Music streaming apps are on a roll! No matter where you live or what you do, you have at least one or two music streaming apps on your phone. For some it is Spotify and for some it is Pandora. The music streaming market is growing with a CAGR of 3.98%, projecting a market volume of US $33.97 billion by 2027.
As per reports, the number of music streaming users is going to hit 1.1 billion by 2027.
These music streaming app trends indicate that a sea of users is already in the making, which makes today the perfect time for you to develop an app like Pandora Music for your own business! Sounds like a good idea right? But where do you begin? Well, that is exactly what we are going to discuss in this post!
In this one, we will try to figure out how to create a podcast app like Pandora Music, what key technologies are required, and what type of challenges you might face during the process.
We will also take a look at some monetization strategies that Pandora uses to identify opportunities for making money! So without further ado, let’s get started!
What is Pandora – Music & Podcasts?
Pandora – Music & Podcast is a service that offers a unique listening experience to its users. Unlike other apps that focus on a library for music, Pandora offers a custom listening station that a user can build based on their preferences. A user can choose the artist, producer, album, etc. to create their listening station.
The customizations however don’t stop with the users, as the entire Pandora app works on an algorithm specially designed to evaluate the music preferences of every individual.
The algorithm works in such a way that helps them recommend similar music to the users, increasing their stream time and helping them find new releases by the artists or in the genre they love.
With a library of over 6 million songs, Pandora is one of the biggest music streaming platforms in the US, that offers both free and paid plans for users to enjoy music. For users tuning in for free, there are some limitations, the biggest one being the ads.
However, that is the biggest revenue stream for the app, considering it makes more money through advertisements than subscriptions.
Why Develop an App Like Pandora Music & Podcasts?
When we see giants like Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora Music, etc dominating the market, it often feels like the market is done with new opportunities. And that is where we go wrong. You see with a market pool so big, there are endless opportunities for an app like Pandora. The more players are in the market, the higher the revenue for them.
Not only that, but several industrial benefits can help you make the decision. These benefits include –
► Massive Growth Potential
The music streaming market is one of the biggest in today’s world. If you are looking to invest in a product that grows over time, this is a great field to be in.
► Rewarding Market
If your criteria to start a business is just to earn money, developing an app like Pandora Music fits perfectly. With a market size of around USD 50 Billion, it is a lucrative market to work in.
► Numerous Ways to Monetize
Developing an app like Pandora allows you to create multiple revenue streams. You can earn from subscriptions, ads, merchandise, collaborations, and whatnot!
► Exponential Reach
When it comes to apps, specifically in the music streaming industry, they are never limited to a specific region. Sure you may start with a limited operations capacity but it is expandable to the entire world to tap newer audiences.
► Acquisition/Merging Opportunities
With multiple giants already operating, you have a solid chance of getting acquired by any one of them if your application has potential. Many entrepreneurs work with a vision to get acquired in the initial stage so they can aggressively build another product and get on with it!
If you are having second thoughts or wondering why develop an app like Pandora Music & Podcasts, you must consider the above-shared benefits. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, considering the entire market is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.
Key Features of an App Like Pandora Music & Podcasts
For any successful platform, there is a set of Music Streaming App Features that it must have. While planning a Pandora clone app, you first need to understand the existing framework of the application. Some of the key features that your application must have are –
1] Personalized Profile
A user should be able to create a personalized profile that offers enough information about themselves as well as the playlists/stations that they have created.
2] Music Library & Search
A music library offers a direct interface to the user for searching and scrolling through their everyday music.
3] Artist Pages & Discography
Creating separate artist pages and their discography can help your users navigate through their favorite music easily. This also takes care of the artists distributing their music through your platform.
4] Lyrics
Adding lyrics to your music player interface enhances the active time of a user on your application. Sharing lyrics with your music allows a user to connect better with the song, making it another feature that makes the app stick.
5] Social Features
The ability to share what you are listening to with your social media friends is something that has been popularised by Spotify. However, it is a great feature to help a user interact with the app while promoting you for free!
And then comes additional features that you can innovate to make your positioning unique in the market. If we talk about key features of the Pandora Music app, it has some standout features such as –
6] Customized Algorithms
To help you create a music streaming app, you need a custom algorithm for unmatched recommendations. Pandora, for instance, uses The Music Genome Project to sort the listening experience of the users.
7] Personalized Radio Stations
If you are planning to Create an app like Pandora, you must offer some personalized radios that a user can curate themselves for prolonged listening.
8] Popular Tracks Section
With social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram bringing new music by highlighting the latest releases through short videos every day, users often want to hear the entire song. Hence having a Popular Tracks section can boost the usability of your application!
9] Streaming Quality Selector
While seamless internet has found its way to almost every corner of the world, there are times when streaming has to struggle. If only your application has a streaming quality selector, those who want to save their bandwidth can benefit from it.
