Reverse-Engineering Melodia: Unpacking an AI Song Generator's Strategy 🎵

Onboarding: Permissions, Personalization, and Prompts

Melodia’s initial user journey follows a familiar path but with specific choices worth noting.

Right out of the gate, users encounter Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt. Melodia presents this directly, asking to track activity across other apps and websites to deliver personalized ads. There's no pre-prompt screen explaining the user benefit, a missed opportunity to potentially increase opt-in rates by framing tracking constructively, like helping improve the AI or discover relevant content.

Shortly after, a native "Rate Us" prompt appears. Asking for a rating before the user has fully experienced the core value proposition (creating music) can feel premature. While gathering feedback is crucial, timing it after a successful creation might yield more meaningful, positive reviews.

The onboarding includes a quick, 3-step questionnaire asking users why they downloaded the app. Options like "AI Covers (Famous Voices)," "AI Music (Music Generation)," and "Training My Own Voice" help Melodia segment users and potentially tailor the initial experience or future feature recommendations. This data is gold for understanding user intent early on. 📊

Finally, the app requests notification permissions, presented alongside a rationale about staying updated on alerts and offers. Like the tracking prompt, a more benefit-driven primer explaining how notifications enhance the music creation experience (e.g., "Get notified when your AI song is ready!") could be more persuasive.

The Soft Paywall & Pro Access Pitch

Melodia employs a Soft Paywall strategy, meaning users can explore parts of the app before being asked to subscribe, but key features are gated. Interestingly, there's no free trial offered upfront according to available data.

The "Get Pro Access" screen appears strategically, often when a user attempts a premium action or explores advanced features. It clearly lists the benefits of upgrading: ✅ Create Covers with Your AI Voice ✅ Full AI Covers with No Limits ✅ Fast Processing in Seconds

The pricing structure offers two tiers:

• $6.99/week
• $39.99/year (highlighted as "Best Seller," breaking down to just $3.33/month)

This common tactic anchors the perceived value, making the annual plan seem significantly more attractive. The lack of a free trial is a bold move; it filters for users willing to pay immediately but risks losing those who prefer to test premium features first. The modest revenue suggests this might be attracting a small, dedicated user base willing to pay, or that conversion rates are low. 💰

Core Experience: Crafting AI Music & Covers

Melodia offers two primary creative paths: AI Covers and AI Music Generation.

AI Covers: Users can "Pick a Song" by searching YouTube or pasting a direct link. They then "Pick a Voice" from a grid of options, featuring recognizable characters and artists (like Plankton, Elon Musk, Darth Vader, Adale, Alvin, etc.). Some voices are marked with a crown 👑, indicating they likely require a Pro subscription. A search function helps navigate the voice library. Once selected, the cover enters a "Processing" state, and users are notified when it's ready in their Library.

AI Music Generation: This feature allows users to create original music from text prompts. The interface provides:

• A text input field ("Enter prompt," e.g., "Rock and roll electric guitar solo").
• Suggested prompt buttons.
• Duration selection (5s, 15s, 30s - the 30s option is marked premium 👑).
• Music style selection (e.g., Classical, Pop, Metal, Jazz, Rock, K-pop).
• A "Generate" button.

Generated tracks also land in the Library, where they can be played and renamed. The UX for both features is relatively straightforward, focusing on quick input and generation.

Monetization Signals & Retention Hooks

The combination of $0 monthly downloads and $1k revenue suggests a few possibilities. Melodia might have a very high lifetime value (LTV) per acquired user, effectively monetizing those who do discover and engage with the app. Or, it could indicate struggles with user acquisition, relying on a small base of paying users. The fact they are running ads points towards active efforts to acquire users, but the low download numbers suggest these campaigns may not be scaling effectively yet.

A "Credits" system is visible in the settings (showing "3/3 credits used"), hinting at a potential freemium limitation alongside the subscription. Users might get a few free generations or cover creations before hitting the paywall, aligning with the "Soft Paywall" approach. This limited free access acts as a teaser for the Pro features.

Retention seems primarily driven by the user's creations stored in the Library. Coming back to listen, share, or generate more content is the main hook. There aren't obvious community features or daily streak mechanics observed in the flow, putting the onus on the core creation tools to keep users engaged. ✨

Key Takeaways for App Builders

Melodia demonstrates several common tactics in the AI app space, but also areas for potential optimization:

1. Permission Priming: Clearly articulating the user benefit before showing system prompts (Tracking, Notifications) can significantly impact opt-in rates. Don't just ask; explain why it helps them.
2. Paywall Timing & Trials: While Melodia gates features effectively, the lack of a free trial might deter users. A/B testing trial offers vs. direct subscription could reveal optimal conversion strategies. Timing the paywall after a user's first "aha!" moment (e.g., hearing a short preview of their generated song) can be powerful.
3. Onboarding Personalization: Collecting user intent early (like Melodia's questionnaire) is smart. Use this data to immediately tailor the experience and highlight relevant features or voices.
4. Core Loop Value: The success of creative AI tools hinges on the quality and fun of the output. Ensuring the AI generations are consistently impressive is key to retention and converting free users to paid subscribers.
5. Monetization Mix: The credit system combined with subscription offers a hybrid approach. This can capture users unwilling to subscribe but willing to pay small amounts for specific actions, though it can also add complexity.

Melodia provides a fascinating glimpse into the strategies used by emerging AI creative tools. By analyzing these flows—the onboarding steps, the paywall triggers, the core feature interactions—we gain invaluable insights into what works, what doesn't, and where opportunities lie for building more engaging and successful apps. 🚀