TikTok exploded into the global digital world in 2017, arousing surprise and skepticism. Users did not understand the value of creating yet another social network when every niche was so abundant and occupied. Today, 4.8 billion people on the planet have it installed, and 1 billion use TikTok actively — some as a mood booster or a time-killer and others as a working instrument. The new social network has given rise to the spread of short videos, and as a result, many startups create TikTok-like apps. Product companies build and use apps with a similar model to interact with their target audiences. But what does it take to build one?
Short Video App Market Overview
The market of short video platforms is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.4% by 2028. So far, TikTok is the most popular short video app. So why is there a tendency for the emergence of new similar solutions?
The number of new users of social media platforms is increasing daily, creating new segments. They want to receive and produce more content and require new video tools for that.
It is also an excellent niche for marketing promotions. About 85% of marketers state that short videos are the most effective instrument for customer engagement, with TikTok showing an astonishing 18%. Many brands and influencers leverage TikTok and similar apps to sell or advertise products and services.
The leading age category of TikTok users is 19-29 years. This opens up many opportunities for startups that want to create short video apps for narrower audiences.
Steps to Build a Short Video App
Developing a Strategy
Developing a strategy is a foundation to help you understand what kind of product you want to see, its uniqueness, and key points. To do this, you need to:
- Find your niche or solve a problem. Every short video app has its unique features. How will yours be different from others? How will it be useful for your consumers?
- Identify your audience. Understanding your audience will help in shaping your tech stack.
Start of App Development — The Tech Stack
The beginning of app development lies in drafting the project documentation. You need to describe in writing the details of your app’s strategy, goals, and mission. After that, you need to define the functionality of your app. You also need to decide on the type of application and the platform on which it will run. Do you want to create a short video app for iOS, Android, web, or all the platforms? The choice of platforms affects the programming languages.
Application Development
It is best to trust an experienced team of dedicated programmers and designers to develop an app that will satisfy all the features, ideas, and preferences you have chosen. This will speed up the time needed to create the application. Finding and hiring staff for your team can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.
Stages of Development
- Creation of the technical specification. Documentation and all of the additional points discussed during the agreement creation are translated into technical terms.
- Creation of navigation and design. This is a very responsible moment since an intuitive and straightforward interface plays a significant role in attracting users.
- Drawing up the design and typical elements of the application. It includes framework and menu creation, the placement of objects of the application, etc.
- Transferring elements in the layout language. The developer transforms the designer’s outline into a working form using markup languages.
- Programming. The programmer writes code for each of the selected functions, allowing them to interact, make transfers, create automatic functions, etc. This is a very high-volume stage, divided into many subtasks. It is worth understanding that face tracking, Face AR, and video editing features require the efforts of experienced 3D designers and developers who know how to work with augmented reality.
- The first test of the app. It helps fix bugs and find new approaches if necessary. But there is still a lot to do before the project is complete.
- Installation. At this stage, the application is tied to the server, and the configuration setting for optimal operation is set out.
- Final test. All bugs are detected and corrected before the finished application is delivered. If the tester finds any errors, they write them out and send them to the programmers, who are working on fixing them.
- Uploading the app to the App Store or Play market. At this stage, all bugs are fixed, the work is checked, and it can be released.
- Post-production support. An excellent short video app is always finalized and tested, filling it with new filters and features.
How to Speed Up The Development of Short Video Apps?
Choosing a dedicated outsourcing team of developers and designers can simplify and quicken the programming. Besides, you can always leverage off-the-shelf SDKs. Companies like Banuba offer a customizable Video Editor SDK that a team of programmers has to integrate into your short video app. A company site provides a free 14-day trial period and a demonstration where you can check out all the features, diving into the user experience. Building an AR-powered short video app can take up to several years. Your company’s idea can quickly become irrelevant, and you can lose your market share.