How To Create a Music Streaming App

Nothing beats good music. The world is being transformed with innovation, and technology has also changed music apps. Many users are switching to streaming music apps from local music libraries. Nowadays, you can see many music-related applications in the digital world. These apps are engaging customers with many new features.

Many different applications are hitting the market and showing the way for new entrepreneurs to enter the market for streaming music applications.

The evolving music streaming services and digital space are the future of the music business. In this article, you will learn more about audio streaming apps, music app developers and how to make a music streaming website.

What Is an Audio Streaming App?

Music streaming is the process of listening to music online by continuously receiving small chunks of a music file and playing them back. In other words, it's just listening to music as it downloads to your device in real-time. Downloading here should not be understood as downloading as a file, since these are different things, but technically, if a file can be listened to by streaming, then it can be downloaded using special software.

The tracks being played do not take up the memory on the device, allowing you to enjoy millions of songs from the cloud. The only caveat is that using any such service requires Wi-Fi or mobile internet. You can also download individual songs and entire albums to listen to them offline without connection.

The Evolution of the Music Streaming Market

The global music streaming audience has seen significant growth, reaching 524 million users in 2021, an increase of 26.4% from the previous year. Users now spend an average of 18.4 hours per week on music streaming services, a figure that rivals time spent on social media platforms.

Valued at $13 billion in 2019, the online music streaming market is projected to expand to $24 billion by 2027. Notably, music streaming currently generates 84% of the revenue for the U.S. music industry. This burgeoning growth underscores the ripe opportunity for those looking to build music streaming app, tapping into the thriving digital music landscape and exploring how to create a music app that stands out in this competitive market.

How to Create a Music Streaming App

The era of music carriers, and possibly music albums, is a thing of the past. It was replaced by music as a stream. To create a music app, you will need to do the following:

1. Decide on the audience and type of application

Your new music streaming service needs to compete with Google Play Music, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Spotify, and other platforms. It is difficult, risky, and expensive. Therefore, when you create your project, it is better to target a specific audience. Aim to stand out from the competitors due to a more complete playlist in the chosen area, as well as more personalized marketing and design.

Alternatively, you can simply choose a musical direction: rock, classNameical, folk, rap, music from a certain decade, and more. You can also choose to work only with artists from a specific region or country. You can create a Spotify clone with tracks from new artists or bands only.

Beyond that, ask yourself: are you making a simple streaming app or a streaming app that has several engaging features?

2. Choose streaming or engagement before you create a music app

A streaming app is a subtype of an engagement app Both types of applications give the listener access to streaming content. But the engaging application makes this process interactive, trying to maximize the user's interest.

Engaging content includes:

• Ratings;
• Integration of messages;
• Notifications and more.

3. Start working with music app developers

After you have decided on the audience and type of application, you can contact the audio streaming app development company of your choice. It can help you create a music streaming website that your future audience will love.

Engaging content According to our specialists, the creation of a mobile or web application in such companies takes place in several stages:

1. The customer tells the company's specialists what they want to get at the output and how they see the mobile application.
2. The business analysts conduct a discovery phase: they gather requirements, analyze the market, to come up with the best cost-effective strategy for the project.
3. When the requirements to the future app are ready, we are able to draw up a detailed technical task.
4. Then the team proceeds directly to the design. You’ll need experienced UI/UX designers for this state. Next, a prototype is created and the application interface is designed. Each stage is coordinated and approved by the customer.
5. Now we move on to developing an application. The same app can be developed for iOS and Android platforms separately, or you can get a cross-platform solution.

At Requestum, we create technology solutions and user interfaces for a variety of industries with the functionality you need.

4. Provide the best possible playback quality

The best codec for streaming audio is the AAC format. While the MP3 format is better suited for computers, AAC provides good stream quality even at 64 kbps. And this codec is suitable for Android and iOS platforms.

Read more: How to Start a Streaming Service

5. Don't forget about registration

It's true, sometimes you don't have to register in the app to listen to music. But this option will help the user to create their playlists and get personalized music recommendations.

6. Write descriptions as detailed as possible

The task of the developers is to make sure that the user gets all the information by looking at the screen. You can even add lyrics like Apple Music.

7. Develop social activity

You can add a "Like" button next to the song title, and thereby help not only users, but yourself as well. This way people can rate tracks or instantly share their opinions. Based on their likes, you can suggest music they like.

8. Add notifications

When you start creating a music streaming project, remember to communicate with your users. Knowing your audience's musical tastes will help you interact with them. Most users always want to know everything about their favorite artists. Therefore, along with the music, you could also share some information with them. This will make your app more useful and memorable.

9. Get a license

You will most likely need to obtain a license to work in the content streaming niche. In the future, this will affect the cost of the product.

Features to Consider in Music Streaming App Development

To build a music streaming app that stands out in the competitive market, it's crucial to offer a digital product that surpasses existing ones by a significant margin. The key to captivating your audience lies not just in the music but in the features your app offers, which can significantly enhance user experience.

Thoughtfully selected features facilitate easier navigation, enabling users to explore and enjoy a wider range of content effortlessly. Thus, choosing the right features for your app is a critical step in winning over the ears and hearts of your listeners.

