In the last several years, technology has completely transformed every business, including the way we listen to music. Music streaming applications are more popular than ever since we've moved to using smartphone apps for almost everything.

Statista projects that the number of subscribers in the music streaming market will reach 913.2 million by 2025. Additionally, until 2025, the segment's revenue is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.08%. Thus, in today's music streaming app market, it may be a great business opportunity to investigate if you have a concept for a novel music application.

Naxtre provides leading end-to-end app development services that will bring your app idea to life with the best technologies, highly skilled engineers, and robust development practices. Contact us today to discuss your project needs and get free consultation!

How Can a Music App Be Made?

The main processes in creating a music app are as follows.

Step 1: Do some research

You have an amazing concept for an app, but how do you get started? You must first create a planned idea for the music app project before moving further with its development. It entails comprehending the music app industry, analyzing the intended user base, and deciding on the kind of app you will create in the future. Selecting the platforms or devices you wish to use to launch your app will also be aided by an analysis of your target audience.

In order to identify your unique value proposition and assess the advantages and disadvantages of your rivals, you also carry out a competitive analysis in this phase. For example, there is fierce competition among the leading competitors in the worldwide music app industry, including Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and others. Finding your niche and creating an app that outperforms the competition are therefore essential.

Music App Types

Recording libraries

This group includes well-known music streaming programs including Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify. Users have unrestricted access to the music in this case, but it is kept in server-based libraries and is subject to the terms set out by the app owner.

Online Data Storage

Users may manage, organize, and save their music using cloud storage provided by these app categories. The music is available for consumers to stream at any time and from any location. One well-known instance of a cloud music player is AudioBox.

Radio Programs

With music radio applications, users may enjoy a variety of internet radio stations organized according to distinct themes, including decades, genres, artist-focused playlists, moods, and more. These applications are a terrific way to find new music and also filter search results depending on your needs and recommended radio stations.

It's likely that you've decided what kind of music app you want to make. However, did you know that your app may be penalized between $700 and $150,000 for each song it plays without authorization from the label or the artist? Let's go over the licenses and approvals that you, as the owner of a music application, will need to get in order to prevent any legal snags.

Requirements for music streaming app licenses

Rights to Public Performance

First things first, you'll need to purchase public performance rights. It's a kind of contract between the owner of the music app and the composer of the music or any other individual or organization that owns the copyrights to that composition.

Either ASCAP or BMI can grant you a license so you can comply with US copyright laws. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, or ASCAP, is a nonprofit organization that oversees the creative output of independent musicians unaffiliated with major record labels like Sony Music or others. Additionally, BMI, or Broadcast Music Inc., is a performance rights organization that acts as a go-between for the music industry and musicians.

A license from SESAC (European Stage Authors and Composers) can be obtained throughout Europe. Always research the copyright protection organizations operating in the market you are approaching.

Sound Recording Permit

A sound recording license, which is a contract that governs the use of recording rights, is the second option. For example, Spotify has the legal authority to publish content from major record companies like Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment Group, and Universal Music Group thanks to licenses that the labels have granted it.

Step 2: Focus on the features of the app.

The aforesaid research and analysis assists you in enumerating the primary features and sophisticated functions of the app that are customized to meet the demands of your intended user base. It will also assist you in developing a preliminary app budget as well as marketing and monetization plans.

You may charge users of your music app to hear new music or charge musicians to post and promote their work. For example, Spotify gives consumers free access to its music but charges a fee for its premium services. For a fee, it also assists artists in planning and overseeing their commercial campaigns on the app.

However, you want to make a competitive product that appeals to the public, not simply another music app. You must provide elements that draw visitors and encourage them to remain. The success of your music app depends on how well you plan and implement the app's functionality.

Fundamental Characteristics

The following elements are essential for a music streaming app:

Login & Registration

While not required, user registration is strongly advised for music streaming applications. It may be used to discover more about the users, including the genres, artists, languages, and other aspects of their musical tastes. Enrollment and login have to be completed as quickly as feasible. Better yet, in a few taps. It's simple to integrate with users' Google or social network logins. The traditional email + password method and phone login are also options.

User Profile

Users must be able to build and manage their own playlists after registering and setting up their own profile. The proprietor of the app will be able to examine user data and discover their preferences thanks to it. Users may even upload and distribute their own songs using a personal account.

Search

Users may instantly find their favorite songs using the search tool, which also lets them look for artists, genres, albums, and more. It facilitates users' easy navigation of the platform.

