Today you don’t need to wait until your favorite movie or TV show appears on TV. Online video streaming rules the world. Video-on-demand websites like Netflix or Hulu allow you to watch a movie or TV series whenever you want on a subscription model.
This is what people need today — high-quality services that will provide them with an extensive TV content database. So why don’t you use this idea to create a video streaming website?
You don’t need to compete with Netflix. Your task is to implement everything properly following the success path of Netflix. That’s the main idea. But let’s not beat around the bush. Turn to the comprehensive guide on video-on-demand service development.
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What Is Video-On-Demand Service and How Does Netflix Streaming Work?
The video-on-demand streaming apps market is expanding rapidly. According to the latest research, it was valued at $376.06 billion as recently as 2020, and experts predict that it will easily reach $932.39 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 12.1%. So live video streaming is a pretty profitable business.
Video on demand, or VOD, is a type of personal delivery of media content to the subscriber. The sense of this service is clear, we guess. You want to watch a movie or any other relevant content, but you don’t want to buy a DVD or spend your time surfing the web, trying to watch it in good quality.
Thus, you can subscribe to VOD services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc., and find licensed content you like (always in HD quality), and watch it any time. You don’t need to leave your comfortable armchair, you don’t depend on a TV schedule, and you don’t need to look for a free space in your house to store DVDs that you may never watch again.
Netflix Approach
Netflix is one of the most popular and the most promising video streaming websites. This platform offers wide functionality and experiences extremely high loads every day.
What should you know about this domain? It develops and radically changes incredibly quickly, and to develop your own video streaming website, you will have to keep up with these changes. It is not only about market trends but also about changing views on user experience, the emergence of new design practices, and technological improvements. Therefore, the experience of such live video streaming platforms as Netflix is critical in understanding the approach to their development.
Therefore, in addition to design practices, it is worth paying attention to technological aspects that will play a critical role in the success of such products. In simple words, video streaming is the process of dividing the content into small pieces and sharing them over the Internet. At the endpoint, these fragments are reassembled on the user’s device to create a continuous stream.
Codecs, container formats, and video streaming protocols
To understand the operation of a video streaming site, it is worth paying attention to several concepts that Netflix also uses. These are codecs, container formats, and video streaming protocols.
Codecs are actually programs for encoding and decoding video streams. They can work both with compression and without. Container formats are wrappers for video files, or their types, which help combine all data streams into a single file with the metadata. Formats are critical, as many options do not support live streaming, so developers should look for versions that are optimal in terms of efficiency, performance, and capabilities.
The last point, namely video streaming (or live streaming) protocols, are methods of content delivery that actually divide it into fragments and transmit it to end users’ devices. Protocols may be different. The most commonly used options are HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS), etc.
That is the principle of Netflix service functionality. You rent media content for a certain period, and you can watch it whenever you want without advertising. But what is the secret of Netflix’s success? Find it out below.
What Made Netflix So Popular?
Let’s take a look what are the essential components of Netflix’s success as a live-streaming website.
History
The number of subscribers on Netflix grows exponentially year by year. According to Statista, in the second quarter of 2020, Netflix had 192.95 million paying subscribers worldwide. At the beginning of 2019, the number of subscribers reached 131.7 million. What does Netflix do to attract new users?
Netflix started its way as a DVD distributor by snail mail. The company was the first one who launched a DVD-by-mail service. And due to a competent management team, the company has always been trying to keep up with trends and adapt to any changes timely. So in 2007, Netflix launched its online streaming service, and it gained momentum almost immediately.
The matter is that Netflix offered users streaming media content at a relatively low cost. And it was cheaper for users to watch a movie at home than go to the cinema. Thus, users were able to watch HD-quality media at home, at any time.
Another secret of popularity is the proper service level. Reed Hastings, a co-founder of Netflix, has repeatedly stated that Netflix is an IT company first. What does it mean for users? It means that everything runs like clockwork. High-quality sound and video, high stability, and usability — that is what Netflix provides. So how to start a TV streaming service? Do everything properly, first and foremost.
Did you choose the wrong direction in your software development? It is never too late to fix everything. Hire professionals — contact Cadabra Studio.
