The post How to Build an Entertainment App like Hotstar appeared first on Redbytes: Custom Mobile Application Development Company [iOS, Android, Windows].

Mobile and computing systems have become the most popular entertainment platforms these days. It has spurred to  build entertainment app like Hotstar  that give users a convenient alternative to satellite or cable channels.

Video Streaming platforms such as Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime and others are fast gaining popularity amongst users worldwide.

The popularity of video on demand apps has also motivated many designers and developers to come up with video streaming apps with innovative features and user-friendly functions.

Video on Demand (VOD) or video streaming apps allow users to watch videos or full-length movies anytime anywhere. Plus, they are more economical when compared to cable on demand or satellite channels.

Read Also: How much does it cost to create an app like Hotstar

These apps give you the flexibility of using any kind of device, from mobile phone to smart TV to stream videos.

Essential Features of Video Streaming Apps

In this blog, we will elaborate on the essential features that you need to keep in mind when it comes to build an entertainment app like Hotstar.

IT Infrastructure

The foundation of your VOD app lies in the infrastructure you use. Your best option will be to for a Cloud infrastructure as it is flexible, scalable, customisable and secure.

A few of the Cloud infrastructure solutions you can explore are IBM Softlayer, AWS, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure. We suggest you check out the subscription costs and benefits of each infrastructure solution to choose one that suits your VOD design.

Content Delivery Network

After you’ve decided on the infrastructure, you should select the content delivery network or platform. A content delivery network (CDN) contains a network of data centres and proxy servers in various geographical locations.

The network can hold all your content and make it accessible to the end users. Evaluate the functions and features of content delivery network provider before you choose as the app’s bandwidth, video buffer time and app performance are greatly determined by it.

A few of the popular content delivery networks are Google Cloud CDN, Limelight, CloudFront and Akamai. You can also checkout free CDNs such as Cloudflare, Bootstrap CDN and Incapsula.

Security features

You need to have protective measures in place to prevent cyber threats. First, you need to ensure the utmost protection and privacy for your user’s personal and financial details.

Second, you need to protect your videos from being hacked. When you have to build an app like hotstar, make sure you add security features at every level.

Video Engine or Video player

The video player is the heart of your VOD app. This engine determines the quality of the output. There are free video players, but you may not get technical support.

If you have the expertise to deal with the technical issues that could arise, the go for a free engine and save on your video streaming app development costs.

Video CMS

The video content management platform allows you to organise and manage all the video content on your app.

From storing your videos in the library to helping you schedule videos, this CMS is essential for smooth functioning of the video on demand app

User- interactive features

If you want to build a video streaming app like Hotstar, you should pay much attention to the user interface. The option for login should be simple.

Also, you can have messaging options where the users can interact with you and ask questions if any. You can also set up reminder options of favourite shows, programs, or more.

Payment Gateway

Have a secure payment gateway in place because if users are not confident about your payment system, then they may not want to use your video streaming app.

Secondly, you  can also offer multiple payment options for the convenience of the users. Also integrate options to calculate deals, discounts and offers in your payment gateway.

Read Also: 13 Best Live Streaming Apps 2020

Integration with social media networks (Sharing/suggestions)

Integrate Social Media sharing buttons on your VOD app. You can have an option that allows users to suggest shows or videos to their friends. Having social media login options, apart from the usual user name or email login option will also be helpful.

Set up an option that allows users to share links on their social media platforms. These links have a double benefit for you. First, it will help improve your visibility on the social media platforms – a kind of user-generated content for social media promotion.

The other option is that personal suggestions could encourage more people to download your video streaming app.

Personalization options

Offer the user options to personalise video portfolio creation, set up viewing times or limit viewing times and more. Provide privacy settings that allow users to share or keep their watch history private.

Multi-screen option allows users to view the content on different devices using the same login. Give an option to create a watch list where they can add details of the videos they want to watch in future.

Analytics

It is very important to have an in-built analytics tool that can track search history, videos watched, videos downloaded and other user actions.

Analysing all this data is important as it can help you personalise the services you offer your users. Analytics also helps you identify trends and patterns, which can help you find out about popular videos, movie preferences and other user insights.

Monetization

Monetize your video streaming platform so that you can generate revenue not just with subscription but also by displaying ads.

As for the subscription options, you can either go for streaming on subscription or pay per view. In the first option, the user can access videos for a month or a year, based on the payment made.

The second option allows users to access just one video for which the payment has been made.

Read Also: How much does it cost to create an app like TikTok

Conclusion

If you want to build a video streaming app like Hotstar, there are 3 ways you can go about it:

• Get a pre built app and customise it as per your requirements
• Set up a design and development company and build the app from scratch
• Outsource your entertainment app development services to a reputed mobile app development agency

With our expertise and experience in app development, we recommend outsourcing as you get a ready made team to work on your app, expertise of experienced developers and designer and cost-effective solutions.

The post How to Build an Entertainment App like Hotstar appeared first on Redbytes: Custom Mobile Application Development Company [iOS, Android, Windows].