It is a very serious issue if, immediately after the service goes live, all projects are closed and the ‘recruitment rooms’ are left empty, leaving new users at a loss as to what to do.
We propose four specific solutions designed to avoid increasing the burden on system development whilst ensuring that users do not feel they ‘have nothing to do’.
You, as the operator, should always have one or two ‘official projects’ running at any given time.
This is the most reliable and effective solution during the initial stages of operation.
Measures: The organisers themselves will regularly post ‘song sketches that anyone can join at any time’ and ‘open-source material for adding remix parts’ to the submission room, ensuring a constant supply is available.
Effect: Even when there are no user-initiated calls for submissions, users can still take actions such as ‘giving the official material a listen to see what it’s like’ or ‘applying to take part in an official call for submissions’. As it also serves as a sample, it helps to lower the psychological barrier to posting.
Guide users to ‘Register or update their user profile’ as the main action
We will ensure that we are in a position to ‘prepare’, even at times when we are unable to make new posts or participate.
Measure: When there are no active recruitment posts, display a message on the ‘Empty State’ screen stating: ‘There are currently no active projects. Please fill out your profile (DAW used, parts you specialise in, playing style, etc.) to prepare for future recruitment opportunities or scouting!’ along with a button.
Effect: This gives users a positive impression that ‘this is a preparatory phase’, enabling them to build up their profile data.
Strengthen the flow from the profile search function that allows users to ‘initiate a collaboration themselves (become the organiser)’
The aim is to encourage users not just to ‘search for existing vacancies’, but to take the step of ‘creating their own vacancies’.
Action: Prominently display the call to action (the ‘Create Project’ button) stating: ‘If there are no projects currently open, why not be the first to launch one?’
Effect: It transforms passive users into active ‘project initiators’, creating a cycle in which users themselves resolve the platform’s content shortage.
Encourage browsing of past ‘Completed Works (Archive Room)’ entries
We will make use of ‘① The Archive (Finished Works Exhibition) Room’, which was selected in the previous round.
Measure: When the recruitment room is empty, users will be redirected (guided) to the archive room’s preview player or the list of works with the message: ‘Why not have a listen to some of the collaborative tracks created in the past?’
Effect: Users can enjoy exploring ‘what kind of music has been created on this social media platform in the past’ as listeners, which helps prevent them from leaving the platform whilst also boosting their enthusiasm for the next collaboration (by creating an impression of high quality).
Conclusion (Recommended Actions for Initial Operation)
Rather than adding further system development, the most cost-effective and reliable solution is to combine ‘text guidance and navigation design for the empty state’ with ‘one or two permanent recruitment notices posted by the site operator (to sow the seeds)’.
To address the problem of losing collaborators, I came up with the idea of developing a platform that not only supports collaboration but also functions as a specialized music production blog. An experiment to test this concept is currently underway.．
