Today, conventional cable TV is being overshadowed by a variety of streaming services. Modern TVs have an internet connection that allows users to find the show or series in no time.
Netflix is the leader in the field of streaming service. It provides access to a range of different programs and movies for all users. The question is, how can someone surpass Netflix? Is it even possible? In this article, we’ll discuss a streaming service’s development process, what features it should include, and the best monetization models.
The concept of Netflix streaming service
Netflix is a video-on-demand streaming service that provides video content via a subscription. After users pay a monthly fee, they get unlimited access to various movies, series, shows, and cartoons. Netflix is a cross-platform service that is compatible with various operating systems like Smart TV, iOS. Windows, Mac OS, Android, and more.
With the help of technically advanced features, Netflix boosts user experience. Thus, the CineMatch system offers users movies and shows based on their preferences. Besides, it’s possible to create up to five different profiles with a single account. That’s how all of your family members will have a unique experience that won’t be interrupted by other family members.
Apart from complex features, Netflix allows users to rate the movies they’ve watched and add different filters to the search system.
How to build an app like Netflix or HBO Max
Whether you’re going to create a video streaming website or a video-on-demand app, you have to follow these steps:
- Decide on the strategy
- Come up with a business plan
- Decide on a tech stack for your project
- Create an MVP version of the project
- Comply with all requirements for the project
- Gather user feedback and work over the wishes of your audience
Strategy to start the development of a streaming service
In this section, we’ll briefly cover all the steps you need to take before the development of your Netflix-like app
Decide on the niche
Before diving into the technical aspects of your project, you should conduct research. Find out what kind of audience you’re trying to attract. Based on this information. You should provide proper content.
If you’re aiming at a mature audience, they won’t be interested in teen comedies and cartoons. The design of your app also depends on your audience. That’s why initial research is vital for the success of the whole project.
Take care of the content
When you’re done with user research, it’s time to think over the content. Decide how the content will be updated. You can update it daily, weekly, or even monthly. But make sure that your users won’t experience the lack of content and will always have something to watch. Besides, decide whether you’ll distribute some content for free or everything will be available via a subscription.
Make your content licensed
You should comply with all copyright guidelines and rules to not fail your project. That’s why licenses for your content are an essential aspect of the services.
There are two ways to get the license for the content you’re going to stream:
- Renting a movie from an authorized distributor
- Contacting a copyright holder
Both options are relevant and depend on the individual particularity of your project. If you’re planning on renting content from a distributor, you should contact major US distributors like Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) or SWANK Motion Picture.
If you want to contact a copyright holder, you should negotiate directly with the studio that published the content directly.
Make your app attractive
Here, you should take care of the design and general style of your service. If you’re on a budget, you can use some design templates that will make your app look like other popular streaming services. This option takes away the uniqueness but saves a lot of design expenses.
However, if you’re ready to spend additional resources, you should develop a UI/UX design from scratch. Services with attractive design stand out among pale copies and draw users’ attention.
Cover all platforms
If you plan to build a streaming service, you should create both web and mobile versions. It’s not a secret that the majority of people spend more using mobile devices rather than PCs. Besides, it’s obligatory to create an optimized app for TV platforms like Android TV and Apple TV.
Prioritize your audience
To make your project successful, you should find an interested audience for your service. Promote your platform on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These social networks provide powerful advertising tools that find the audience with proper adjustments.
Besides, you can use emailing as a marketing strategy. Send mails to your potential customers and describe your service. Make sure that the letters are written in an official tone and present your product from the best side.
Features for an on demand-video-platform
Now it’s time to figure out what features should be included in the app and how they boost user experience.
Registration
Registration is a necessity for a video streaming service. Every user should have a personal account in order to receive recommendations, make payments, and create playlists.
User profile
The next step after the registration is the user profile. Here users can manage their personal information, payment details, and create additional profiles for family members.
Search engine
With the help of the search system, users can select the type of content they need. The content can be grouped by genres, ranking, actors, and so on. Besides, users can browse through the films recommended to their friends.
Push-notifications
Notifications will warn users about monthly withdrawals and updates of TV shows they’re following.
Player settings
Users should be able to manage the video and audio quality, play and pause the video, control the volume, enable subtitles, and so on.
Tracking video-recording software
Due to the copyright policies, users can’t record the video from your streaming platform. So, make sure that users won’t be able to snatch the video for further distribution.
Admin panel
This feature is for internal app management. Admins will add and delete the content, manage users, edit videos, and block malicious users if needed.
Besides, the admin panel should provide overall statistics about the content trends and user activity.
Revenue models
The most common monetization strategy for a video streaming platform is a subscription model. Users pay a predefined amount of money to get access to the content. If users suspend the subscription, they won’t be able to access a platform. Still, their personal accounts are saved, and in the future, if they decide to use the service again, it’s enough to make a monthly payment to resume the subscription.
Don’t forget about free trial versions of your product to attract new users.
Furthermore, video streaming platform owners usually place ads at the beginning of the video. These ads constitute a large part of their overall revenue. Users can get rid of the ads by purchasing a more expensive subscription plan.
Finally, you can come up with several subscription plans based on users’ preferences. Let’s assume that half of your audience is interested in TV shows while another half is fond of movies. You can create different subscription plans that provide the content that users consume the most and an ultimate subscription that includes everything. This subscription plan usually costs more, but it provides an uncut experience of a video streaming platform.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, there are various pitfalls and intricacies in the development process of a Netflix-like app. However, if you’re ready to face hardship, the project will bring a ton of benefits to you. But to develop a really worthwhile product, you should find an experienced tech partner.