Red Bull Music Academy

A streaming service with excellent usability in an agile project

The challenge

Red Bull Music Academy Radio features hand-picked mixes and live appearances by both established and up-and-coming musicians from all genres, meticulously edited and combined. The goal was to present the program using cutting-edge technology and to make quick navigation with uninterrupted streaming possible.

What we did

Frontend development
Single Page App
Optimization for all platforms with responsive web design
Backend development

Red Bull Music Academy Radio

Red Bull Music Academy Radio is a technologically advanced streaming service which is unparalleled in terms of user-friendly design and of the content offered.

Users can enjoy hand-picked mixes and recordings—professionally edited, optimally presented, and available on any platform.

We were heavily involved with the frontend and backend development for the relaunch.

Cutting-edge software development

On the technical side of things, ingenuity and expertise were needed to create paradigms and best practices with the new technologies.

Responsive web design

During the Red Bull Music Academy Radio redesign, particular emphasis was placed on universal usability across all platforms (desktop browser, smart phone browser, apps).

The app is responsive, guaranteeing a good user experience on any platform.

Special emphasis was placed on usability on all platforms and devices.

Single Page App

The frontend was developed entirely as a single page JavaScript app using Backbone.js and Marionette. This ensures excellent usability and allows the user to enjoy uninterrupted music while using the app.

Established technology for the backend

The backend was developed using Ruby on Rails. Data was supplied to the frontend using a RESTful API.

Ruby on Rails provided an established backend technology.

Teamplay

Development took place in collaboration with a team at edenspiekermann. Remote collaboration was a key component of the development process.

The project was organized using a traditional SCRUM process. Feature-based user stories were created simultaneously in frontend and backend and fine-tuned in collaboration with the product owner. Small product increments and milestones were defined and prioritized.

The start of a long-term agile cooperation

At the conclusion of this project, Red Bull Music Academy left with more than just a new online radio. They also took an agile mindset with them:

With this relaunch, we also changed the way the Red Bull Music Academy thinks about its service and how it’s developed. We applied agile methodologies and thinking (Scrum) to allow for rapid product development, frequent changes, and early adoption of upcoming trends and standards.
No longer do we aim for a “big bang” launch — we now think in small incremental releases. By focusing on the most important features first, we get to the essence sooner and are able to release much quicker.
edenspiekermann

The project took place 9 years ago, and it hasn’t been the only project we’ve collaborated on. Since then, we have also worked together with Red Bull in on internal platforms using agile principles, and have established a working relationship of mutual trust.

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