Beyond the Algorithm: Helping Musicians Find Gigs Without Going Viral
Contributors: Serenity Hang, Henry Huang, Nathan Moreland, Raj Patel
Overview
Designing a location-based gig-finding platform tailored for creative freelancers, especially musicians and performers, that streamlines discovery, communication, and trust-building between freelancers and local venues through intuitive, community-centered interaction design.
Problem and Solution
Freelancers in creative fields like music and dance often face major challenges when searching for gigs: traditional job boards don’t cater to artistic work, social media platforms rely heavily on views and algorithms, and showcasing talent through resumes or portfolios doesn’t fully capture a creator’s skill. As a result, many talented freelancers miss out on opportunities that are a perfect fit. Our solution is a mobile platform that connects creative freelancers with nearby gig opportunities through a customizable, map-based interface. We decided that an app-based interface is better for freelancers, as it aligns with their fast-paced, on-the-go nature of creative work. Especially since freelancers often rely on their phones to post on social media, communicate with clients, and manage bookings while traveling between jobs or performing at events. In our platform, users can apply by submitting performance videos tailored to each listing. This allows clients and venues to choose performers based on their skills and talent, rather than ratings and experiences. The app also lets users filter gigs by specific artistic traits, like mood, style, or technical requirements, helping them find the right match faster and stand out with dynamic, authentic self-representation.
Design Research Goals, Stakeholders, and Participants
In our design research, we set out to uncover the shared pain points of early-career creative freelancers, particularly musicians and performers. We completed this research by conducting hour-long, semi-structured online interviews with three emerging freelancers: a DJ, musician, and vocalist. We also distributed a concise survey to 11 additional freelancers across Reddit and social media communities. We chose interviews to get deep contextual insights into participants’ real-world environments, home studios, local venues, and online networks. Our interviews also allowed us to explore the nuances of discovery struggles, communication breakdowns, algorithmic bias, and confidence issues. The survey allowed us to validate and quantify these themes at scale.
This mixed-methods approach balanced depth (primary stakeholders: early-career creatives striving for visibility and trust with clients) with breadth (secondary stakeholders: local businesses, event organizers, and nonprofits seeking reliable creative talent; tertiary stakeholders: platform developers and community facilitators) ensuring our findings directly inform solutions that address both individual workflows and systemic barriers.
Design Research Results and Themes
One of the most consistent patterns from our interviews and surveys was how unreliable discovery is for creative freelancers. Most participants depended on word of mouth or social media to find work, but many described this process as inconsistent and frustrating. Rob, a jazz musician and student at the California Institute of the Arts, shared that even strong posts on Instagram or TikTok could be buried by the algorithm, while weaker posts might gain attention for no clear reason. Eric, a college DJ who started out at student parties, explained that he still messages venues directly to ask if they need performers. Both noted that discovery often feels like luck rather than skill, which can be discouraging. These insights motivated us to design a map-based gig browser that puts discovery in the hands of the freelancer, helping them find relevant opportunities without having to rely on algorithms or popularity.
We also found that many creatives struggle to represent their work through traditional resumes or text-based bios. This was especially common among musicians and performers whose strengths are best conveyed through sound and movement. Maria, a vocalist who focuses on Latin American and Indie Folk, told us she often sends video clips to potential clients because it is the only way to show her voice and energy. Others said they rely on Instagram Reels or performance recordings to communicate what they do, even though these tools were never built for job applications. Based on these findings, we focused on making video applications a core feature of our platform. This gives freelancers a more accurate and expressive way to present their creative skills when applying for gigs.
Finally, we saw that issues of visibility are closely tied to personal bias. Maria spoke about how being a woman in a male-dominated space has made it harder for her to be taken seriously, even when she delivers quality work. Rob said that some clients question his professionalism because of his age, regardless of his talent. These stories reminded us that creative freelancers are often judged by surface-level traits before their work is even considered. Our platform aims to reduce these barriers by focusing on the quality of the work itself. By making portfolios more accessible and centered on performance, we hope to build a system that supports fairness and gives all creatives a chance to succeed.
Proposed Design
Our proposed design is a platform for music freelancers such as musicians, performers, and DJs, to discover local opportunities, showcase their talents, and apply to gigs with confidence. These creatives rely on their talent and personal expression, but existing platforms make it hard for them to break through, especially when they’re just getting started. Our platform centers creative visibility, control, and local opportunity, helping freelancers move from endless self-promotion to meaningful engagement. Whether someone is a singer looking to book their first local gig, a DJ building a network, or a dancer hoping to perform at cultural festivals, our design helps them showcase their work confidently and connect with the right people.
To support these goals, we developed several core features.
One of these features is giving freelancers interested in finding local work the chance to explore nearby opportunities using a map-based gig browser (Figure 1).
Gigs appear as interactive pins that reveal short previews, including event type, timing, location, and compensation. Users can refine results by distance, availability, genre, or creative focus. This map allows freelancers to skip the vague posts and broad job boards and instead focus on gigs that actually match their expertise and style.
Once they identify a gig of interest, like a local pub seeking live jazz music for a weekend event, they can tap into the listing to learn more (Figure 2). From there, they have the option to apply by submitting a short performance video that best reflects their suitability for the gig.
Instead of uploading a resume or lengthy application, the freelancer can choose a relevant clip from their media library or record a new one directly in the app. This helps clients evaluate talent based on real examples of creative work, not just written bios or ratings.
Together, these features support the most important moments in the freelancer journey: finding the right opportunity and applying in a way that reflects their unique creative identity. They turn a process that’s often messy, discouraging, and unclear into something intentional, expressive, and empowering.
