Google Pixel Now Playing
Now Playing has been one of my favorite features on Google Pixel, but it has remained largely unchanged since its release. Inspired by a discussion with a friend about how music is inherently spatial and social, I decided to redesign the experience. Here are some ways I think it could be improved.
Date
June 2024
Tools
Figma
Type
Concept Design
Background
Currently, Google uses an on-device deep neural network to identify the music playing around you, even when your phone is offline or in sleep mode, greatly reducing the need for manual searches.
However, the current implementation only displays a chronological list of songs, with some options to play or save the song on the platform of your choice.
We often perceive music as more than just sound. Where it’s played, who we’re with, and how it’s performed all shape our experience.
Redesign: Location
One way to enrich Now Playing would be to integrate location information, so we can remember the songs from our favorite coffee shops, grocery stores, or the ambient music in the park.
Redesign: Social
Music is also inherently social, we share it with friends and other people we care about. Understanding additional contexts such as events, can help us better curate those memories.
Here’s an example of what Now Playing could potentially do if it’s linked to our calendar, where saving a playlist preserves a piece of memory.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, while these features could be implemented with minimal technical difficulty, their likelihood of adoption remains low. This is primarily due to Now Playing’s design as an ambient service. Integrating additional contextual information, such as location (GPS), would not only require users to grant further permissions but also increase energy consumption when the device is in sleep mode.
Conversely, enhancing the social aspect appears more feasible, as syncing music detection with calendar events can be performed asynchronously when the device is awake, with no impact on power consumption during sleep.