The main components of Netflix’s success
Netflix is a unique example of how a video streaming site can capture a wide audience of users in different countries. Here are some of the main components of its success, which have become absolute trends in the industry and will be relevant for many years to come.
Availability and comfort
The first thing that makes Netflix more accessible and convenient to use is the offer of content on demand. Conventional television channels do not provide video on demand; they decide what and when to broadcast by themselves, while a live streaming website offers the user freedom of choice and access to services around the clock.
Netflix customers are in control of what they want to watch and when they want to do this. Also, it happens without intrusive and annoying ads, and access is provided with one simple subscription.
In addition, this live-streaming website uses all the possibilities of AI and working with data to provide users with exactly what they want based on audience preferences. Viewers don’t waste time searching for content – the platform has already done it for them.
Seamless connection
For video streaming website users, it is essential to be able to access streaming content quickly and without too much effort, and Netflix fully provides that. Viewers only need a high-speed Internet connection and a device, whether it’s a TV, mobile phone, or personal computer, to enjoy high-quality content.
A data-driven approach
As mentioned above, Netflix is very attentive to the needs and preferences of its users. The live streaming software perfectly knows what content viewers want, when, and on which devices. All this is possible thanks to the adoption of a data-driven approach and the use of advanced technologies for the analysis and processing of big data.
Not only internal user data (ratings and views on the platform itself) but also the number of content views, reviews about it, and IMDB ratings can be used for analysis. Netflix’s recommendation algorithm suggests suitable movies or series to its customers, and most users of this video streaming site watch the content suggested by this algorithm.
Flexible terms of use
Traditional television operators deliver content based on contractual obligations. Video streaming websites like Netflix give users the ability to unsubscribe at any time, as well as the ability to stream their favorite shows and movies regardless of geographic location.
In addition, users can choose the broadcast language, and cost and renew the subscription whenever they want.
State-of-the-art design: accessible, convenient, inclusive
Netflix is not just a video streaming website, it is an extension with a high-tech design, available on various devices. It was created using the most modern design practices, with special attention to the convenience and accessibility of the interface and the uniqueness of the user experience.
The multi-device login feature allows users to consume content remotely on any device. They can watch the same video on TVs, smartphones, computers, iPads with a single sign-in.
The Netflix app is constantly updating its algorithm to work efficiently and to be available even with low data bandwidth. Inclusivity, accessibility, and responsiveness make this live-streaming website especially popular.
Economic efficiency
The cost of watching TV shows, movies, etc., on Netflix and other video streaming websites is lower than paying for the services of TV providers. At the same time, if we take into account operational and other costs, these funds are enough for the video streaming product to be super profitable and successful from an economic point of view.
Thus, it is a win-win situation: users get access to high-quality and interesting content, convenient and modern design, and fast service at a favorable price for them, and the video streaming website has a consistently significant profit for further development.
A wide selection of content that is constantly updated
One of the critical advantages of the Netflix live-streaming website over traditional TV channels is that it provides users with access to hundreds and thousands of movies and other entertainment content from various producers around the world. And all this can be obtained on one live-streaming platform and from one place.
A wide selection of content from different creators gives users the opportunity to pay for a single subscription instead of buying the services of different TV channels to watch specific movies. This makes video streaming platforms more popular.
It is these things, in combination with advanced technology and design practices, that have made Netflix successful. These same points can help your own video streaming website to gain huge popularity in the entertainment segment.
Business Model Canvas Of Netflix
Also, a large portion of the success lies in the business model adopted by the Netflix team. We want to list the principles of business model canvas Netflix adheres to. It will help you understand how to create a video streaming app and succeed.
- Key Partners. Netflix actively cooperates with different media partners to build a robust environment for content delivery. For example, Netflix partnered with Samsung to provide Samsung Galaxy smartphone users with streaming services.
- Value Propositions. Netflix’s primary goal is to provide top-notch customer experience and allow users to take advantage of Netflix service (unlimited access to content, always HD, no ads, etc.).
- Key Activities. Since 2013, Netflix has also invested money in the creation of original content. Today, Netflix serves not only as a streaming service but also as a studio of its filmmaking and production. But streaming remains the main activity.
