Exploring the strategies shaping application programming interface development and integration in digital music platforms: A qualitative case study

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) have become essential to contemporary software development, supporting the growth of digital platforms and ecosystems. APIs enable developers to create applications by providing functionalities that facilitate communication. Despite their importance in supporting digital platforms and ecosystems, there is a lack of understanding of how digital firms (i.e. small) develop and integrate APIs. This study challenges the existing knowledge on the generalization of software development approaches due to the contextual forces affecting organizations. Through rich qualitative data from a small digital music platform in a developing country, the findings reveal that API development and integration in small digital firms employ a sociotechnical approach, differing slightly from existing software development models (e.g., Hoffer’s model). The study identified a 6-step model for API development and a 7-step model for API integration, highlighting the decisive steps that are most crucial or necessary for small digital firms. The decisive 13-phase development and integration model was merged into a 7-step model, emphasizing that API development and integration is a mix of technical and social/business activities. The theoretical and practical (e.g., the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) are outlined.