Everyone enjoys music, and the world of music has seen numerous revolutions. With life speeding up, music streaming apps like Spotify are flourishing.
From days of a gramophone to the days of on-demand music streaming apps, the music industry has evolved a lot. The people with their busy schedules can’t fulfil their desires. He wants everything on-demand, and this tendency has made way for music apps like Spotify.
Music streaming app market leaders
According to the Nielsen report, audio streams grew 83.1% to 144.9 billion streams. This seemingly shows the growing demand for music streaming apps. A few well-proven and much-loved mobile apps firmly occupied the niche.
How and what makes an audio streaming app a profitable investment?
On-demand music streaming apps like Spotify continue to gain popularity. The level of profits the music streaming apps like Spotify bring to the owners has already surpassed the number of sale music tracks on physical media. Based on the reports from the big music group, the revenue from streaming services had exceeded the earnings received because of the standard downloads of musical compositions. The streaming revenues cover about 45% of all digital sales. The streaming model of content distribution remains one of the most convenient for users. Hence the success is quite natural, and there will be huge profits. In the US, audio streams usage has increased to 95%. This is the reason to think about how to develop a music streaming app like Spotify?
Consequently, music streaming app development has become familiar with the fame of apps like Spotify, Deezer, iTunes, Soundcloud, Grooveshark, Google Play, people started leveraging entertainment app development as a great way of earning profits. Therefore the startup idea: Camera music streaming app like Spotify came into the limelight.
What is a music streaming app like Spotify, and how does it work?
A music streaming app like Spotify lets the user search and play any music online for free. If the user wants to download or stream the music offline, then a paid subscription will be required. Also, music can be searched based on the album, genre and even the artist.
Generally, Spotify runs in all operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows and even supported in Smart TVs. In this music streaming app like Spotify, the user can access their favourite tracks from over 30 million songs/tracks for free by just signing or logging into the account. Basically, Spotify is providing a free and premium account which has different Features. In the free account, the user cannot download songs to listen in offline mode even if you get unwanted ads while listening to music, whereas premium accounts are unrestricted.
Music streaming app like Spotify has specific plans
- Free Subscription: In this, the user will be limited to listen to music with ads in between the music streaming.
- SubsidisedSubsidized subscription: In this plan, there are combined plans for families and students.
- Premium Subscription: In this plan, the user can unlock various advanced features and allows full access to contact.
Best alternatives to Spotify similar apps
- We7
- Deezer
- Grooveshark
- Last.fm
- mflow
- Rdio
The business model of Spotify similar music streaming app
- Spotify uses social networking and searches for users nearby using the services to see if they have the cache with the song requested by the user. If the cache contains the requested song, then Spotify will enable those computers to play the music, and so the Spotify servers are never overloaded.
- To keep the replay speedy, Spotify utilises Cached files. The tracks that users play get saved in a file temporarily in the device. Whenever the user wants to replay a song, Spotify instead of downloading the song it plays locally from that file. Also, Spotify reloads consequent tracks of an album to evade playback delays.
- All Spotify songs are saved in Vorbis format in which the audio files size are smaller and easily transferable. Most of the songs are streamed at 160 KBPS, for premium users 320 KBPS mostly streams the songs.
How does a music streaming app like Spotify make money?
Spotify similar apps make money from two sources:
- Free accounts support advertisement
- A premium account with a paid subscription
Freemium Account: The free account of Spotify allows users to browse through the catalogue of songs and play them. In this, the music will be interrupted with advertisements. For advertising, a certain amount should be paid to Spotify, which is a fundraising model for the streaming platform. There are different models of ads available in free accounts. Some of them are listed here:
- Branded moments: The marketers can tell the story to the right kind of users at the right time. For example, the marketer can target its audience when the user hits the workout playlist in the app.
- Sponsored sessions: These types of ads offer interrupted music to the user in exchange for a video ad.