- Customer Segments. The streaming app provides different media content types and genres, targeting all age categories — both children and adults.
- Customer Relationships. Netflix’s critical mission is to offer user-friendly and straightforward service to users, deliver valuable customer experience, provide 24/7 customer support, share bonuses like gift cards to increase customer loyalty, etc.
- Key Resources. Smart software and development team are the key resources of Netflix. Smart algorithms help users select content by preferences and watched movies, and developers are the ones who ensure the high and stable functionality of the app.
- Channels. Users can access their profiles from different devices like mobile phones, smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
- Cost Structure. Netflix segregates its expenses to calculate incomes and outcomes. Licensed content purchases remain a significant investment made by Netflix.
So How Does Netflix Make Money?
The subscription-based revenue model is the leading monetization method Netflix uses today. Users can choose a subscription plan that meets their demands. There are basic, standard, and premium plans that are paid monthly.
The basic plan is for one device and lets users watch any content in standard definition. The standard plan allows users to add two devices and watch a video in full HD. The premium plan provides 4K quality for four devices.
Steps On How To Start An Online Video Streaming Business
We think it is reasonable to divide the steps into business and development ones. And we will start with the essential business steps that can help you create a video streaming app.
Choose Your Niche
We stated above that you shouldn’t try to build a streaming app that will beat Netflix. The value of your future streaming service lies in its on-demand proposition. Thus, you can create streaming services for sports, educational streaming, healthcare-related topics, cybersports, etc. That is, you need to analyze the market, analyze competitors, and single out niches that people need, but they are not widely available yet.
Do not forget about the SWOT analysis
Conducting a thorough analysis and market research is essential for any business’s long-term growth and success, especially when developing a streaming website. Companies often skip this step, which is a mistake as such an approach is the foundation of stable and predictable development.
Such research is critical for creating video streaming products. This niche is unpredictable and complex, and every new live-streaming website faces incredibly fierce competition.
Well, let’s take a closer look at some steps to help you conduct a SWOT analysis for your video streaming website.
First of all, you can research the market. This will help to understand and identify what you need to add to your website to make it stand out from competitors.
Then, you can move to some questions for SWOT analysis. Here are the most common examples, but your video streaming platform is unique, so you may need to create your own list. We highly recommend hiring professionals for this.
- What problems do viewers face with the current video streaming platforms?
- What is your solution to these challenges? What can you offer them?
- What are the obstacles and challenges you are likely to face?
- What is your unique selling proposition for the clients of your video streaming service?
- How quickly s it possible to build a video streaming product and launch it for first users?
- How many funds are available? What are your investments plans?
- What risks your live streaming business has, and how can your company deal with them?
- Have you arranged a team of developers to work on your video streaming website? If not, what are your plans regarding this?
Conducting a SWOT analysis through collaborative efforts with your team will help clarify and validate your ideas and largely avoid future losses. Extensive strategic planning is critical to business success.
Create a content strategy
The chosen niche is great, but you should also think about what kind of content will be used to fill it and how you will get it. Your own video streaming website may be spending most of its revenue on purchasing video content licenses, and this may be a key issue in the future. Therefore, content strategy is critically important.
Any video streaming website can get content in three main ways: create it yourself, get a license from the right holder, or rent movies from an authorized distributor.
Own unique content
Creating own unique content is one of the main advantages of Netflix as a live-streaming website. The company added content with its own license in 2013 (the “House of Cards” series). Today, the list of original content is constantly replenished, even without taking into account certain challenges of the pandemic and the economic difficulties. And this is a great solution to get valuable assets that can be licensed later to other video streaming platforms. It can bring big profits with relatively small investments.
Purchase of licenses from other companies or live-streaming services
Buying licenses for video content is also a popular option, and Netflix actively uses it. Actually, this is the optimal solution for starting a live-streaming business that requires large investments in tech development.
What to pay attention to in this case? Sometimes video content from third-party providers may be subject to exclusive distribution rights, meaning that no one can buy a lifetime license to that content. Therefore, the term of the license should be agreed upon and beneficial for you.
