The times are gone when everybody used to gather around at a fixed time to watch their favorites shows on television. Now everybody is too busy in their own world and with the advancement of technology, it is easier to watch your favorite shows and series, at any time you like. Apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. have stepped into the world of the internet and have given access to watch the shows you like on smartphones and television according to your own timeline.
With the ease, comfort, and awesome content that is available on Netflix and other similar platforms, attract viewers from around the world. In the nearby future, the demand for daily sitcoms on television will decrease significantly, and apps such as Netflix will become the prime source of entertainment for a large number of people. Today, when you see the younger generation, most of them have very little interest in watching television and are all up for Netflix.
Though Netflix provides a great entertainment source to the people, they also earn a huge amount of revenue from their services and make billions of dollars of profits every year. In the year 2019, Netflix had total revenue of $20.15 billion and is raising its success figures year after year.
Business Model and Money Making Procedure for Netflix
The business of Netflix is highly dependent on its subscribers and viewers. Netflix has over 100 million users and has a reach in more than 190 countries. It is estimated that more than 120 million hours of movies and TV shows are watched on Netflix every day. The business model of Netflix is too wide and the below-given canvas depicts the various sections of their model.
How Does Netflix Earn Profits?
Netflix makes most of its revenue from its subscribers. Subscribers need to pay a subscription amount for accessing the content available on their app and website. There are three kinds of plans or streaming quality for the users that can be opted and each one of them has their corresponding prices.
Starter Pack : This includes the content that can be viewed at a standard definition.
Standard Pack : This pack is an up-gradation of the basic package and it offers you a high definition quality of videos on Netflix. The subscription cost for this pack is higher than that of the basic pack.
Premium Pack : The premium pack of Netflix is the best package they have to offer. In this package, the videos are streamed at an ultra-high-definition quality.
Another way through which Netflix earns money is through their DVD sales. They also provide DVDs of movies and TV series through mails. However, the business generated through this service is limited and nowhere close to what they earn from their mobile application and web services.
Steps Involved in Developing an App like Netflix
Developing an app like Netflix is not an easy task and requires a good amount of investment, time and expertise. The process for developing the application goes as follows:
1. Requirement Gathering
The foremost step in developing an app is that you need to do detailed research of the overall project, from its user interface to design to marketing.
Thorough research is needed and all kinds of information are gathered. The information is then analyzed, and the requirements are made for making an app that is better than the other existing apps.
In this phase, all the features that are required to be featured in the app are decided. The cost of developing an app is highly dependent on the features that are to be put in the app.
Features that are a Must For an App Like Netflix
• Registration
User registration is the most basic yet important feature of a video app. The registration portal is a great way of analyzing the number of people that are using your application. During the registration process, it should be made sure that a person is not asked for a number of questions else holding them onto your app becomes highly difficult.
Today, every one of us is connected with social media so having social media integration with your app is a must. It ensures easy access for the user and you are able to generate more interest for a user in your app.
• User Profile
A separate section for the profile of the user in the app must be there. The user profile generally includes the favorite shows of the user, history, and reminders for the users. Also, the history of all the purchases made in the app should be listed there. The user profile is a good way of keeping track of likes and dislikes of the customer so that the favorite shows and favorable content for the user can be recommended to them.
• Chat Feature
Making a video streaming application is no easy task when other platforms have bought the competition to such high levels. New functionality and features that are missing in the other apps must be put in the app to attract more customers for your app. Chatting is one such feature that can be included in the app that lets you communicate with other users for their views and also that helps you to put comments on the content that your view.
• Push Notifications
Push notifications are the easiest way to stay in regular touch with your customers. Sending reminders through notifications helps the customer to stay involved with the app. Notifications also help the customer to notify about the new series being launched on the app, the validity of their renewal plans and upgrading subscription plans.
• Searching Bar
Apps like Netflix should have the availability of a search bar. The search bar helps in searching the movies and content that a user wants to see. Also, it helps in categorizing the data according to their genres. If a video streaming app lacks this functionality, then it can adversely affect the number of subscribers on the app.
• Multiple Language Support
One of the reasons why Netflix is such a successful app is that it provides the content according to the regional preferences of the people. The high-quality shows featured in the regional language of the people attract a large group of viewers. Also, if the app has support for different languages, then it assures more viewers from untapped regions.
