March 20, 2024

The mass exodus from TV to OTT platforms is rampant, making TV an obsolete medium to consume content. The concept of the OTT platform has impacted massively traditional mediums for the consumption of content. OTT apps are now favored by the majority of content consumers, making OTT an over $275 billion industry. This number is expected to be as big as $476 billion by 2027, so the potential for investors is colossal. As these apps bring convenience and a variety of content, people are allured into subscribing to one of their plans that gives them unlimited content. In this blog, we are going to cover each and every step that is involved in creating OTT apps, giving you insights into the whole process of app creation, from thorough and rigorous brainstorming on the initial idea to design to bring to life with coding tech to testing and final deployment. Throughout the article, we will talk about strategic areas, and you will have to contemplate choices that directly impact the trajectory of your app’s success. So, without further ado, let’s first dissect what exactly OTT apps are, and then we delve into the development process. What Exactly Are OTT Apps? Let’s start with dissecting the terminology “OTT apps.” OTT stands for “over the top,” meaning bringing content to you via the internet, bypassing traditional mediums. If you are wondering about some of the examples to have a crystal clear understanding of these, everyone knows about Netflix, even if you don’t pay recurring costs. Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, and YouTube are OTT platforms in the video-based space. Platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud are considered OTT apps in the audio streaming space for music, podcasts, etc. Even WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and Signal are considered OTT apps in the communication space. The Development Process The development process is very much like conventional development, involving brainstorming, designing, developing, testing, deployment, etc., but a little more work-intensive and coding-intensive. Defining Your OTT App This would be like keeping the early bricks of the fortress; if you don’t do research well and just directly dive into creating an OTT app, your efforts are going in vain. That is why you should carefully consider which niche you want your app to serve. You may create an app offering a gamut of content variety, and you can be niche-specific and target a certain small plethora and build upon that. Market research is paramount to ensuring the success of your app, as there are already many giants operating in this OTT realm. Understand the market dynamics and try to find a gap or untapped topic on which an OTT app has been developed. It is true that the tendency toward TV has declined, but it does not take users a minute to cancel a mundane and redundant concept. Production and Procurement of Content  So it is not going to be the case that you get a really high-performing app, and there is not that; the canvas is blank, and now users are waiting for you to release something on the platforms. Now, there are two ways to get content on your platform: either you put in your money and produce it yourself, or you manage to roll out the content released by the director and producers, and now, when the run of the film is finished, you can upload it on your platform because it is not going to be of any use to that director or producer. So you kind of become the platform that releases movies and web series already released by others, and you are giving a chance to the people who have not watched them. If you go for production, you would need an enormous budget as you would have to produce a lot of content to keep users engaged on our platform, and the stakes would be high. If you have gone niche-specific, gather all the movies, web series, and documentaries of that genre. Business Model Now, strategize on how you would want users to pay. There are primarily four business models to choose from, i.e., AVOD, SVOD, TVOD, and hybrid. You would need to evaluate them accordingly and choose one of them to make your OTT platform sustainable. Let us briefly describe all the business models for you. First is AVOD; in this business model, you generate revenue through ads. Such OTT platforms have to be free to garner users, and then ads become the sole revenue stream. Top examples would be platforms like Pluto TV, Xumo, Tubi, etc. The second is SVOD; in this business model, you set tier-based subscriptions, which users select from and pay for to have access to. Top examples would be Netflix, HBO, Apple TV+, etc. TVOD: In this model, users either rent content or buy it. This model is recognized as PPV (pay-per-view) and PPD (pay-per-download). Top examples would be iTunes, CinemaNow, UFC., etc. Hybrid Models: This model is a synergy of SVOD and TVOD. In this model, customers pay comparatively fewer fees and can access the content but have to endure ads in between streams. The top example would be Disney+. Selection of Platform There are primarily two main platforms, i.e., iOS and Android, or you have cross-platform at your disposal. The decision is very critical, as it impacts your potential user base. There are more Android devices than iOS devices, and your decision directly impacts a lot of factors, like customer acquisition. There is the notion that iOS users are better in terms of paying for subscription-based services. This decision would also be dependent on the business model you choose. If you are aiming to show ads, then iOS might be the perfect choice, and you may want to choose Android. One has decided that there are hundreds of companies and agencies online that you can work with. But again, as it is going to be a big app and stakes would be high, you can go with a mediocre company offering