Video content rental
This is probably the easiest and most convenient option for everyone who is just starting to develop their own video-streaming website. Renting content has minimal risks, is significantly cheaper than buying licenses or creating your own products, and does not require additional technical distribution or advertising efforts.
Thus, you get the opportunity to offer something new to the target audience at minimal costs. And such an option is also available on Netflix.
Actually, this video streaming website uses all three types of content acquisition, and each of them is clearly described in the content strategy. Your live-streaming product will also require the creation of a clear purchase plan or content development with specific numbers and estimates.
Know Everything About Your User
If you want to know how to start a business like Netflix, you need to know your potential user first. And your next step is to do user research. User feedback and reviews must be your handbook. The guide from Cadabra Studio will help you get more insights on how to do it.
Okay, you should know customer pains and demands. The Netflix app and relevant streaming services analysis will be an excellent option to avoid their mistakes. As for major Netflix drawbacks, you will find this section below.
Remember about location issues. You will probably start with the development of streaming services for a specific region first, and you need to understand what users lack there. If you didn’t know, Netflix provides content that can be unavailable in some regions, and you should elaborate on it and think about how you will solve it.
So let’s define what is essential in working with a target audience.
- General user data: average age, geographic location, etc. Based on this, portraits of the target users, and therefore their needs, are formed.
- Preferences based on viewed content. As already mentioned, Netflix uses advanced analytics tools for this, so any video streaming website can be guided by the same data-driven approach.
- Choose a user-oriented design that takes into account all important aspects of the user experience. Your product should be not only useful but also engaging and convenient for a specific target audience. So designers should work on the interface and features of the experience that your customers will receive.
Compliance With Legal Regulations
The best business policy is honesty. The media content you will provide users with must be licensed and purchased according to the legal rules. How does Netflix do it? Everything is simple — Netflix purchases licenses for movies, TV shows, series, cartoons from content owners, and signs licensing agreements.
The owner may state certain restrictions in the agreement, like geolocation restrictions (you can stream it only in one or a few countries), or any other. All agreements have their expiration date, and then you may negotiate a renewal with the content owner if it is reasonable.
When you think through all the nuances of how to create an app like Netflix, remember that unlicensed streaming is illegal, so deal with all copyright issues adequately.
Define Monetization Models
As for online video streaming, the subscription model is the most widespread revenue method. Users can subscribe to the services of your app, buy monthly or annual subscriptions. Remember that a yearly subscription must be a more beneficial option than a monthly plan.
Another way to monetize your streaming service is to offer free videos with advertising. Thus, users don’t pay anything, but they will have to watch an ad that cannot be skipped. This revenue model is controversial — there are always people who don’t want to pay for online videos, and they are ready to watch an ad. But usually, advertising irritates users, and they want to pay for ad-free content.
Different monetization models for video streaming services
Let’s take a closer look at the most common monetization models for video streaming platforms.
Subscription-Based Model (SVoD)
The subscription-based model is commonly associated with video streaming websites like Netflix. It enables users to access unlimited video content by purchasing monthly or yearly subscriptions to a specific plan. This option is the most popular and convenient because it gives users a choice and a clear understanding of what they are paying for.
Advertising-Based Model (AVoD)
Within the advertising-based model, businesses generate revenue from their partners by embedding their ads into the live-streaming content. Users do not pay anything, but instead, they have to watch ads, and they can’t skip it.
This model is highly profitable if you have a large number of users. But in most cases, clients may be irritated by advertising. This issue is relevant for all television channels, so the main task of the live-streaming website is to make ads engaging and control its amount.
You can combine this model with the subscription-based model to offer a hybrid model, like Hulu.
Examples: YouTube TV, Hulu, Prime Now, DirecTV Now, The Roku Channel, Apple TV, ESPN
Transactional Model (TVoD)
The transactional model, also known as pay-per-view, provides users with the content on a rental (download to rent, or DTR) or ownership (download to own, or DTO) basis. In DTR, users purchase pieces of content for a limited time and for a small fee, while in DTO, users get lifetime access to specific content for a higher price.
Examples: Crackle, Hulu, Prime, DirecTV Now, The Roku Channel, Apple iTunes, Google Play
Hybrid Model
The hybrid model integrates multiple revenue-generating models to improve ROI. It allows users to experience video content before being asked to pay. Many businesses opt for this model to maximize profit.
