With changing times and evolution of technology, television is no longer the only source of entertainment. Live video streaming apps are the new norm. They have become the king of today’s media. It is growing in popularity at a fast pace and taking the attention of more viewers. But to create a live video streaming app, you should have a rough idea and specific knowledge about how the app will look. So, let’s dive deep into live video streaming app development.
What is a Video Streaming App?
A live video streaming app lets you create, watch, and share videos just like TV, in real time. Businesses can use a video streaming app to arrange live meetings, video calls, and screen sharing.
Types of Video Sharing Apps
Live streaming refers to live broadcast of different events that you can view through the Internet in real-time. These days, there are many video streaming apps in the app stores. If you wish to know how to create a live streaming app, then you should first find out the different types of streaming apps in the market:
1. Live Broadcasting App
It is one of the famous streaming media. With this app, you can watch videos in real-time as it is simultaneously recorded and broadcasted. Live streaming apps can be created to broadcast how different users play games, how people answer questions online, or how people talk about various things. Some of the most popular video streaming apps today are YouTube Live, Periscope, Facebook Live, etc.
2. Audio Streaming App
A live streaming app is not only for videos. It can also be used for listening music without downloading. Some of the most popular audio streaming services at present include Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and more.
3. TV Live Streaming Apps
These apps let users watch TV online. Most businesses combine TV broadcasting and live streaming apps to offer users the best services. Though Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, and Hulu are the most popular on-demand video service providers, they also have plans for watching live TV.
4. On-Demand Video Streaming App
With this type of apps, users can watch movies and TV serials without even downloading them. One of their most unique feature is that you can pause, rewind, and resume content with these apps. To access the content, users need to pay a fixed amount for subscription. The top leaders of this area include Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu.
Now that we know the different types of live streaming apps, we should proceed with the MVP features and advanced features that go into creating a streaming app:
MVP Features of Live Video Streaming Apps
Seeing the great success of popular streaming apps, you should not jump directly into creating one. Neither should you stuff the app with all the features initially. It is better to build an MVP first. It will be helpful to understand how feasible the app is and what does it lacks right at its initial stage.
Firstly, select the platform from the different available options. You can either create a native or hybrid application. With a native platform, you can create your app for a particular platform. The programming language used for the coding of this app should be adopted keeping the platform you use in mind. A hybrid one, on the other hand, is an app supported on different platforms. It can be created using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
Now the question is, what should be included in the MVP of a streaming app? The main features include:
- User Registration
- User’s personal profile
- Search
- Online Streaming
- Server side
- Comments to broadcast
With this skeleton, you can start your live streaming app successfully. Once you get a positive response and ensure that the app is viable, you can add some more advanced features.
Advanced Features of Live Streaming Apps
Sign Up Option: Everything in the app should be clear and simple. You can offer your users a simple registration process with email address or phone number and password. You should also add a password reset option via a text message or email.
Personal Profile: Initially, you can ask users for personal information like full name, username, profile picture, and subscription plans only to get started. However, more options like location DOB, feed preferences, and interests can be added.
Donation System: Include a donation system to encourage creative through the live stream app. Except for payment subscription, donations can be the key source for income of the streamer. Users who enjoy the broadcasts can donate the streamer voluntarily. You can either use a third-party donation tool or create your own.
Chat: Another vital feature to include in a live streaming application is chat. This features let streamers communicate with their users. It is helpful for broadcasters to get feedback and helps viewers stay in touch with influencers.
Search: According to app developers Toronto, Search is the next feature in a live stream application development process. Users should be easily able to navigate through their preferred streamers and channels conveniently and quickly. Offer some filters to help them find new content that meet their tastes like location, popularity, broadcasting language, interest, and more.
UI/UX Design: To catch the eyes of your users, create an app with an attractive and unique design. The app’s convenience depends on its design. Hire app developers Canada who can offer professional UI and UX design services.
Privacy: To offer your users more personal space, provide them the abilities to select whom they wish to broadcast to. Ensure that streamers can stream videos to a specific person, a selected list of users, or only in a specific area.
Screen Sharing: Nowadays, it is vital for apps to have screen sharing feature. It lets you broadcast the images of the content of your scree to your partner. This feature is mainly helpful for streaming games and tutorials.
Schedule and Notification: Another vital feature to include in a streaming app is scheduling. For users convenience, consider stream schedules and notification. With this features, users can rest assured to get a push-notification whenever a broadcast starts. A streaming schedule also helps improve user experiences. This way, users will not miss any event, streamers will be able to get a constant audience, and the app will experience great success.
Cost of Live Streaming App Development
We have covered nearly all the features that you can include while developing a live streaming application. Though we cannot find an exact price for the app as it is built on your request and your chosen features. A rough estimate to create a live streaming app is between $50,000 and $100,000 based on the features you want to include.
