How Much for Music App? Estimating the Cost of Developing Audio and Video Android Apps


Abhishek Founder & CFO cisin.com
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Estimating Cost for Audio & Video Android Apps

For over a decade, the leading music streaming app Spotify has gained over 100 million users. As per the reports in 2016, Spotify had more than 30 million followers. As the trends are shifting from on-demand service, online Music, video, and audio are helping customers with huge benefits on the go. The music streaming app is no fancier. Instead, it is a significant iOS and Android App Development Services innovation.

Today, people have been shifting to online streaming apps from old storage options. Technology has transformed everything from daily activities to commercial activities. Hence, music streaming app development comes into the picture. The progress of the music streaming market is showing the potential growth of the new interest.

The development of Music streaming apps has an aggregated futuristic approach. In another way, the revenue of global Music has effectively contributed to Digital Music. The revenue share of digital Music keeps on increasing with every new development.

The revenue share of the "Music Streaming" app amounts to more than 6600 US dollars. The annual growth rate is expected to be around 12% so that the market share will swell up to more than 10000 US dollars by 2021. Apart from this, the User penetration percentage is expected to increase to 29.4% by 2021. One data suggests that the average revenue per user amounts to 6.50 US dollars.


In Today's Digital Music, you Come to Explore Several Music Applications in-App Store

In Today's Digital Music, you Come to Explore Several Music Applications in-App Store
  • Music Streaming Apps
  • Apps for Music Bands
  • Music Learning Apps
  • Music Editing Apps
  • Music Identification apps

Features of Music Streaming Mobile Apps

Features of Music Streaming Mobile Apps

With the increasing share of Music streaming apps in the music world, exploring the best things about it is essential. The critical feature integrated into the Music streaming apps makes it convenient as well as an updated model for millennials.


Audience Captive UX UI

Audience Captive UX UI

User Registration/Login

Soon after the music streaming app's installation, the user must register or log in. Here, the user should be able to register using the app, filling up information like name, age, sex, country, email, and photo, although it's voluntary.

The music streaming app developer could use that information for futuristic analysis and data interpretation. It makes it easy for them to constitute potential changes for better user satisfaction and features. The information directs the developer to integrate functional changes in the music genre and interest. Sign-in or registration can be made more accessible by allowing users to sign in or sign up via social media platforms or email.


Music Playlist

After logging in, users should be ready to choose their beloved songs from available collections. On the home page, there should be a collection of available genres and setting panels for the user to customize their choice. But the developer can also limit access to the functions. It is much better to randomly recommend the users "the top songs" or best songs. It helps them discover new albums or songs instantaneously. There would be more possibilities for Live Streaming App Development, so the user sticks to the app and enjoys playlists.


Search

The users wish to listen to songs of their choice. Sometimes they may choose the random songs recommended by the app, but it's better to offer them more space to search for their songs. The app developers should integrate the search feature so that users can explore their songs quickly. It helps them in filtering through music databases and libraries. The essential feature of Music video streaming app development is enabling users to find their favorite tracks in seconds. But it should be well allowed to the user with a filtering option per their preferences. The filter can include preferences like artists, albums, songs, mood, and year of release.


Follow and Share Option

Usually, users always want to follow their beloved artists. They want to get updated every time they release a new cover or sing. The music streaming app developer can integrate the following and share options. It helps the user share their favorite playlist with their friend or group. The best way to boost its adaptability, allow the user to share on social media. It leveraged the apps with more user engagements in the era of AI program development.


Push Notification

The Music streaming app user listens, follows, and shares the songs and artists. They always love to get updated with information about new releases, artists' news, playlists, etc. Hence, the push notifications inform the app user about all updated information on songs, playlists, artists, shares, etc. Once the users get notified, it establishes a better communication channel between the music listener and the Music streaming app.