Music Player

Certainly, a music app cannot function without a music player. It is a core feature that lets users stream and listen to music. The player screen allows the users to perform actions such as play, pause, next or previous, control the volume, and more. It can also have additional controls for liking a song, shuffling music, adding to the user’s playlist, etc. Moreover, the player screen also shows the album cover, information on the artist or album, and displays the list of songs in an album.

Adding album and artist page is optional, but users might want to know more about what they’re listening to. The pages can be simple with information like release date, list of tracks/albums, popular tracks of the artist, etc. You can also add some interesting information about the artist or song to hook the listeners.

Sophisticated characteristics

Here are some advanced features you can add to make your music streaming app more outstanding:

AI-Powered Customized Suggestion

To provide tailored suggestions, the AI function will examine user behavior and musical preferences. Using data on the user's listening preferences, location, and other observations, it will recommend songs, albums, and even podcasts to them.

Learn About Music

One of the most fascinating aspects of popular music applications is this function. Users may listen to pre-made playlists that are arranged according to mood, genre, and other criteria, as well as find new music. Spotify, for instance, offers playlists for sleep, meditation, yoga, productivity, workouts, gloomy weather, throwback music, the top 50s, and more.

Inactive Mode

Users will be able to download and enjoy their preferred music offline on their smartphone thanks to offline access. This functionality may be added to your app's premium or paid edition.

Push Alerts

It can also enhance the user experience of a music streaming application. It can keep users informed about the arrival of new songs, new albums or artists, news or events, etc.
Social Sharing
Enabling social sharing on the app is more straightforward when users log in using their social network credentials. Music lovers like expressing their tastes on social media platforms as well as to friends and family. For consumers to be happy, the social share needs to be possible with only one or two clicks.
Payments Integration
All music streaming applications typically have in-app purchases, including premium and monthly subscriptions. To avoid requiring users to exit the app, your app has to provide a money processing method.
Step 3: Complete the layout
It's time to design and construct your music streaming software now that you have a clear idea of what you want it to accomplish. It accounts for sixty percent of the entire process of developing an app. For this reason, you need to work with a seasoned app development firm that has a track record of producing hits.

The estimated tech stack of a music app, its general architecture, case studies of several well-known music applications, and other crucial elements you should take into account while creating a music app are covered here.
Stage of UI/UX design
The UI/UX design of your app is one of the main elements that makes it successful. You can draw in and keep people with an intuitive, contemporary, and visually attractive design. Therefore, it is crucial to hire UI/UX designers with advanced skills from a software development business.

It will take the designers at least 150 hours to create the UI/UX for a single platform. It might consist of the subsequent phases:

👉 During wireframing, the designers produce a black-and-white app drawing to illustrate the overall idea behind the app's design.

👉Mock-ups are created to depict the colorful, static displays of the app, complete with buttons, icons, and other elements.

👉During the prototyping phase, the team creates an interactive model of the app that allows you to interact with it by dragging, tapping, and other actions.

Step 4: How to create a music application: necessary tech stack

Initially, the tech stack will vary depending on the platforms/devices you intend to use, which are typically iOS, Android, and a web version. If money is scarce, you may create an app for one platform depending on the demographic you want to target and then go on to another. Alternatively, you may create a cross-platform application with a single codebase that functions on several platforms by utilizing technologies like Flutter or React Native.

Note: After discussing with your development team, the final tech stack should be selected, taking into account the technical demands and requirements of your music app project.

How do apps for streaming music operate?

Most popular streaming apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Youtube Music store their music on millions of servers. So when a user wants to listen to a track, the mobile app “asks” the backend to fetch the data. And the backend does all the heavy lifting of finding the tracks from the servers and sending them back to the device. The server logic also performs all other tasks such as working with the databases, user authentication, searching, suggesting artists/albums, and updating the library.

This streaming method does not require files to be downloaded on the devices. Instead, the music is delivered in small “packets” over the internet and buffered into the device. The packets are kept small to avoid delay between the send and receive events, so the music is played instantly.

Naturally, a more expansive, well-considered building would appear more intricate. But creating a strong architecture with your technical team will save time and provide developers a clear road map before they start working on the project.

dependable storage architecture

With streaming apps, the storage architecture is critical because it processes millions of requests every second. Make sure the audio files are recorded in a trustworthy way if you intend to use self-hosted servers for data storage. It lets people listen to music without interruptions or unexpected distortions. When your user base reaches hundreds or millions, you will require a strong server design, even though hosting quality might not appear crucial at first.

