Published on August 29th, 2018 | by Sunit Nandi

Build a Music Streaming App: The Pros and Cons

If you think you have what it takes to get into the competitive music streaming industry, then you’ll want to read this short article about the pros and cons.

Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music have redefined the landscape when it comes to listening to music. Instead of having to go out to a record store and purchase each album at a time, consumers now have the option of listening to nearly whatever they want, whenever they feel like it, in any order.

While much of this has been the case since iTunes came around and started letting us buy single tracks for 99 cents, subscription-based streaming services have taken the idea even further. Now you can pay a monthly fee, and you’ll have past, present, and future music all available at your fingertips.

If you’re trying to get into this industry, you’re going to have to understand what it entails. While it may look like a challenge to build a music streaming app, you’ll find that it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Today, we’re going to be looking at the pros and cons of making and running your own music app.

Pros

Possible Revenue

Music streaming is a massive industry, and if you manage to succeed, the potential payoff is immense. There are always people looking to listen to music, and you may come across customers who are sick of the alternatives, all of which are broadly similar, so innovation is key to ensuring revenue.

App Development

Creating the framework for a music streaming app isn’t that hard, which means that you’ll be able to save on development costs when you finally decide to build it. If you plan on making it yourself, then you won’t have to put as much effort into it as you would with other kinds of apps.

Keep in mind that the complexity of development will depend on how innovative you are planning to get when you make your music streaming app. If you’re going to do something that’s never been attempted before, it’s going to take a bit more work than a simple app that’s similar to Spotify.

Room for Innovation

Due to the relative similarity of all of the music apps out there, you’ll find that you can do something truly unique with the right idea. Doing something extraordinary with your music streaming app is one of the best ways to draw attention to it.

Cons

Payouts

Artists aren’t the only ones who are fed up of dealing with record labels; Spotify reported losses of 1.5 billion dollars for the year of 2017. Most of this money never ends up going to the artist (as the label has to take its significant cut), with most making less than a cent every time their track is streamed.

Licensing

There’s also the issue that larger labels won’t be willing to deal with a smaller streaming service in the first place, as they won’t see it as a profitable venture.

Conclusion

Music streaming is a tough industry to get into, but if you break through, you’ll have the potential to make some serious money. We hope that this guide has given you an idea of the risks and potential benefits involved.

Tags: app, build, cons, music, pros, streaming

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.