What’s so common about Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Hotstar?
All are the OTT apps that work on your Android/iOS compatible LED television sets or your Mobile devices and Smartphones. And, you can very easily access your favorite shows, movies, teleseries, sports, games, news, etc. from any of your app-based devices. Your choicest media & entertainment lies now on your OTT Mobile app.
Quick Stats
Nowadays, even big-banner movies are released on OTT, as going to the theatre seems a distant reality now. People are going berserk for entertainment as the pandemic has crippled normal life around the world. So, you see, a big business opportunity lies before you! Create your OTT app, launch it on your favorite platform (iOS, Android, Cross-Platform), and get started!
- The global market size of the OTT ( Over-the-top ) is going to rise over $438.5billion, at a CAGR of 19.1%, by the year 2026 (Research Dive Report)
- The worldwide OTT services market is estimated to rise from $44.54 billion in 2021 to a massive $139.00 billion in the year 2028, at a 17.7% CAGR in the forecast period (Fortune Business Insights Report)
- OTT Media Revenue is estimated to cross $ 210 billion by the year 2026 (Statista Report)
What is OTT
OTT or the Over-the-Top technology refers to providing content, like film, and television content, by using an internet ( high-speed) connection, and there’s no requirement of a cable or a satellite provider. OTT is not free and needs a valid subscription to avail of its service.
OTT is the audio-video technology that allows users to have multiple choices at their fingertips. As a provider, you can provide content on a variety of platforms, viz., mobile phones, Smart-TVs, computers, gaming consoles, tablets, and similar gadgets.
Your users can access multiple channels and can go for an “app-switching” facility, too. They can have complete control over what they want to watch by going for a paid subscription.
Create & Launch
Artificial Intelligence (AI), micro-service architecture, and other advanced technologies empower OTT platforms making them scalable, online streaming apps over choicest devices. It depends on whether you want to build a next-generation online video streaming app or you want to develop a complete OTT platform that includes desktop apps, mobile apps, websites, and Smart-TV apps.
OTT APP Types
TV Apps- You can build your OTT apps for Android-powered Smart TVs, and you don’t need coding for that. Yes, you just select your favorite template and customize it with your feature requirements.
For instance, if you want to select a Netflix template, add any extra features as per your choice, remove those you don’t want, and get your customized app perfectly matching your requirement.
Web Apps – You need your OTT to be present across platforms and a web app is one of them. You can take the help of a web & mobile development company to address your OTT needs. They can help you create your own video streaming website very easily and cost-effectively.
Mobile Apps– You can create video streaming apps for varied mobile OS platforms like iOS, and Android. Either you get it built from the scratch, or get a coding-free template, the choice is yours.
Desktop Apps – Some people love to be on their favorite desktops (though desktops seem to represent a traditional mindset, they cant detach with it). So, caring for their needs, you develop an OTT app for MAC, and Windows operating systems and don’t worry about the codes. You can start today!
App Features
Your OTT app should have features consisting of awesome content and an attractive user interface. Important features you should consider are:
1. Multilingual Content – Your users, customers, or subscribers want to see movies, shows, and programs, in their regional languages only. You can customize your app by choosing this multilingual feature for your massive content.
For example, your audience can watch Star Wars or Cindrella in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, French, and Spanish languages just anytime, and if required, at the same time on different devices. So, keeping your target audience demographics in your mind, you can design your app with multilingual features.
2. Personalized User Profile ID – Let me explain to you from my experience.
I have a Netflix subscription and at my home, we are four users. We all four users have our unique profile ID. I prefer watching on my Android-based smart TV, while the other three users simultaneously access Netflix on their laptops and mobile sets. We all watch our favorite shows, even the same shows streaming live but on different machines.
Moreover, I have given this access authorization to my cousins living in other states. They have created their unique profile IDs. So, this is how you can leverage the power of an OTT app. This feature is very important if you want flexibility and power in your app.
3. Offline ASVOD Platform – Watching offline is possible out of this feature on your OTT app. If you want to access programs while traveling through remote areas, jungles, or villages, you can avail of this option.
You can provide this app feature wherein YouTube powered ASVOD (Ad-Supported Video On Demand) platform, will allow your subscribers to download videos, save them on some device and watch them later.
4. Watch-List Feature – It happens that your user starts viewing a program but does not complete it In that case, the app feature of ‘watch-list comes in handy. And when the user comes back, he will get this option on-screen – ‘Resume’. That’s how this feature is an important addition to your app.
5. Multiple Categories of Content – This feature will allow your users to choose from varied content categories. Means, categories like movies, web series, shows, news, games, kids, all the choices are there. There are theme-based, popularity-based content categories, too. Users can navigate them and watch as per their likes.
6. AI-Powered Recommendations – AI, Ml, and NLP are the super digital technologies that drive an app to the next level. AI-enabled recommendations help users to make a decision. For example, currently, if you are selecting a specific kid’s show, song, or tune, the app will give you other options matching your selected one.
Components for OTT Platforms
You need to collect varied components for building your OTT platform.
1. Hosting
You have a choice between hosting videos on your ‘server’ or a ‘cloud’ while building your own OTT platform. Cloud white label hosting platform, for example, gives additional benefits in the form of zero latency solutions, expandable storage, and so on.
2. CDN Support
Your CDN (Content Delivery Network)support chosen for your OTT platform development facilitates a balancing act for addressing users’ unique demands from across the globe.
An efficient CDN helps to reduce core network traffic leading to a low latency level. This enables a smooth, seamless delivery of content.
3. Multiple Streaming Protocols
There are multiple streaming protocols for ott video delivery but the ideal choice would be a platform that integrates HTTP and RTMP protocols for live streaming. In a way, you are opting for a multi-channelized-OTT- Video-Service for best viewing.
4. Transcoder
The transcoder converts video and audio as per requirement(encoding/decoding methods). It provides an option to auto-adjust with web, TV, or mobile assuring compatibility quotient.
5. Cross-Platform OTT Service
This component or cross-platform OTT service helps to stream videos across the platforms in an uninterrupted manner. One can view videos beyond one device.
6. Custome-Built API
An efficient, custom-built API component assures seamless distribution of content across devices & platforms. A very cost-effective infrastructure is guaranteed, too.
7. Encrypted DRM Platform
Strong encryption for the DRM platform assures its cyber security. You need to see how to safeguard your platform from cyber threats and attacks.
Also Read:
Android Development is the process by which varied applications are built for devices that are compatible with Android Operating System.
Conclusion
What makes you think now? Look at the immense business opportunities beckoning you!
The benefits are massive. As a content creator using your unique app-based OTT streaming platform, you can expect to reach your audience directly, without any mediator like satellite or cable.
A better engaged, enthralled, happy customer base is what you will need once you establish your OTT app business leveraging digital technologies available now.
OTT is an exclusive and very niche market and it requires holistic Ideation right from OTT app development to hosting and marketing it to larger markets. Read our success story with Tough Crowd. Contact us to know more.