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Offline Music

The Musical experience of the user must be phenomenal. Still, it drops once users' internet data limit reaches or if they experience a bad network connection. So there must be an alternative to the problem during Music App Design and Development. Here, the app developer needs to arrange a medium for the listener where they can listen to Music even offline. So, it is better to leverage the app with a feature of using the device cache to save Music offline. The feature allows the users to use external storage to save Music and listen offline.


Bitrate

Bit rate is among the few essential things that decide the functionality, usability, and adaptability of the Music streaming app. Here, app developers are required to use a specific format where they can download Music within a few seconds and enjoy the Music with no buffering. The format M3u8 breaks the bits into several small packets, each with a limited lifespan. It is a format that makes streaming seamless and benefits the user behavior while using the Music streaming app.


Music Quality

While listening to Music, the music quality promises a good experience. MP3 format is a much better option than other formats like FLAC. However, the standard stream should be 128 kbit/second, while some may also prefer 320 kbit/second.

Hence, the Live Streaming App Development must include all possible options to access a high bit rate. The app developer accentuates the music quality through a high bit rate.


Personalization

The user experience increases the adaptability and usability of any app. The app developer needs to integrate a vibrant user interface. Using innovative and updated visualization in Music App Design and Development while playing Music would be an added feature for the user. The iOS and Android App Development Services should be prioritized to include everything that enriches user experience.

Hence, Songs according to the app users' location can usher user engagement.


Additional Features:

Additional Features:

The Music streaming app development should also offer some additional features. In today's market, the multidimensional approach from apps to policies keeps on gaining attention. Apart from the productive functionality of the app, some additional features fetch more user retention. Hence, the app developer should be adding some features like ticket booking, event information, radio stations, and podcasts. It is better to offer theme-based stations so that the users can explore their favorite genres.


Back-End Technologies

Today, in between increasing mobile penetration, app developers need to develop apps that work both on web and mobile app developers platforms. Hence, using PostgreSQL, Cassandra, or a general memory cache is recommended. Despite this, staying with the leading frameworks such as JavaScript and Python is better. Some other tools can mitigate the complexities and the cost of the Music App Design and Development process.

  • Use Graph Walker for model-based testing and integrating with Python services.
  • Kafka Software: For processing and managing data in real-time.
  • Amazon S3: Use it for storage with CDNs,
  • Google Cloud platforms or Datapro App developers can use it for primary platform structure.
  • Chromium Embedded Framework is a better desktop-based UI (CEF) option.
  • An app developer can use Bootstrap to revamp it in an elegant and classy way for websites.
  • Nginx is an easy and open source for HTTP and proxy server.

The Backend technologies must be strategically implemented, and it's one of the complex factors that need to be arranged.

While developing apps, the server-side architecture is among a specific development segment and needs potential effort. Apps like Spotify run uninterruptedly on any platform. Hence, strategic development should be a priority of the iOS and Android App Development Services. for music streaming apps.


Cloud Storage:

App developers can use their server or cloud storage services like Google Cloud Storage, Amazon S3, or Azure. These storage servers efficiently handle thousands of requests/sec. It plays a significant role in medical platforms and indirectly boosts the user retention ratio.


Content Delivery Networks (CDNs):

You need to use CDN services for streaming the media with no risk. It enriches the user experience, and users would find it a more secure streaming platform. Hence, app developers can use a cloud streaming server or their own media server for streaming while AI Software development is exploring new upgrades.


Audio/Video Transcoding:

The music streaming app should be available on major devices and browsers. So, the app developer needs to leverage the backend process where the media files are transcoded in various media formats. It makes it able to support all available browsers and devices. You can use FFMPEG or Amazon elastic transcoder for audio or video transcoding- a third-party solution.

Digital Right Management (DRM): To protect our content, use DRM standards.

Read the blog- Cost And Features To Develop An OTT Video App


Media Server Configuration:

The app developer must configure the server to support all devices and major browsers. Hence, configuring the streaming protocol as RTMP and HTTP HTTPS is needed.


Player Configuration:

While playing Music streaming apps, the app's quality always matters. Hence, you need to configure the music player to serve the content quality according to the user's internet speed.

