As the chime of the clock heralds the strike to 5, you pack up your bags and rush out your office, feeling a renewed wave of energy at the prospect of bidding adieu to yet another weary day at work. You slide into your car and push the paddle hard, eager to go home, grab a soda, whip up a snack, snuggle on the couch in your pajamas and relish in your favorite show. Unfortunately, 5 minutes down the road, you get stuck in a seemingly unrelenting traffic jam. Even though you left right on time, you still arrive home an hour late and end up missing your favorite TV episode that you have been thinking about since you woke up. Ironic is it not!

Thanks to the advancements in technology, however, you do not have to wait for your favorite TV shows to go on air anymore. In fact, it is the other way round these days. Now, you can watch your favorite shows from anywhere at any time from any device with an internet connection!

Media consumption patterns of users are shifting to newer horizons and television has felt the pinch of this swing. According to the Fast Company, TV just had the second worst quarter in history in 2017 and lost 72,000 paid subscribers. According to the App Annie data, TV viewers spent 12 billion hours on top ten video streaming apps in the year 2017. In addition to this, users spent $570million on top ten video streaming apps during this time in the U.S. alone.

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All these statistics clearly nod towards how lucrative the video streaming market has become. In this article, you will learn about how to create a video streaming app that can help you get your pie from the burgeoning video streaming industry.

1.    Make a Great First Impression

When it comes to developing a video streaming app, your focus should be solely fixed on leaving a great first impression. Capitalize on app store optimization techniques to boost your app visibility on app stores. Include screenshots of your video streaming app on your app page. This will give your app users a sneak-peak into what they can expect to find in your video streaming app.

As soon as a user downloads and installs your video streaming app, the onboarding process begins. This is where you need to make a memorable first impression. Use animations to seamlessly shift users from onboarding screens to the app. To deliver the best user onboarding experience, follow the “short and sweet” formula for your onboarding and your app users will greatly appreciate the gesture.

2.    Focus on the Features

What differentiates your video streaming app from competitors or industry leaders? Those unique and value-added features that you incorporate as an after-thought make all the difference and reaffirm the belief of your users that you care about them. Surprisingly, the features of the top 5 video streaming apps follow along with the same lines, but it usually comes down to how well these features work. Multiple factors such as pricing, user experience, content and sharing options also play an important role. Users always welcome some handy extras, especially if they work as promised and do not wreak havoc on the overall user experience of the video streaming app.

3.    Convenience Does Matter

Why would anybody in their right minds choose to indulge in a sweat-breaking Chelsea-Barcelona match on the minute screens of their mobile devices when they can delve into the experience on the big screen? Due to convenience, right. Your app users want the freedom to watch their favorite shows at any time that fits into their hectic schedule, not at a time when they go on air. Additionally, they want the freedom to watch it from any location and device.

Popular video streaming apps such as Netflix offer subscribers the freedom to continue watching from where they have left off, even on some other device. Your video streaming app should have any such features that make it easier for users to binge watch their favorite shows. Make it simple for users to search for content in your app.

This can be achieved with the help of Algolia, a great tool for implementing search in your video streaming apps. Another advantage ofAlgolia is that developers can use it with both web applications and mobile applications. Allow users to create a playlist of their favorite videos and make it easier for them to share content with their loved ones without leaving the app.

4.    Content

Another important factor that can determine the success or failure of your video streaming app is content. This is one area where global giants, such as Netflix, Hulu or YouTube, reign supreme. They have gleaned partnerships with big-shot media companies that provide high-quality content to them. They splurge a fortune in content to beef up their library.

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Dig deeper and find out which type of content your target audience loves to watch and provide them that in their desired form. Having unique video content that users cannot find on other video streaming apps is another way to reel in more users towards your video streaming app. Offer a live streaming feature or a service that allows your users to enjoy live TV on the go.

Which video streaming app is your favorite and Why? What features do you want to see in a video streaming app? Feel free to share the answers with us in the comments section below.