From old-school music to brand new television shows, it seems as if everyone is connected to some sort of streaming app on their smartphone. And out of all the streaming services out there, the top apps seem to share some commonalities.
Their most important shared feature is that they offer users exclusive content. It seems almost rudimentary to mention, but a consumer finds no need in downloading an app if they can find the same content somewhere else.
Another one of the top features users look for in a streaming app is community. If the social media age has taught us anything, it’s that people want to stay connected.
If you’re looking to design a sleek streaming app, there’s a lot of competition out there (see below!). But with the right industry leading app development team behind you, you’ll be ready. The right developer will help you handle:
- Registration
- Social media connectivity
- Personal account management (such as ID and passwords)
- Filters (usually by genre), and
- Payment methods (which can be trickier than you think to do properly)
They’ll even help you with UI, Wireframing, launch and QA. If you need inspiration on what kind of streaming service you want to offer your users, here are some of the finest streaming apps out there.
Tv/Film, NETFLIX
With Netflix’s extensive catalogue of television shows, movies, and documentaries, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s in the top spot. Of course, Hulu and Amazon Prime also offer unique programming and affordable prices, but it’s Netflix’s original content that keeps it ahead of the rest.
Music, TIDAL
With so many music streaming options available, developers need to think creatively on how to keep their consumer’s attention. Tidal has managed to do just that. The first-ever artist-owned music streaming platform provides an impressive collection of tunes. It also features exclusive content that only subscribers are privy to. Tidal supplies fans with rare behind-the-scenes content and live streams that are only available on their platform.
The program, Tidal X, was created as a means to sustain engagement between the artists and their fans by supporting one-of-a-kind live events. One such event was the live streaming of Rihanna’s Fenty fashion show in Paris. Other events have included listening parties and meet & greets.
Video Games, TWITCH
The video game industry has been and is currently still a billion-dollar business. According to Forbes, in 2018 the industry saw close to $140 billion in revenue. 2019 total sales are expected to exceed that number. Yet, live streaming gameplay is a fairly new concept that Twitch seems to be mastering.
The Amazon-owned streaming service has millions of regular users with over two million unique streamers each month. That equals a lot of original content.
Streamers can use the app in three ways. They can look at content, create content, or chat with other viewers. Professional gamers are known to use this streaming service to increase their fan base, too.
Twitch’s use of live streaming concerts creates an air of exclusivity that consumers are willing to pay for month after month. And whether it’s chatting online about gaming techniques or providing interactive content, Twitch designed a way for its users to engage with one another.
However, none of these features would even matter if they had poor streaming quality. For this reason, developers should ensure your streaming app includes enough server-side and user-side bandwidth to create a seamless experience.
Utilizing an app to further your business is literally the way of the future. So, make sure to work with app developers that not only understand your vision, but that can also translate that into an experience exclusive to your consumer.
