Basics of a Music Streaming App: Features, Tech-Stack, Money Model and the Cost

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This illustrates the features/business-model/cost of development-subscription of the biggest on-demand music streaming service applications!

The increasing number of quality audio apps available for download has made these fancy smart-phones an ultimate music-discovery tool with a simple click. Music Applications like Apple Music and Spotify put massive libraries at your fingertips while dynamic radio offerings like Pandora and Deezer will unearth the best band you haven’t come across recently. Other upcoming musicals such as YouTube Music and Tidal per se, add video, VFX and other features. There are tons of music apps ready to make their stint and deserve your ears.

Music Streaming Trends in 2020 suggests that people are ready to pay for hassle-free music streaming experience. But this is not completely user-driven. Music Streaming Platforms are following a two-step approach to attract subscribers – by fetching their basic personal details first by registering them to their platform as free users through attractive advertising campaigns.

Top 12 Music Streaming Apps in 2020

Here are some best musicals which somehow worked as a single axis of hooking people during the lockdown posed by COVID-19:

  • Apple Music (Price: $9.99-$14.99 per month)
  • Spotify (Price: Free / $9.99-$14.99 per month)
  • SoundCloud (Price: Free / $9.99 per month)
  • iHeartRadio (Price: Free / $4.99-$9.99 per month)
  • Deezer (Price: Free / $9.99-$19.99 per month)
  • Pandora (Price: Free / $4.99-$9.99 per month)
  • Tidal (Price: Free / $9.99-$19.99 per month)
  • YouTube Music (Price: Free / $9.99 per month)
  • Google Play Music (Price: Free / Paid Subscription to access premium features)
  • TuneIn Radio (Price: Free / $9.99 per month / $99.99 per year)
  • Home Server Music Apps (Price: Free / Varies)
  • Amazon Music Unlimited (Price: Free/ $7.99 per month)

How Does Music Streaming App Work?

Music Streaming Service Apps store music on various servers. Apps-like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal, YouTube Music stream a random track on your mobile phone, find it on one of the millions of servers and sends it to your device. Here are the five steps to creating an app like Spotify:

  • Consider and predetermine the features to be added in a Spotify-Like Music App – Registration, login, music discovery, social sharing, push notifications, music library
  • Select the licensing type – sound recording license agreement and musical composition license agreement
  • Analyze the portfolio of music app development company
  • Develop/Code for the audio streaming app UI/UX design
  • Create a Minimum Viable Product for the audio-streaming app

Critical Features to Include While You Make Your Own Songs App

Here is a basic idea about the features to be included in an app like Spotify:

  • Registration / signing up
  • Music organizing
  • Music Discovery
  • All things social
  • Push notifications
  • Music Library

How to Make a Music App?

  • Get the Initial Idea
  • Check the Licensing (Sound Recording License Agreement covering the recording rights and Musical Composition License Agreement)
  • Plan the features and estimate the cost to develop a music app like Spotify
  • Develop wireframes, mock-ups and prototypes

Featured Comparison: On-Demand Music Streaming Apps

 Amazon Music UnlimitedApple MusicYouTube MusicPandoraSpotifyTidal
Monthly FeePrime Members: $7.99,

Non-Prime Members: $9.99;

Alexa-only service – Free

$9.99$9.99Plus: $4.99;

Premium: $9.99

$9.99Premium: $9.99
Free Option?Yes, with adsNoNoYes, with adsYes, with adsNo
Free Trial Period30 days3 months30 days60 days30 days3 months
Music Library Size60 million60 millionOver 40 millionTens of millions50 million60 million
Maximum Bitrate256 KBPS256 KBPS320 KBPS192 KBPS320 KBPS1411 KBPS
Family SharingYes, $14.99Yes, $14.99Yes, $14.99Yes, $14.99Yes, $5 per month per additional member up to 5Yes, 50% off each additional account up to 4
Student DiscountNoYs, price varies by countryNo$4.99 (Premium)$4.99 (the US only)Premium: $4.99
US Military DiscountNoNoNoYesNoYes
Offline ListeningMobile and DesktopMobile OnlyMobile OnlyMobile OnlyMobile and DesktopMobile Only
Radio StationsYesYesYesYesYesNo
PodcastsNoNoYesYesYesYes
Music VideosNoYesNoNoYesYes
Music Locker FunctionalityNoYesYesNoNoNo