- Audio Ads: These types of ads are played for every 15 minutes and gave a maximum of 30-second duration.
- Video takeover: These ads are available only for computer devices which are commercial breaks that are shown to users between the songs.
- Display Ads: These ads are shown at the bottom of the Spotify app, which has clickable images displayed for 30 seconds.
- Welcome Back Ads: These ads have an interactive area on the homepage meant for showing advertisements.
- Homepage takeovers: These ads have an interactive area on the homepage, meant for advertisements.
- Advertiser pages: These are a microsite that is seamlessly integrated into the Spotify player. These ads contain almost every type of content that is in a web page such as clickable images, links, blogs, news and comments.
Premium account: The Spotify offers uninterrupted access to music across to the users with a seamless experience. In this, the user can download the songs to their devices for offline use with high-quality audio.
Critical features for a Music streaming app like Spotify
Why is Spotify the top best music streaming app? Its engaging design and functionality make it better. Let us go through the music streaming app like Spotify.
User app
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Registration:
The user can log in to the music streaming app like Spotify through any social media account credentials or through personal email id which fetches necessary information.
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User profile:
Here, the user can have his own page containing all the necessary personal information like name, age, gender, date of birth, musical preferences, etc. Here the user will give all the information to anticipate the user’s desires and provide him with what he wants.
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Individual offers:
Using the information, the user will get the chance to offer people music novelties that would interest them. Using this feature, Spotify will offer a new list playlist that includes music compositions matching your preferences.
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Push Notifications:
This feature is used to notify the user about the new songs, news, discounts, provides tips and many more. One way it advertises your services very gently.
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Music playlist:
There are numbers of songs available in the app; the user can choose the one they want. The number of songs can be limited as per the access level. There are even categories like top5, latest hits, etc. The mobile app developers can make these sections more attractive to make the user stick to the app.
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Discover/search:
This feature allows the user to search for the music of his desire which makes it easy to find their favourite songs, albums and many more.
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Share on social media:
The user can share the song or albums on the app to their social media account.
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Offline music:
This feature is available to premium account users only where the user can download the favourite song.
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Bitrate Matters:
The best feature where the user can listen to music uninterruptedly by using M3u8 where the user can enjoy the best of the best experience to the user.
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Music Management:
There are a wide variety of music classifications and playlists that can be updated using settings and options based on their moods, current activities, genres, etc.
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Manage Podcasts:
In which the user can listen to the podcast of stories or anything devotional things.
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In-app messages:
In this feature, the user can have a private chat within the app.
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Audio streaming:
This is both early and advanced concurrently. Using this mode of streaming, it allows broadcasting updates blockbusters hassle-free.
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Favourite playlist:
In which the user can have the favourite list of tracks ensuring users will return more often. This playlist can be listened to by the users, both online and offline. This feature is mostly available to premium account users.
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Download:
This feature is available only to the premium account members where he can download the songs of his desire.
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Advertisement:
This feature is available in multiple options such as pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll to monetise your music streaming app like Spotify.
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Invite Friends:
With this feature, you can stay connected to your friends while listening to your favourite tracks.
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Song Replay:
Using this feature, the user can replay favourite songs repeatedly.
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Radio:
Opting the radio button and selecting the music genre at the bottom of the page will start Radio station which can be paused, rewound or listened to in fragments.
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Spotify Connect:
It is provided with compatibility, the users can stream their music to any speaker over wifi.
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In-app dialogue:
If the user discovered a song, he could share it with a friend.
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Ticket sales:
The user can buy concert tickets right from the music streaming app like Spotify.
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Shazam Integration:
Using Shazam, we can identify the music around you, then play that song on Spotify and save it.
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Like or dislike:
while listening here, the user can like or dislike the song.
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Private sessions:
Using this feature, the user can hide the song that he is listening to.
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Audiographic map:
Using this feature, the user can listen to the music that others are currently listening to.
