Is now the perfect time to launch your on-demand video streaming app?

The Perfect Time to Launch OTT?

Rest and relaxation

With the novel coronavirus outbreak across the globe, various governments are preparing to or have already put cities on lockdown.

And people are being advised to stay home to prevent the virus from spreading any further.

This has significantly hampered several industries, with many suspending operations or operating at reduced strength.

As a result, almost every industry is bracing themselves for a rough few months.

However, the on-demand video industry seems immune from the effects of coronavirus.

In fact, many on-demand videos streaming apps like Pluto TV and Ruko are experiencing a sudden surge in popularity compared to February 2020.

This is not unexpected.

The closing of malls and movie theatres and cancellation of live events like concerts and sports like NBA and NASCAR have left people at homes with a gaping void for entertainment.

And in these desperate times, they have turned to the on-demand video industry to pass time by streaming movies and TV shows.

Such is the popularity of these apps right now that recently released movies will be available for streaming or digital distribution early.

And with people confined to their houses for the foreseeable future, the appeal of these apps will only continue to grow.

With that being said, let’s look at some of the must-have features of an on-demand video streaming app.

What features should a video streaming app have?

An on-demand video streaming app will have two primary stakeholders – the user and the administrator.

Both have specific needs that require robust technological solutions to simplify their experience.

A typical video streaming app must include (but not be limited to) these following features:

User app:

1. User registration – Your app should allow the user multiple options to register and login. For instance, they can login using a password, an OTP received on their mobile phones or using Facebook or Google. There should also be an option for the user to recover if they forget their login credentials.
2. User profile – The user can edit and personalize their profile and see statistics like days remaining for subscription, favorite genres etc.
3. Quick search and filter – If the user need to find a movie or TV show from all the content on your platform, they can make use of the search feature. They can also quickly filter and browse content based on genres, language and runtime.
4. Watchlist – The app should allow the user to add movies and shows to their watchlist, which they can view later. This also reduces their effort to search for the desired content every time they use the app.
5. Offline viewing – The user may not have an internet connection at all time, especially when they’re travelling. However, they may still wish to watch your content on the app even when they’re disconnected from the internet. By allowing them to download content to their devices, you can allow them to take the content wherever they go.
6. Subtitles – Your users may have difficulty understanding the audio of your content due to various reasons. It can be a disability, loud environment or even the language not being the native. Thus, a subtitle feature is essential for your on-demand video streaming app.
7. Online payment – The user can make the payment using different online payment modes like Credit/Debit card, net banking, wallets, and more. The app should accept multiple currencies by integrating multi-currency support payment gateways. The user can also instantly renew their subscriptions by setting up one-step payments.
8. Push Notifications – This feature can notify the user about important information without them being on the app at all times. These can be news about new content addition or expiry of their subscription package.
9. Ratings – The user should be given the option to rate the content that they have watched. This can allow other users, who haven’t viewed the content, to decide whether they should watch the content or not.
10. Recommendations – Based on the user’s watch history, the app can recommend what the user can watch next. This can allow the user to discover new content which he would not have watched otherwise. The app can also use the location of the user to suggest country specific or popular content.
11. Automatic stream quality adjustment – Interruptions can be irritating. The user can be frustrated if your content keeps constantly buffering. By automatically detecting the user’s network bandwidth and adjusting the stream quality accordingly, you can ensure that the user doesn’t have to wait while watching.

Admin app:

1. Dashboard – A powerful admin dashboard from where you can control different aspects of your app. This includes validating and approving different user groups to blocking or removing them.
2. Analytics – You can receive real-time insights about the popularity of your content with the users. You can also view accounting details and create a sales report which will help to discover new opportunities for the growth of the app.
3. Content management – This feature allows you to upload new content or remove content that’s not popular with your users. You can also create new content types, genres and categories and manage them accordingly.
4. Notification management – Interacting and engaging with your users is important. Therefore, using this feature, you can update or send email or push notifications to the users regarding the latest offerings of your app.

Conclusion

Judging by the surge in popularity of on-demand video streaming apps, now might be a good time for you to launch your own video streaming platform.

And if you are in the lookout for an app development team to build your app, then look no further.

Idea Usher is a pioneering web-app development company with years of experience in building robust, scalable, and innovative technology solutions.

Our team is made up of young, energetic and tech-enthusiastic programmers, designers and testers who work with the latest technologies.

And with previous experience developing on-demand video streaming apps, we guarantee that your app surpasses your expectations.

And in case you have any questions,  we encourage you to get in touch with us.