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Introduction
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “music streaming app?”
Spotify, isn’t it?
No wonder Spotify is the largest music streaming app service with 35% of global subscribers, as of 2019 Statista stats. While Apple Music service falls second with 19%, there is still a massive gap between the figures.
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Now, if your goal is to create a music streaming app that is better than Spotify, you will have to put in lots of effort and investment. However, it is going to pay off when you plan the music streaming app development in the best manner.
Other statistics suggest that the number of music streaming subscribers globally was 400 million in the first quarter of 2020, and the revenue generated from music streaming worldwide in 2019 hit 11.4 billion U.S. dollars.
The point is that there is a lot of potential in music streaming applications, provided you design it right and add the right features that engage the users.
Points to consider before you develop your music streaming app
There are several points to consider before you start to develop your music streaming app. Here are four crucial points:
Find Out the Type of App You Want to Create
Trending music streaming apps are accessible in a plethora of formats and give numerous options for listening to different genres of music.
Here are three most popular types of apps used by subscribers:
- Music Media Libraries:They offer you almost unlimited access to songs. Examples of music media libraries include Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music HD.
- Cloud Storage:It allows users to store their songs and stream them anytime, anywhere. Examples include pCloud, CloudPlayer, and Beat.
- Radio Stations:Users can conduct an automated search for music, which is then streamed to users on their PC, home audio devices, or mobile devices. Examples include AccuRadio, Shoutcast, and Apple Music.
Licensing
For each music streaming app, you have to pay your legal owners for the songs. Failing to follow licensing will result in facing copyright penalties.
Platform
iOS and Android are the two most popular platforms in the world of smartphones. It is recommended to develop apps for both platforms. If you must settle with one, consider your target audience and their likings when choosing it.
Design
It goes without saying that your music streaming app has to be both intuitive and user-friendly to engage the users.
Crucial features to consider while building a music streaming app that is better than Spotify
Now that you are aware of the points to consider before developing your app, let’s have a look at the top six features you should include to ensure your music streaming app is better than Spotify:
1) Easy Navigation
Spotify is always trying to improve and create a more streamlined experience for its users. For instance, in 2020, the company announced that they would simplify navigation for iOS users, and the upgrade will affect free subscribers.Spotify’s action buttons are now assembled in a central row and grafted at the end of the screen. It decreases the number of actions to be taken and makes navigation with one hand easier.
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To compete with Spotify, you need to design clear and intuitive navigation and an excellent user interface. Consider hiring a team of developers with UI/UX design skills while creating your app.
2) Live Streaming
Live streaming is transforming the music industry ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. Platforms including Youtube and Twitch already offer this feature. Many artists are generating not only clicks but also sales via live-stream concerts.
You can beat Spotify by adding a Live Streaming feature in your music streaming app as the company has fallen short of launching this essential function within its app.
The live streaming features will make your app stand out from the competition. It will allow music lovers worldwide to stream live concerts and events of different artists using proper channels. It is a great way to keep up with your users’ interests and improve user experience.
3) Lyrics feature
Music lovers want to be able to read the lyrics when listening to their favorite song within your app. Ever since Spotify took off their own lyrics feature, several Spotify users have been complaining in the Spotify community.
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Not having this feature makes it inconvenient for music lovers who love to read the lyrics when listening to the music simultaneously.
However, the company is bringing real-time lyrics feature back after repeated requests from the users. As per Android Police reports, at present, the feature is available only to a few users globally.
You shouldn’t miss out on this feature if you want to be competitive in the market.
4) Recommendations
The big help that Spotify offers to their users is recommending their new favorite artists and music that they might not have found otherwise.
Spotify uses three recommendation models:
- Collaborative filtering that makes use of users’ behavior and behavior of similar users.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) is used for lyrics, playlists, social media comments, and blog posts.
- Audio models are implemented on raw audio.
- You can Replicate Their Models to offer recommendations or come up with your own ideas.
5) Competitive pricing
The company offers a free plan, but it comes with limitations, and you will be interrupted by the ads in the middle of a song. Users often complain about Spotify’s premium pricing plan, not because it is high, but the additional premium subscription deals aren’t made available to all countries. Their premium subscription costs you $9.99 monthly.
To outdo Spotify’s pricing feature, come up with competitive pricing plans and make subscriptions available to as many countries as possible.
6) Voice search and commands
Spotify already has Spotify Voice that allows users to speak and quickly find and play their favorite songs, videos, and podcasts. Voice search is becoming increasingly popular owing to its convenience and accuracy in finding results. Adding this feature can enhance the user experience.
Wrapping-Up
Designing a music streaming app will be highly profitable for your business if done correctly. But with the big giants in the industry like Spotify taking the spotlight, it is natural to get nervous and confused when it comes to creating a music streaming app.
However, by closely following your competitors and understanding why they are succeeding and where they lag behind, you can fill the gap and offer tough competition, to know more contact us.
Luca Weber
Luca Weber, an enthusiastic and curious technical writer with three years of experience, is driven by a passion for learning. Blessed with the ability to simplify complex concepts and a desire to gain knowledge, she approaches every project with enthusiasm and unwavering commitment. Luca's three years of experience have honed his skills in crafting clear and concise technical content.