ideas while also providing crucial insights into the user experience."
– Demola Ogundele, Founder & CEO
The Results
Cutting-Edge Innovation
Officially launched in 2018, Mino Music’s mobile platforms delivered several mission-critical benefits to the NotJustOk brand. Helium built the initial Android framework for the Mino Music app before transitioning final development to NotJustOk for completion. Currently, Mino Music’s Android application has 4.4 stars compared to the platform’s overall 4.2 average for all apps. Helium fully developed and launched Mino Music’s iPhone app functionality, which currently maintains an outstanding 4.8 star average from aggregated user reviews.
Mino Music’s applications also offer extensive reporting functionality and data intelligence mining for NotJustOk to gauge brand performance with users. Some of the apps’ statistics for March 2018 include:
- 2,000,000 songs played per month
- 220,000 songs downloaded per month
- 225,000 users this month
- Downloads and users in 137 countries
The reporting technology in Mino Music establishes a benchmark for NotJustOk to monitor future results and adjust marketing strategies as needed for further audience impact.
