Usability Evaluation of Music Applications for Stress Reduction

People use music applications to provide comfort and to help keep their minds relaxed and stress-free . During times of reduced social activity, with corresponding increases in social distancing for health and public safety, many people face high levels of anxiety, loneliness, depression, and stress. Music applications can relive these concerns, by providing access to personal music libraries. However, many users make mistakes while using music applications. These mistakes include not noticing an element, taking a long time to complete a specific task, or failing to complete a task altogether. This can make the product difficult to use and challenging to learn, while failing to provide a pleasant, enjoyable experience. In this research, a comparative analysis was conducted with 20 users between 18–24 years old to investigate the interface design and functionality of the Spotify and Apple Music using human computer interaction methods and tools. The findings indicate the differences and similarities between the two user interfaces, indicating which music application platform provides a better user experience, particularly for users seeking stress reduction.