In addition to these models, streaming services can also offer discounts such as student discounts or free trials. Businesses can also use different types of advertisements, including 15-30 second ads, interactive ads, etc.
To determine the best monetization model for a live streaming service, it’s essential to conduct market research and test different models to maximize profit.
Do you want to pick the right monetization model for your software? You need a consultation with skilled developers like Cadabra Studio. Get in touch with us.
Deployment and promotion of your live-streaming product
Creating a video streaming platform and launching it to the end users is a critical step that determines further business growth and development. You can only create the first impression once, so your offer to the target audience should be unique, fresh, and unforgettable. You also have to think about prior marketing and promotion efforts so your product launch does not go unnoticed.
Launching a video streaming website can be done in two ways. The first option is to release the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) features and add the advanced functionality later. This can help to understand if your product matches the target audience’s expectations and fix the problems that may occur before the full launch.
The second way is to launch the complete website at once with all the advanced features. It is quite a risky step, but it can be economically justified if your video streaming service has concise functionality and a minimal budget. In this case, the main bet is on a professional UI/UX design that will provide the first user with the desired experience.
Launching the MVP features first is highly recommended, as this allows you to validate your ideas and assess how your target audiences respond to the video streaming website. As I said earlier, customer feedback can be valuable in improving the product before launching the final version.
Aside from knowing how to build a video streaming website, effective marketing is equally important. Promoting a brand and targeting the right audiences takes a lot of effort and money, so it is totally with paying attention to.
Your live-streaming product requires the proper marketing strategies to generate the best return on investment. Here are two common promotion approaches to consider:
- Traditional marketing. Here your promotion team can use conventional marketing channels such as television, radio, newspapers, and billboards. This approach is quite outdated and works only with a very limited target audience of users who consume information from the listed channels and have not yet moved to more advanced services.
- Digital marketing. This approach is preferred by most people because it allows you to easily reach your target audiences regardless of geographic constraints. In addition, digital marketing works on the basis of advanced analytics and together with a team of designers to maximally attract users’ attention and keep them interested in your live streaming platform.
Choosing the right marketing approach is crucial in ensuring the success of your video streaming business. It is also essential to monitor and analyze the performance of your website regularly and make necessary adjustments to improve it so your users do not experience irritation or delays.
Maintainance
First, your video streaming product will need ongoing technical support to ensure its smooth operation and scalability. This is critically important because the load will increase as the number of users increases.
Second, you will have to think about how to communicate with users and get valuable feedback from them. Here are some great solutions for this.
- live chat and chatbots;
- social media reviews,
- reviews forms on your live streaming service;
- short surveys;
- analytics and BI tools (integrated solutions).
By paying attention to your customer’s queries and offering personalized solutions, you can ensure that they remain loyal to your business.
All of the above helps to understand how critical the problems that arise are and how they can be solved. In addition, it allows you to adjust your business model or development strategy in accordance with dynamic data. So you will always stay one step ahead and keep close communication with the end user of your video streaming platform.
It is also worth noting that the right support and feedback system helps to work with future updates and features. This is an indispensable part of the planning and development of live-streaming services.
Additional Steps To Create Movie Streaming Website
Now we can talk about the development steps that are required to create a website like Netflix. These steps are similar for other websites or mobile apps, but each project requires its individual approach.
Start With UI/UX Design
We bet you know that an attractive user interface and intuitive user experience are crucial. And this is what you should do first. The development of your website won’t be initiated until you hire a UX designer and let them create a design of your service.
Why is the designer the first one to hire for your project? First, they collect information about the project and its target audience. Second, they design a specific scenario. Other key responsibilities of UI/UX designers you can find in our article.
So, skilled designers will conduct customer research, UX research, choose relevant color models, and build prototypes of your website. The online streaming service should have simple navigation and an eye-catching interface. If users want to keep on using your website, it means you did everything right.