• Skills Test
There are certain skill tests that are added for the freelancer. Having a skill test can check the level of expertise that a freelancer has and if they are worth adding to the current database of the company. Skill tests are usually done because the company has a certain level of reputation to maintain and the competition to enter the platform is already too high.
• Payment Portals
Any app that has monetary earnings related to it should definitely have the functionality of easy access to the payment gateways. For newly made apps, it is essential to have as many portals and gateways for payment as possible.
Different people are connected with different payment gateways and to get a hold of all those customers, it is important for you to have the availability of all the necessary payment options.
• Settings
The setting page of a video streaming app should have the availability of features such as sound control options, video quality options, subtitles, etc. Videos usually consume a lot of data so to have a control for choosing the video quality is always a benefit for the user.
2. UI/UX Design and Tech Stack
Once the requirements are clear for the app, then a user interface is to be developed for the application. For this purpose, a professional designing team is to be hired. According to the features that you want in the app, the time and amount will be fixed. Mostly the interface designing of the app is done in countries like China, India, Ukraine, the US, etc.
The USA has very high hourly rates for the services; however, the quality delivered is also exceptional. In case your budget is not that high, then you can hire a professional from Ukraine or India where you get good service with lower service costs.
Languages that are required for building such an app are Java, JavaScript, Python, Swift, etc. React, Win.js, and Node.js are the frameworks that are used in the development process of streaming apps.
The database plays an important role in such applications. Oracle, Mongo DB, Kinesis Video Stream, etc. can be a good option for the storage of the content and all other necessary data.
3. Creating a Prototype
Firstly a prototype of the app is created and sent to the client back for finalization. In this phase, edits and any missing functionality can be added before the real version of the app is built by the developers.
4. Development of Application
Once the prototype is approved by the producers of the app, then the developers go ahead and develop the application for the user. This is the most time-consuming process and it may take anywhere between three to six months for developing the app. Constant engagement with the developers here is necessary so that the regular work can be checked and updates can be notified to the app developing team.
5. Support and Maintenance
The process of successfully running a business does not stop just by creating the app. Once the app is done and is officially launched on the app store and app store, then the maintenance and support process for the app is required.
People who will download the app might face any troubles regarding payments, ordering, or any other issue. In order to resolve them, you need a support and maintenance team that will help the users at the time of issues.
Tech Stack
How Much Will it Cost to Develop a Video Streaming App like Netflix?
Building a video streaming app is no joke, and it takes a huge amount of investment and time for its development. As discussed earlier, there are currently two platforms, Android and iOS, for which the application can be developed.
Developing the app on iOS is a bit more complex than on Android, and the cost will also be on the upper hand in the case of the iOS platform.
Factors that Decide the Cost of Video Streaming Apps
There are various factors that affect the cost of developing an app:
• Features
The primary factor that affects the cost of an app in a huge way is its features. More the features, more amount of money is involved in bringing them to practical usage. It can be beneficial to put in a unique feature that no other app currently has. Also, to do some cost-cutting, you can release the first version of the app with the necessary features first and later release the app with new features later.
• Application Design
An app must be kept simple and engaging for the user so that they do not get confused using the app and end up disliking it. Keep the user interface as simple as you can so that people of all age groups find it easier to access the application. It will also reduce some of the costs for you.
• Platform
Selecting the right platform for your app is important. Developing an app on iOS is costlier to that of developing it on Android. So market research must be done prior to developing the app so that you can accordingly pick the platform for your app.
• Application Developers
The major cost of building an app is taken by the app development team. Charges are based on an hourly basis and to develop the app, Indian, Ukranian, and Chinese markets are a much reliable option because they charge lesser compared to that of US market professionals.
• Mobile Wallets
The integration of mobile wallets in your app ensures smooth and easy payment for the user. There are several users who choose the app seeing at the ease of payment options they have so integrating with mobile wallets might cost you a little but it will surely enhance your business.
Wrapping Up
Apps like Netflix can be highly profitable if the intent and the content of the app are picked, keeping in mind the demand of the customer. Development of the app requires good market research for all the various aspects mentioned above. If all the process is handled well with professionalism and a good strategy, then making a video streaming app can be successful for you. If you’re unsure how to get started, get in touch with us. Good Luck!