All these features can help you create an app like Pandora Music app clone. The idea is to create a unique music experience for the users that keeps them hooked. If you have something in mind that can help your music streaming app stand out, feel free to share it with the team as these features are what make any app a hit!
Steps to Develop an App Like Pandora Music & Podcasts
Before you start developing the application, it is really important to decide on a roadmap for the same. Sometimes things can get complicated in the middle of the development process if the correct path is not followed. Hence, deciding on all the stages and their sequence of development can make a lot of difference.
Step 1: Acquire a Library of Music
The first thing you need to sort out, even before starting the development process, is to acquire a music library with enough songs to start your streaming service. Without music being available on your platform, there’s nothing that you can offer in the beginning. Also, you can never rely on new releases as your USP as the majority of listeners are inclined towards listening to the songs they like, rather than what’s new!
Step 2: Identify Your Audience
Knowing the audience that you are going to cater to is another crucial step that you should keep in mind while trying to develop an application like Pandora. Different metrics define user behavior and based on those metrics you can identify exactly what type of audience you want to target. For instance, if you are targeting an audience between the ages of 15-30 years of age, you need to identify what genre attracts them the most, what listening patterns they have, etc.
Step 3: Define Your Objectives
This is where you start planning your development stages. You need to define the core objectives of the project. For an app like Pandora Music & Podcast, it may be crucial that you identify the values on which you want to function. If you want to become a platform that supports newer artists, that will be your objective so that features are developed keeping new artists in mind. Similarly, finding your app’s objective can help you map out the entire framework of your Pandora-like app!
Step 4: Choose a Tech Stack
Now that you have identified all the key factors such as what type of music library you have available, who is the target audience, and what is the core objective of your app, it is time to choose the technology that is going to power your application. The decision of the tech stack is really important as it not only defines the cost of creating an app like Pandora but also defines the longevity of your app as the tech you choose should be upgradeable and future-proof.
Step 5: Decide on a UI/UX Idea
After deciding on what technology stack you are going to use, you should sit down with your design team and decide on a UI/UX plan. A music streaming app must be easy to use and fully functional while being unique and attractive at the same time. This is often a deal breaker for users considering no one wants to use an app that is too complicated to do simple things. Keep in mind that a user would be OK using a basic application rather than having complicated features, just to listen to a song. You must decide on a UI/UX that is minimal but practical.
Step 6: Start Development Process
With every decision-making step out of the way, this is the step where the development process begins. It may take some time depending on the tech stack that you have chosen and the experience your team of developers has in developing an application like Pandora. There are several things that this step has to take into account. Factors like building the app architecture, curating the database for scalability, working on a dedicated recommendation engine, working on version control, etc. This process may be time-consuming, however, most of the service providers deploy teams according to the requirement of the project to manage the timeline.
Step 7: Test & Fine Tune the App
Once the code and design aspects of the app approach the finish point, different versions of the app are generated for testing. No product is perfect as soon as it is developed. There are several gaps in the overall functionality of the developed app and hence testing is one of the most crucial stages of the app development. While trying to build an app like Pandora, there are chances that some of the features you thought of making work do not work the way you wanted. Testing all the use cases and running automated tests can help you rectify the issues on your app easily. The development process stays incomplete unless all the bugs found during testing are resolved.
Step 8: Deploy the Final Product
Finally, after all the testing and fine-tuning, your application is ready to deploy. However, several aspects need to be checked in this step as well. There are specific regulations and guidelines for publishing your application on the Google Play Store & Apple App Store. Hence, the deployment process needs to be carried out properly.
Now your plan should be to promote the application and work on its digital presence. Once the final product is deployed, you need to ensure that the application is functioning properly and there are no hiccups when a large number of users are streaming music simultaneously. If you plan to make an app like Pandora Music, you have to be ready for similar user traffic!
Key Technologies Used by Pandora Music & Podcasts Like App
After looking at the steps, you might be curious about the tech stack that powers a Pandora Music-like app clone. Well, several technologies make the application stand out. For instance, the key technology behind the Pandora Music & Podcast app is its one-of-a-kind music analysis algorithm which allows it to “capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level”.
With the help of these features, the algorithm analyzes every piece of music by breaking it down into “genes” (which are also the attributes of a track) and accordingly matches it with similar tracks to give the user the best recommendations. The Music Genome Project is a patented technology that Pandora uses to power its internet radio services.
While you may not be able to use the exact technology, there are several deep-learning algorithms that you can use to enhance your app’s recommendation engine. Some of the key technologies that can help you create an app like Pandora Music can be –
- AI & Machine Learning Algorithms
- Adaptive Bitrate Streaming
By implementing these technologies properly, you can easily make an app like Pandora Music & Podcasts or even better.
Cost to Develop an App Like Pandora Music & Podcasts
If we talk about the overall cost, it can range anywhere between $50,000 to $300,000 depending on the set of features required. However, in no way this is the cap for app development.
For a new application, a minimum viable product can be created for under $15,000 and an app like Pandora with all its advanced features and technologies can even go above $200,000.