Make A Feature List
Analyzing how to start a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, you cannot bypass the list of MVP features. An MVP (minimum viable product) means that your website will only contain basic features, but it may be enough for a start. Moreover, MVP is crucial because it allows you to test an app with minimum investments. Your Netflix-like website should include the following set of features:
- Registration. You can provide social login to simplify the registration process and let users sign in via their social media profiles. However, to avoid unauthorized access by third parties, it is recommended to add registration via email.
- User profile. Once users are registered, they can add a photo, write some information about them. This information will be helpful for your service since you may set up algorithms to target users with specific content they may like.
- Search. Users can find the content they like using an integrated search system. Mind adding filters to help users narrow down their search results and find what they need faster.
- Reviews/ratings. Users should be able to rate all media content your streaming service contains. Also, they can write comments or reviews to share their opinion about the movie or TV series.
- Chat. It is required for users to chat with the support team if there are any problems or questions.
- Push notifications. Information about new content available, particular propositions, discounts, etc. — everything will be available in the form of messages on the screen.
- Payments. Add reliable payment gateways like Braintree or Stripe to let users make secure payments for services provided.
- Settings. Such settings as the selection of format, volume, language, and quality of video are must-haves for any streaming service.
- Offline mode. When users select a video to watch, make it possible for them to watch it in an offline mode, so users enjoy their free time even if they don’t have an Internet connection.
These features are necessary for your Netflix-like website. However, there are some could-have features we recommend considering.
The first one is the content recommendation algorithm. The smart AI-based algorithm creates a personalized customer experience and recommends the preferable content based on videos watched before and personal preferences. It directly impacts the increase in customer loyalty.
The second feature is screenshot blocking. Netflix uses it for a good reason — it prevents any attempts of pirates to make screencasts of the video. So think about it.
In addition to the features listed above, you need to think about software for employees and those who will deal with the content of the platform. It should be a solution that will simplify website management, assist in tracking employees’ activity and performance, and help get important marketing data.
Content management system makes it easy to upload content for broadcasting and control live streaming in general. CMS can also integrate analytics and insights based on the roles of people involved in the business. Thus you can get valuable data on various factors for better platform management and development.
Here are some key considerations when developing a CMS for your video streaming website:
- user-friendly UI for content uploaders;
- integration with analytics and insights tools;
- concise and useful core functionalities;
- security and access control to ensure that only authorized personnel can use data and manage content.
By paying attention to these factors and developing convenient CMS, you can ensure safe and fast content management, which is crucial for the video streaming business.
Development Process
Now you need to contact a software development team that will build an online streaming website for you. Although, if you hire a full-stack software development company, then UI/UX design, quality assurance, and development services will be available by default.
As for the number of platforms, we recommend you to start with website development. If you want to create a Netflix-like mobile app, you’d better do it later when you test a website, and if it starts generating revenue.
Cadabra Studio is a software development and design company that knows how to create a movie website like Netflix and what particularities and pitfalls the development process may include.
Cons Of Netflix Or How To Create A Video Streaming Website Avoiding Mistakes Of Competitor
Netflix also has some drawbacks. It is not an ideal service. If you know all the disadvantages of the popular streaming service, it will help you achieve your goals more efficiently.
Uncertainty of content
Netflix has one weird particularity — it removes shows or movies from its database periodically. Thus, if you want to watch your favorite TV series again, you may come across its unavailability. It might be a shocking challenge for somebody who paid and wanted to enjoy themselves.
Geo-restrictions
The problem is that US residents have a more extensive media content database than residents of any other world region. Many TV shows and films may be unavailable in other countries. The only option is to use a fast VPN service that may also be paid. Here you can find the most popular VPN services for Netflix.
Outdated library
Surprisingly, but you won’t find the latest movies and TV shows right away they are released. The database of Netflix is somewhat outdated, and it needs updating more often. And it makes many people irritated.
As you can see, nobody is perfect. Although Netflix is a giant in the streaming industry, it also has its flaws and room for improvement. If you plan to start your own business in this niche, it is important to take these points into account, as well as analyze in detail the weak points of competitors. Perhaps you will be able to offer the user what they could not give.
Technical Aspects To Consider When You Create Your Own Netflix-Like App
A streaming service requires compliance with many technical standards to ensure proper and seamless functionality. If there are technical issues with streaming processes, users will likely abandon your app. Although it is the development team responsible for the technical part, you should also be aware of it.
