Develop a Video Streaming App Like YouTube: Types, Features, and Development Steps
Did you know that, according to a study by GMI, more than 2.7 billion people worldwide use YouTube monthly? India has the world’s largest YouTube users, with an estimated 476 million as of July 2024. With these given stats, the live-streaming market should hit $224 billion by 2028.
Video streaming is booming, but creating a successful app can be overwhelming. It requires careful planning. Many decisions must be made along the way, including deciding which platform is most viable for streaming content.
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In this blog post, we’ll explain how to create a streaming app like YouTube in 6 steps and guide you through the whole process. But first, let’s explore what video streaming is.
What is a Video Streaming App?
Video streaming apps, as the term suggests, are software that enables users to capture and broadcast video at the same time. Such apps have been increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to high-speed internet and better camera technologies.
Video streaming apps have fueled influencer marketing and entertainment. They’ve also changed how people interact over the internet and boosted business marketing.
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Here are some Video-streaming apps that are highly popular among users:
- YouTube Live
- Facebook Live
- Instagram Live
- TikTok
Types of Video Streaming Apps
There are several types of video streaming application platforms, each serving a different purpose:
Live Streaming Apps – These applications allow users to live stream their content in real-time. Platforms like YouTube Live and Twitch fall under this category. Users can engage with live content, making it an ideal choice for events, live shows, and interactive sessions.
On-Demand Streaming Apps – Apps like YouTube and Netflix allow users to access a library of pre-recorded videos. This means users can watch videos anytime they want without waiting for them to download. This type of app is perfect for entertainment, education, and tutorials.
Video Hosting Platforms – Users of these apps can upload their videos for others to see. YouTube and Vimeo provide excellent examples. These platforms enable content creators to share their work with a global audience.
When building an app like YouTube, you are developing an on-demand streaming service with added functionality for user-generated content uploads and sharing.
How to Create a Video Streaming App in These Simple Steps?
In this section, we’ll review the process of video streaming apps like YouTube for new and potential startup business owners. Check out these few crucial steps for creating a live-streaming app.
1. Define your audience’s needs.
You don’t want to build a live-streaming service that relies on assumptions. Instead, you should learn about and specify the specific needs of the app’s users. Planned and conducted interviews with users to detect issues early on.
The early feedback will help you stay on track When developing the live app. Furthermore, you may already have your first group of beta testers.
2. Determine Monetization Strategies.
Finally, creating a live-stream video app aims to monetize it and generate cash. The three most prominent methods for monetizing streaming apps are:
Paid apps that charge consumers for downloading an app.
Premium apps offer a free app with limited functionality. Other premium features can only be accessed with payment.
Advertisements that run ads on an app for a price
3. Use a reputable platform for live streaming, hosting, and storage. You’ll then need to pick which platform is most suited for streaming, hosting, and storing the content. Choosing the lowest service is rarely a good decision.
You could get away with sacrificing quality for money in the beginning, but the inferior performance becomes clear as users and traffic increase. Users will not tolerate laggy broadcasts or low-resolution movies, which will spell the app’s downfall.
For hosting and storage, consider Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Microsoft Azure, which provide scalable and secure cloud services.
4. Design the UI/UX
You must choose a good live video streaming platform. Also, you must build an excellent UI/UX for the app. Technology is a critical component in this equation. In this highly competitive business, your app should have a stunning design and a great user experience. As a result, you should invest in an appealing UI/UX design. Instead of a confusing interface, opt for a basic approach.
5. Develop and test the MVP
You may have many app ideas. But testing with a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) is better. It’s more efficient. MVP is a lightweight version of the original software. It has all the important features and capabilities.
It is a basic solution that will allow you to easily receive feedback from people.
6. Launch and maintenance
Finally, all of your time and effort in research, testing, and MVP development will pay off with the product’s launch. The experienced team will undoubtedly perform what is required at this point, but here are a few things to bear in mind.
The launch usually starts with a beta version to gather valuable input from users and modify your software as needed. For this, platforms like TestFlight for iOS and the Google Play beta for Android are often used.
Before the official release, you must submit your app to the various app stores. It’s critical to ensure that your program follows Apple’s program Store Review rules and/or the Google Play Developer Policy Center rules.
Conclusion
Now that you have a notion of where to begin, proceed with the process of developing a live video streaming app like YouTube. Since developing these apps presents technological obstacles, working with a top-rated professional mobile app development company that employs dedicated mobile app developers to bring your vision to life is preferable.