What is a music app?
A music application is a web, mobile, or desktop application that enables users to purchase and stream music. Music apps typically offer access to popular music streaming services (e.g., Spotify), as well as the ability to create custom playlists of songs owned by the user.
Music apps are popular versions of audio entertainment apps, with a focus on music content and tools. These apps also share features with games that support music-based gameplay. The most popular music app types include song streaming apps like Spotify by Spotify AB, music discovery apps like Shazam, and DJ mixing apps like Mixer.
Examples of music apps built with Crowdbotics:
- Client wants to build a mechanism for music fans to earn money promoting their favorite artists.
- A social media booking site for musicians in Canada. The app will have a profile page with example of work, scheduling availability, and Merch for sale.
- A music creation/ social platform that is very similar in scope to rapchat.
What is the typical cost to build a music app?
A music app usually costs about $37,500 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $25,000 or as high as $50,000. A music app with a low number of features (also known as a minimum viable product, or MVP) will be more affordable than an app that includes all intended functionality.
For example, here are some previous music app price quotes from Crowdbotics:
How long does it take to build a music app?
A music app usually takes 344 hours to build. However, a music app can be built in as few as 133 hours, or in as many as 533 hours. The exact timeline mostly depends on how complicated your specific app is. As a general rule, it will take longer if you require highly custom designs, niche features, complex logic, or non-standard release platforms.
For example, some previous music apps build with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:
Not seeing what you’re looking for?
Crowdbotics has quoted and built hundreds of applications for teams of all sizes. Browse our historical estimates by industry and app type to understand possible costs and considerations.
How to successfully grow your music application
A music app needs to quickly gain users in order to increase the chance of top chart rankings and increase its overall user base. With a large user base, the app can gain more advertising revenue, which it can use to improve its service for users. A music app should also attempt to differentiate itself from online streaming platforms like Pandora and Spotify by offering exclusive content that cannot be found elsewhere. This could include exclusive interviews with musicians or behind-the-scenes footage. For example, the popular music app SoundCloud offers live recordings of concerts, which its users might not be able to hear anywhere else.
Risks and challenges of building a music application
A music app faces legal challenges related to the ownership of intellectual property, and logistical issues related to the licensing of copyrighted material. You will want to ensure that you are in compliance with all applicable state laws regarding copyright use and distribution, and you will want to ensure that you have a robust mechanism for reporting violations of your Terms of Service. You may also want to consider implementing a mechanism for monetizing your app through the distribution or purchase of copyrighted content.