- Format. All videos in your streaming service must be in a format that is supported by all devices and operating systems.
- High bandwidth. The speed of video loading is crucial. Users don’t want to wait for a long time while one movie will load. So you will have to invest money to ensure sufficient bandwidth so that users can stream videos quickly.
- Quality variations. Users should be able to change the quality of video content if they have a low-speed connection at the moment. Or you can ask developers to set it up automatically.
- Use reliable CDN solutions. CDN, or content delivery network, is a critical technology to deliver streaming videos to users. It is better to use a few CDN solutions to increase the stability of functionality and avoid interruptions in case of emergency.
- Encoding. Encoders must be available to transform video content into a different format. When it is encoded, it is turned into a digital copy that can be transmitted via the Internet.
- Low jitter. Jitter means any lags in the streaming process like images freezing, desynced audio, etc. It is necessary to make jitter as low as possible.
- Security. Finally, one more crucial tip on how to create a video app like Netflix is protecting it from unauthorized access. SSL encryption for payments, token security to prevent redirection to the third party without approval, geoblocking settings, and watermarking to prevent copying.
Don’t bother your head with a bunch of complex software terms. Cooperation with a reliable development team is the only thing you need. Hire Cadabra Studio right away.
Technology Stack Of Netflix-Like Streaming Service
When we create your app, we will use tools that will meet specifically the requirements of your app. However, we can list a few tools that may potentially be used to create an online streaming website.
- Programming languages: Java, Python, Ruby (backend), JavaScript (frontend)
- Frameworks and libraries: React, WinJS, Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Django, Hadoop
- Database: MongoDB, MySQL, DynamoDB
- Web server: Apache, Nginx
- Cloud storage: Amazon S3, AWS CloudFront, AWS Elastic Transcoder
Again, this is just a general tech stack that may vary depending on the specific business requirements of your product. The exact list can be created only after consultation with the development team and determination of specific functionality, design features, business needs, etc.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Netflix-like Website?
The most critical question you want to ask is because you want to plan your budget, don’t you? Unfortunately, it is impossible to quote the streaming website development until you provide us with detailed requirements. Then we will draw up a precise estimate considering all nuances of a future project like design and software complexity, tech stack, number of features, and hourly rates.
The latter is mostly a crucial factor. You should know that the location of the development team directly impacts the final cost of your app.
The US-based developers’ hourly rates range between $130-200, whereas developers in Western Europe charge about $75-125 per hour. Eastern Europe may boast about hourly rates like $35-50, but companies in this region build first-rate products that become world-known.
For example, Ukraine (location of Cadabra Studio) is famous for such projects as Grammarly, Mobalytics, Depositphotos, GitLab, etc. They were built in Ukraine and by Ukrainian developers.
Thus, if you need a professional team that will show you how to create a video app like Netflix, hire Cadabra Studio. We are open to discussing an optimal budget for your streaming app, providing qualified assistance.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, creating a video streaming website like Netflix requires careful planning and considering the business model to follow. While there are various options available, including subscription-based and ad-supported models, it is crucial to analyze the target audience and the content being offered to determine the most suitable choice.
When it comes to building a successful live-streaming website, it is also crucial to prioritize user experience and make it easy for visitors to find and consume content. This can be achieved through intuitive navigation, personalized recommendations, and a responsive design that works seamlessly across different devices.
In addition, it is essential to have a robust content library that appeals to the target audience and sets the live-streaming product apart from competitors. This requires some investment in acquiring and producing original content or licensing popular shows and films from studios and distributors.
Finally, marketing and promotion are key to attracting and retaining subscribers. This involves building a solid brand identity, leveraging social media and influencer marketing, and offering free trials and discounts to incentivize sign-ups.
By following these best practices, aspiring live-streaming entrepreneurs can create successful video-streaming products like Netflix and tap into the growing demand for digital entertainment.
If you’re interested in creating a video streaming website or app, Cadabra Studio can help you bring your vision to life. Our experienced team of designers and developers can work with you to develop a custom solution tailored to your specific needs. Contact us today to learn more!