Cloud-based Streaming

Another excellent choice for dependable hosting and storage for music streaming apps is cloud services. For live streaming, cloud services are recommended since they are highly scalable and reduce the need to purchase hardware. AWS's Amazon S3 is one example of a ready-made cloud solution that you can select. For example, Soundcloud utilizes Amazon Glacier in conjunction with Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) as its storage option.
Additionally, you may provide content with minimal latency and security by using CDNs. Although CDNs might be more expensive, they aid in server scaling and guarantee error-free delivery. For low-latency distribution, audio files, for instance, can be kept in Amazon S3 and cached at edges using Amazon CloudFront and the Amazon Content distribution Network.

It is crucial to remember that, depending on their level of experience, your development team will assist you in selecting the best options for the unique technological requirements of your project. If an AWS cloud server architecture is appropriate for your project, Naxtre, an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, has a large number of AWS certified specialists on staff that can assist you in setting it up.

Step 5: Carry out thorough testing

Your app's development process doesn't stop until comprehensive testing and quality control are completed. Thus, it is essential to make sure that, prior to launch, your streaming app functions flawlessly and as planned.

Testing is obviously done during the development process, but it's also crucial to do it after the entire program is created. Your app is prepared for market release once the QA engineers have repaired any bugs or issues they found.

You now understand how to establish an online music streaming application, but have you considered the price of doing so?

How Much Does Developing a Music App Cost?

The price of developing a music app is not exactly known. Rather, it depends on a variety of variables, such as the features and complexity of the app, the number of target platforms or devices, the technological stack, the composition and size of your development team, and even their location. Let's evaluate the key elements that influence the price of developing a music app.

Target gadgets and platforms

An important stage in the app development process is deciding what sort of app you want to make: a web app, hybrid app, native iOS app, or native Android app. Analyzing variables like target market, audience, market localization, and more is the best way to make a decision.

Developing both iOS and Android apps can almost double your overall development costs. The cost will also rise in direct proportion to the number of devices that are supported. Additionally, the technologies and frameworks utilized in app development have an impact on the cost.

However, creating a cross-platform software requires a little bit more time than creating a single native program. However, when compared to standalone native apps, their total development and maintenance costs are lower.

Features

We'll then go over the number of development hours needed for each feature of the app. It has a significant impact on the overall development cost based on the quantity and complexity of features. The complexity of the backend features and the integration of third-party APIs or libraries may also result in an increase in the number of hours.

Additionally, the entire process of developing a music app will involve steps that raise the overall cost, such app design, testing, and business analysis or discovery. For a more accurate estimate, consult the cost breakdown based on all crucial app development phases provided below.

While an extremely sophisticated software might occasionally cost more than $200,000, an established MVP with a few essential features could cost less than $38,000. A high-quality music streaming service for two platforms may run you about $70,000. Lastly, there will be additional costs for marketing, app store fees, app maintenance, and the price of frequent feature upgrades based on user input. However, the ultimate costs will differ based on the complexity, demands, and tech stack utilized for your project.

Note: The estimations above are based on the $25/h average rate that app development companies in our area charge. Our second point is that the hourly charges will vary depending on the development team you choose and where they are located.

Development partner and paradigm of engagement

The cost of creating a music app is mostly determined by the hourly rates of the development team. The size of the crew and their location have the most effects. However, each app development project has to hire individuals with the appropriate training and expertise. And there are three methods listed below for you to achieve it:

Employ Independent Contractors

For your project, engaging independent contractors will be less expensive than working with an agency. However, you will have to deal with the headache of employing many experts for team management, testing, coding, and design.

Hire App development agency aka Outsourcing

On the other hand, hiring an app development company to handle your music app project could be more beneficial. The pros on their teams may assist you with everything from business research to product deployment:

Hire Dedicated Remote Developers/Extended Team

If you wish to increase the number of developers on your internal team, you can also utilize Naxtre to employ committed remote developers. Hiring project managers, QA engineers, and other experts will provide you with a top-notch team without the headache of managing payroll, screening applicants, etc. Additionally, our expanded staff of committed developers will solely work on your project, unlike freelancers, so it won't affect their output or caliber of work.

Utilize Naxtre to create a profitable music app

While on-demand music streaming is a hot trend, you still have an opportunity to earn a chunk of music streaming market revenue with a million-dollar idea. But to capture a large audience and beat your competitors, your idea must be executed with perfection into an app. And our experts at Naxtre are happy to assist you in developing a successful music app. We have helped our clients create stunning and innovative apps in numerous industries with highly experienced professionals. So feel free to reach out to us; we’ll discuss your project requirements and calculate the budget for free.

How to Make a Spotify-Style Music App: Music Streaming App Development