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Last.fm integration:
By entering their Last.fm username and password the user can scrobble from within Spotify similar app on the preferences page and selecting the Scrobble to Last.fm checkbox.
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Audio setting:
Users can improve audio quality by adjusting settings upwards or keep data usage down by listening to low bit-rate songs.
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Equalisation feature:
The bass, mid-range and treble bands are adjustable.
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Organise playlist into folders:
The users can select their favourite tracks which then can be moved to the folder by creating a playlist folder which is in the file menu.
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Create your own library:
There are many ways to create your own music library. One way, adding your favourite tracks to playlists. And another way is saving music to your personal library. Add tracks, albums, artist’s radio stations, podcasts and playlists by hitting save, then access your music via your library.
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Collaborative Playlist:
In music streaming app like Spotify offers a collaborative playlist option in which your friend can add or delete your tracks.
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Recovery any deletes playlist:
In Spotify similar app, if any of your tracks are deleted you can log on to the Music streaming website where you can go to the recovery playlist option.
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Select language/region:
In this feature, the user selects the language in default so as to play the songs of that language.
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Play music in Uber:
For the users of Uber, Spotify allows you to hook up their Uber app, and so you can control the music in the car. This feature is available only on Premium accounts, and also only a few Uber cars will have this feature enabled.
Admin Panel
- Admin Login: The admin will log in to the admin panel which will be redirected to the dashboard.
- Manage user profile: The admin can manage the user those who are using the app
- Manage languages: The admin can manage the languages. Like he can add or delete languages that support the music streaming apps.
- Manage Artists: The admin can manage the artists
- Manage categories: The admin can manage types of playlists.
- Manage Albums: The admin can manage all the albums
- Manage podcasts: The admin can manage the podcasts.
- Manage CMS: The admin can manage content in the app
- Manage notifications: The admin can send notifications to the users.
- Manage the subscription plans: The admin can manage the subscription plans
- Manage payments/billings: The admin can manage the payment methods.
- Songwriter Profile: The admin can create a bio for artists which allows the listeners to connect with the music, which also gives chances of encouragement for the artist by providing them brand visibility.
What are the methods that you can’t ignore while developing music streaming apps like Spotify?
- User interface
- Platforms
- Copyright and legality
- Monetisation
- Data storage
Preferred technologies for developing a music streaming app like Spotify.
Platforms: Android and iOS
Web: PHP, CSS3, HTML5, JavaScript, JQuery
Hosting: Amazon Cloud
Technology stack for the development of music streaming app like Spotify
- Push Notification – Twilio
- Cloud Environment – AWS, Google, Azure
- Backup – Amazon S3
- Social login – Google and Facebook SDK
- Payment Integration – Stripe, Braintree, Paypal
- SMS, Voice and Phone Verification – Nexmo
What are the steps that are useful for the development of a music streaming app like Spotify
- Idea is everything
- Licensing
- Find music app developers
- Plan and estimate
What are the factors to consider while developing the music streaming app like Spotify
- Uniqueness
- Market research
- Prototyping
- UI/UX
- Music application development
- Copyright and legality
- Monetisation
- Advertisement method
- Platforms
- Support and maintenance of music app
Who requires experts for developing on-demand music streaming apps like Spotify?
- Project manager
- UX/UI designers
- Mobile app developers
- Web developers
- QA engineers
What factors should we consider for determining the cost of developing on-demand music streaming apps like Spotify?
- MVP
- Location of a mobile app development company
- Advanced Features
- Mobile app developers
Conclusion
Ready for the shutdown on how to create a music app for Android or iOS? Well, there are many popular streaming music apps in the market. But the segment is pretty dynamic. Hence, there are no chances of saturation anytime soon. If you strike the right chord, you can create the right melody for a stand out music app.
Have a music app idea in mind or want to build an on-demand music streaming app just like Spotify choose a mobile app development company to build an intuitive and appealing app like Spotify. Contact us to get more information or a free consultation for music app development.