The app developer can use PHP to some extent or choose JAVA. Some options like HTML5 and Clojure languages. Every live streaming app development task should be integrated into the access point for establishing a link.


Music Intelligence Algorithm

Music Intelligence Algorithm is an improvised and innovative feature for improving the Music streaming app. The app developer becomes able to track or curates the algorithm in three ways:

  1. Use audio analysis algorithm
  2. Music data curation by human medium
  3. A mix of both these

Here, the music intelligence platform effectively synthesizes billions of data points and transforms them into the relevant musical understanding of followers, songs, and artists, and offers playlists API & much more. With the new developments in AI software development, the music intelligence algorithm redefines the pattern of app users' discovering, sharing, and interacting with Music.

The algorithm will help keep track of the users' feedback and show them songs per their preferences. The music algorithm fetches possible song choices as the user skips or listens to the artist or song. As a result, the user profile finds the app user-friendly and engages with a new listening experience. Here, it also works for similar listeners whom the same playlist, song, or artist can recommend.


Other Technologies for Live Streaming App Development

Other Technologies for Live Streaming App Development
  • Use Twilio and Bandwidth, - for Push Notifications
  • Use Nexmo -for SMS, Phone, and Voice Verification
  • Use PayPal Vs. Braintree - for receiving payments
  • Use GWT -for a Powerful Programming
  • Use Datastax -for the Data Management
  • Use Mandrill for emails

A Unique and Intelligent Approach

Unique performance, platform, and user experience excel in their penetration between the users. So implementing new ideas and changes makes streaming more seamless and enriched. Every new change in music app design and development takes it closer to the rich UX.


Licensing

The fundamental objective of Music streaming apps is listening to free Music. These apps offer songs to the listeners legitimately. So here, you need to keep a license or Public Performance Rights. The licensing terms and conditions may vary from country to country. These rights can be well arranged, like The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Broadcast Music Incorporated in the US, and European Stage Authors and Composers in Europe.

iOS and Android app development services are also required to obtain license content from popular or famous labels:

For Indie Artists: You need to get a license from an independent aggregator, i.e., Merlin Network.

Popular Labels like Warner Bros, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music.

Music publishers like Universal Music Publishing Group and Sony/ATV.


Albeit, There are Different ways of Getting Licensing, the Common ways are:

  • According to the per-stream rate
  • Through equity
  • Through a fixed percentage of the revenue
  • Advance payments for future streams

Yet there is no global benchmark or standard for licensing, and it varies from country to country. So app developers can access any of the standard licensing for their Music streaming apps.


Development Cost

In the app's development phase, the cost may vary per its functionalities. At the initial stage, estimating the total development cost is impossible. In the case of the mobile version, the Music streaming app development teams take more time. The entire development phase of the mobile version is complicated and time-consuming.

Usually, the development cost may be increased in fixed or variable patterns. The music app development companies charge according to the per hour basis. It depends upon the time and complexities involved during the app development.

In the current marketplace, the average standard per-hour rate ranges between $30-$40. The total cost increases due to the engagement of experienced backend developers, UX/UI designers, and Testing and Quality Assurance teams.

Apart from this, your location also plays an essential detrimental factor in deciding the Music App Design and Development cost.

The standard rate for US-based developers charges between $50 - $250/hour, while Europe-based developers amount between $25-$160. In the Asian Market, the development cost comes down between $10 to $80/hour. So, when it comes to the total development cost, it would be nearly $25000 for iOS and $35,000 for Android.

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Takeaway

Due to fierce competition, the market has aggregated more opportunities for innovations in recent years. The importance of consumer experience is ratcheting a more integral position in business development models. In this way, the trend for Music streaming mobile applications has gained more attention.

People's engagement has increased due to consistent upgrades in apps. The music streaming app development is integrating improvised and highly engaging functions. The music streaming app would be a more profitable business model in the coming years. There will be more effective, adaptable, and engaging apps for the users.