In 2023, music streaming continued its meteoric rise, with hundreds of songs surpassing the one-billion-stream mark on Spotify alone. A decade ago, such milestones were rare, but today, streaming has revolutionized the way audiences consume music. The shift is more than just a change in listening habits—it has fundamentally transformed the music industry, generating billions of data points across platforms like Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

Yet, while access to data has never been greater, the challenge remains: how do industry professionals, artists, and music executives make sense of this vast ocean of information?

This is where Qihang Zhang, Senior Product Designer at Chartmetric, has played a pivotal role. Chartmetric, a leader in music analytics, provides industry professionals with cutting-edge tools to track and understand an artist’s digital footprint. Zhang’s design expertise has reshaped the way the platform visualizes and delivers insights, making music data more accessible and actionable.

Streaming revenue made up a significant portion of U.S. recorded music revenue in 2023,, Zhang recognized that the future of music discovery wasn’t just about collecting data—it was about presenting it in ways that drive smarter decisions for industry insiders from label executives to independent artists and A&R scouts.

Turning Data into Discovery

Photo Courtesy: Qihang Zhang

“The challenge isn’t collecting data anymore—it’s making sense of it.”

This philosophy defines Zhang’s impact on Chartmetric. When he joined the company as a product designer, Chartmetric already tracked millions of artist-related data points. However, Zhang saw an opportunity to simplify complexity—transforming raw statistics into intuitive, user-friendly experiences catering to data-savvy professionals and artists who need quick insights.

One of Zhang’s most significant contributions has been the Talent Discovery tool, which helps A&Rs, labels, and managers uncover rising artists before they break into the mainstream. The tool analyzes growth trajectories across multiple platforms, looking beyond surface-level streaming numbers to assess engagement quality, momentum, and audience expansion across different regions.

Rather than relying on traditional ranking methods, Talent Discovery introduces a multi-dimensional approach to artist evaluation. Measuring an artist’s growth velocity—how quickly their streams, followers, and interactions are increasing—offers a more predictive view of success. This innovation has been recognized in international competitions, including the London Design Awards, NY Product Design Awards, and Muse Creative Awards.

Photo Courtesy: Qihang Zhang

Revolutionizing Music Analytics Through Comparison and Context

Another of Zhang’s key innovations is the Compare Pro tool, a feature that has changed how industry professionals evaluate an artist’s potential. With side-by-side analysis, users can compare multiple artists across streaming performance, geographic reach, audience demographics, and social media traction.

This data-driven approach is especially important in an industry where the top 1% of artists receive the vast majority of streams and revenue. By providing a clear and customizable framework for comparison, Compare Pro allows professionals to spot emerging talent, identify market trends, and make data-backed signing decisions.

Bridging Analytics and Social Engagement

Zhang’s design philosophy isn’t just about delivering numbers and making data storytelling more powerful. His Milestone Social Sharing feature exemplifies this, which automatically generates shareable achievements for artists based on their streaming and social media performance.

Visibility is crucial for independent artists, who now collectively generate over $4 billion in streaming revenue annually. The Milestone feature allows them to easily share their significant moments—hitting a new streaming milestone or climbing the charts—on social media. This seamless integration between analytics and artist branding helps musicians grow their audiences organically without requiring extensive marketing budgets.

Designing for a Mobile-First Industry

Recognizing that 75% of music industry professionals work on the go, Zhang also led the redesign of Chartmetric’s mobile application, ensuring users could access powerful analytics from anywhere. The updated mobile app features a sleek, intuitive interface that allows for quick data retrieval, customizable reports, and real-time insights—all without compromising depth or usability.

This mobile-friendly design has become an essential tool for industry executives making split-second decisions at festivals, meetings, or while scouting talent.

Beyond Chartmetric: A Leader in Music Tech Innovation

Zhang’s contributions to the music industry extend beyond product design. He actively supports the next generation of innovators as a mentor for Measure of Music, a music tech educational program, and a judge for design competitions like Hack for Humanity and Davis Design Fest. His thought leadership has been recognized by major artists and industry teams, with his work receiving engagement from figures like Jessie J, Justin Timberlake, and Madonna’s team.

Moreover, his commitment to social impact is evident through his collaboration with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, where he has contributed to initiatives like the Be There Certificate and Channel Kindness programs, which focus on mental health and community building in the digital space.

Photo Courtesy: Qihang Zhang

The Future of Music Analytics: Empowering, Not Overwhelming

As global streaming subscribers are projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2027, the need for clarity in music analytics will only grow. Zhang’s work at Chartmetric isn’t just about tracking numbers—it’s about making data a tool for creativity, discovery, and empowerment.

By transforming complex insights into intuitive, user-centered designs, he has helped reshape how industry professionals, artists, and fans interact with music data. His innovations ensure that analytics not only serves labels and corporations but also independent artists, managers, and the next generation of talent.

In a digital era where every stream, like, and share contributes to an artist’s success, Zhang’s work is helping the industry navigate the noise and uncover the next wave of breakthrough artists. Through award-winning design, he’s not only changing how we discover music but also how we measure success.

Published by Drake M.