Several factors affect the overall cost of developing music streaming apps. These are –
• Complexity of the App
The cost may differ depending on the type of app you plan to develop. If you are looking for a basic app, it may cost less while a highly complex app will cost you more.
• Tech Stack Selected
When selecting a tech stack, you should consider the fact that resources for the tech stack are a huge factor in deciding the cost to develop an app like Pandora Music & Podcast.
• Location of Development Team
The team that you have hired to develop an app like Pandora is the key expenditure for your project and rightly so, their location matters a lot. That is because of the difference in the currency values as well as the quality of developers available in the region.
• Customized Features & Functionalities
Development cost is always defined by the type of features and functionalities you add. The more custom features you add, the higher the cost of development.
• Development Platforms
While creating an app like Pandora, you need to decide what type of development you are going for. If you are looking for an Android app you have a different tech stack, for iOS it is different, and for cross-platform development, it is different altogether. As you might have guessed, the cost for each type of platform also varies.
All these factors, along with the expertise level of the developers that you hire decide the cost of development. The easiest way to identify the cost is by reaching out to the development company and discussing your vision with them.
Challenges in Developing an App Like Pandora Music & Podcasts
While it is the best time to develop an app like Pandora Music & Podcast, there are a few development challenges of music streaming apps that you must consider. You see, it is not easy to break into a field you are not familiar with. Hence, it is necessary to keep all the challenges in mind.
➤ Licensing & Regulations
The music industry has some of the most wild licensing regulations. The copyright laws, and music distribution along with proper royalty splits can be a challenge for many. Especially, if you are new to the business.
➤ Creating a Custom Recommendation Algorithm
It is not easy to create a custom algorithm for music recommendation. If you plan to create an app like Pandora Music & Podcasts, keep in mind that it took them years to get a patent on their Music Genome Project. Let alone, there’s hardly a unique algorithm you can find in the current scenario.
➤ Finding the Correct Balance Between Features & UI
One of the core challenges that several platforms face is finding the right balance between features and UI. You see you can use different gestures for different functionalities in your app to make it unique. However, since there are already a lot of songs taking over the screen, what type of features do you add and how do you present them? It is a challenge for many to balance things out.
➤ Choosing the Correct Monetization Strategy
When we talk about developing an app like Pandora, it is crucial to identify how you plan to make money from it. Music streaming apps are highly profitable, provided you crack the correct monetization strategy. You see a new application may struggle in the beginning as you cannot expect people to subscribe right away. However, pushing too many ads while allowing free streaming can push people away. Hence it is a challenge to weigh all the factors and decide on a monetization strategy that is beneficial to the app.
➤ Market Penetration & Competition
The market for music streaming apps like Pandora is massive and highly rewarding, penetrating it is a challenge. There are several apps already dominating the market with their strong subscriber base and highly managed app campaigns. For new apps, it can be really difficult to sustain in front of the competition in this cutthroat market.
Monetization Strategies for an App Like Pandora Music & Podcasts
For the success of your music app streaming app like Pandora, you need to identify the best monetization strategy. There are several ways a music streaming platform makes money. Some of the most popular monetization strategies are –
1. Subscription Model
Through this model, you create multiple subscription plans for your apps so that a user can pay to subscribe and use your app.
2. Freemium Model
A freemium model is a combination of free music streaming with ads and a premium subscription model. This way your application can cater to both free tier audiences and paying subscribers.
3. Interstitial Advertising
Sharing your screen space with ads can help you earn money. However, interstitial ads are different as they are not regular banners. They pop up on the entire screen which means more impact and higher conversion rates.
4. Collaborations/Sponsorships
When you make an app like Pandora Music, you not only help music listeners but also open a platform for artists to be heard. You can allow artists to collaborate with the platform for exclusive promotions and take sponsorships from various labels to promote music.
While you may find all of these music streaming monetization strategies fascinating and attractive, it may not be possible to apply all of them at the same time. Hence you have to decide what path you want to take and try making the best decision for your application’s survival.
Why Choose Nimble AppGenie to Develop an App Like Pandora Music?
Reading so far you might have got an idea about how you can develop an app like Pandora Music & Podcast and how it is a lucrative field to work in. However, several users are unable to find the best team to develop an app like Pandora for them. Well, that is where Nimble AppGenie comes in!
With experience of decades, our developers are highly skilled and well-equipped to handle all your development needs. You can trust us with all your demands and we assure you to give you the best experience.
Conclusion
To develop an app like Pandora Music & Podcasts, you need to understand what Pandora is and what key features an app like Pandora offers. The current market for music streaming apps is a growing one. Hence if you are looking to start your music streaming platform similar to Pandora, this is the best time to begin.
Needless to say, you have to be diligent while choosing the team to develop an app like Pandora for you. There are multiple steps you need to carry out to get the best music streaming app development. Hope all the information shared in the post helps you understand the development process thoroughly!
FAQs
Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.
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