Music Streaming App: Business Model

This gives an idea about how to earn from a music streaming app clone: Most of the music streaming services have two main ways of earning: (1) Premium Account (2) Running Ads; Premium Services include paid plans for students that cost $4.99 per month, a regular account that costs $9.99 per month, a family account that costs $14.99 per month; Ad-Supported Services include a free account for users with limited access and charges a cost-per-click and cost-per-mile fee from advertisers; this helps users access good deals in music and deal with the authors.

Cost Estimation: How to Create a Music Streaming App?

The cost to develop an Online Music Streaming Services depends upon the software that we use for real-time data management and processing, the server storage space for cloud-based music streaming, the frameworks we use for developing UI for the desktop app, the proxy servers and the Java or any other programming language for development. The overall cost comes around $10,000 – $20,000 (it scales up with the features in demand, any technology tweaks, version upgrades, testing and overall maintenance).

Technology Stack for a Music Streaming App

Developer tools required:

  • Python and JavaScript for Backend and Frontend development respectively
  • PHP for the server-side and Java for back-end structure
  • All the music files are stored in the device cache, Cassandra/PostgreSQL can be used
  • Kafka software for real-time data management and processing
  • GraphWalker for model-based tests and Python integration
  • Dataproc for platform infrastructure
  • Amazon S3 for cloud-based music streaming
  • Chromium embedded framework for building UI for desktop application
  • Nginx as open-source HTTP and proxy server
  • Bootstrap for web development
  • Java for Android Music Streaming App and Objective-C for iOS Music Streaming App
  • C++ for Windows/Mac clients
  • Third-Party Libraries: Spotify Player SDK to stream management and audio playback
  • Spotify SDK for authorization via the Spotify user profile
  • Negotiation with Spotify’s back-end, digital rights management, and decoding
  • Java Android SDK, Retrofit, Fresco, Crashlytics, and Realm to provide smooth app performance
  • PHP, Silex, MySQL, Composer HTML5, CSS3, Twitter BootStrap, Jquery, Bower, Less, Nginx to moderate the news feeds via the Admin Panel

Get a Music Streaming App with Best Overall Features

Listening to music is surely a healing experience, more specifically during the self-imposed lockdown. It does provide a sense of order amid the chaotic environment. Streaming music can be free or can be availed at very economical subscriptions. For those who are looking for sound quality, the music streaming industry has a lot to offer like:

  • Millions of MP3 songs
  • High-quality HD music streaming
  • Thousands of playlists created by Experts
  • 30+ Radio Stations
  • Podcast & Shows, Comedy, News, Meditation, Workout, Movie Reviews, Astrology
  • Music updated daily for various regional and national languages
  • Lyrics of your favourite songs
  • Experience app in 16 languages
  • Music Videos Songs
  • Download unlimited mp3 songs for offline listening
  • Music in high definition audio quality
  • Ad-free music experience
  • Sync downloads on 5 or more devices
  • A la carte listening/radio format for music

Konstant has more than 1.5 decades of experience in creating applications for all platforms for on-demand services and more. You’re a true music lover if you’re still reading this. Allow us to help you create a music streaming app. Share your idea with us.

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About Author
Vipin Jain

Vipin Jain

Vipin Jain is the Co-Founder and CEO at Konstant Infosolutions and is in charge of marketing, project management, administration and R&D at the company. With his marketing background, Vipin Jain has developed and honed the company’s vision, corporate structure & initiatives and its goals, and brought the company into the current era of success.

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