When considering how to make a music app, here are essential features to include:

• Registration: Simplify the signup and login process with one-tap registration options through Gmail and Facebook, allowing users to quickly access your app using their existing social media or email accounts.

• Quick search: An indispensable feature for any music app, a quick search function enables users to effortlessly find the songs, artists, or albums they're searching for.

• Music player: The heart of your music streaming app, a robust music player supporting audio-only playback, ensures users can enjoy music in the background while multitasking on their device.

• Playlist creation: Acknowledge the diverse musical tastes of your audience by enabling them to curate personal playlists. Platforms excel by offering users the flexibility to create artist, albums, and custom playlists, fostering personal connections and shared experiences among users.

• Offline playback: While not mandatory, offering the option to download music for offline listening adds significant value to your app, catering to users in areas with limited internet connectivity.

• In-app purchases: Essential for monetization, this feature allows you to offer monthly subscriptions or other in-app purchases, providing a steady revenue stream while enhancing user engagement.

• Personalized recommendations: Elevate the user experience by suggesting music and podcasts based on listeners' geographic locations and musical preferences.

• Regional content priority: For apps targeting multiple regions and languages, prioritize loading regional content to cater to local tastes and preferences, ensuring a personalized and relevant user experience.

Monetization & Business Models

Choosing the right business model plays a major role in long-term product stability. When teams plan how to create a music app, monetization decisions should reflect user habits, content costs, and realistic growth expectations rather than short-term gains.

Subscription, Ad-Supported & Freemium Models

Subscription plans

Paid subscriptions remain the most predictable source of revenue for music platforms. Monthly pricing usually falls between $9.99 and $19.99 and commonly includes ad-free listening, offline access, and higher audio quality. Well-known platforms show that a large share of users is willing to upgrade once premium features become part of their daily listening routine.

Ad-supported access

Free tiers supported by ads allow users to explore the service without commitment. Revenue comes from audio ads, banners, and sponsored playlists. While annual revenue per free user is lower than subscriptions, this model works well at scale and helps attract listeners who are not ready to pay upfront.

Freemium approach

Combining free access with paid upgrades lowers the entry barrier and supports steady user growth. This model gives product teams flexibility and creates multiple income streams within the same platform.

Additional Revenue Streams: Purchases, Partnerships & Merchandising

Monetization does not have to stop at streaming. Many platforms expand income through one-time purchases, exclusive content, artist merchandise, or ticket sales for live and virtual events. Podcast advertising and branded content have also become strong revenue drivers.

Direct collaboration with artists adds another layer. Exclusive releases, limited merchandise drops, or special online events help platforms stand out and give listeners a reason to stay loyal rather than switch to similar services.

Churn Management & Retention

Revenue depends heavily on how long users stay active. Retention often drops when listening time decreases, discovery features go unused, or support requests increase. Tracking these signals early makes it easier to react before users leave.

Clear onboarding, relevant recommendations, and timely engagement messages can noticeably reduce churn over time. For teams exploring how to create a music app that lasts, retention strategy deserves the same attention as pricing and features.

Challenges in Music Streaming App Development

When you decide to create a music streaming app, the path isn’t always smooth: several real-world hurdles can slow progress if you’re not ready for them. One of the first barriers is music licensing. Getting the rights to stream songs legally involves complex agreements with record labels and publishers, which can take months of negotiation and involve hefty fees. For teams wondering how to create a music streaming app with wide catalog access, investing in legal expertise early on is a smart move.

Another common issue is finding experienced developers who understand both mobile platforms and the specifics of audio delivery. The market for talent in music app development is competitive, and a lack of relevant experience can lead to delays or costly revisions. Many companies choose to work with development partners who have direct experience building and launching music apps, helping them avoid common pitfalls.

Handling data storage and scaling is also tricky. Music libraries are huge, and user data can grow fast as your audience expands. Without a flexible backend, performance can suffer, especially during peak usage. Good architecture — including distributed storage and smart delivery networks — helps apps stay responsive without unnecessary expenses.

Finally, balancing audio quality with network efficiency is a practical challenge. Users expect crisp sound even on slower connections, yet sending high-fidelity tracks all the time can drain data and battery. Thoughtful compression and adaptive streaming techniques let you optimize playback based on connection speed, which makes how to make a music app that feels smooth across different environments much more achievable.

How Streaming Services Are Changing The Music Market

Along with the increasing popularity of streaming services, people have stopped listening to the radio as often as they used to. Broadcasters themselves are talking about the changes. For example, last year the BBC found that young people aged 15 to 34 spend more time streaming music than all BBC radio stations.

Various large international corporations are researching music subscription services as one of the most affordable channels for broadcasting songs to an audience of listeners. They all share the same idea: the digital space is the future of the music business.

Conclusion

In streaming services, listeners are offered to listen to both new and old releases, thereby prolonging the life of the latter. We don't know what will happen to the music market in ten or twenty years, but this trend of audio streaming apps has become convenient for listeners and profitable for artists, app owners, and developers.

If you have any questions about the development of technological solutions for an audio streaming app, be it design or something else, you can always contact our company. We will be happy to help!