How Are Mobile Apps Revolutionizing the Entertainment Sector

From news updates to live streaming, entertainment apps have got everything a person needs to sit back, relax and enjoy. All the things you need at the touch of your fingertip

Mobile applications are being used in every industry but the entertainment industry is taking advantage of this technology the most. The entertainment sector is all about engagement, content, and a massive audience.

It is very clear that the entertainment industry majorly depends on mobile applications and thus many mobile app development companies are focusing on entertainment app development.

[Also Read: Digital Trends underpinning the media and entertainment industry]

Mobile app development agencies should keep few things in mind while entertainment app development: attractive designs, various sources of information, easy sharing options and an option to interact.

Entertainment software development companies have taken this new path of entertainment app development where the market is highly profitable and has a bright future. A study shows that among the top 10 most used applications, entertainment apps take the first 5 positions.

In this article, we are going to look into the uprise of apps for entertainment in the mobile industry – the top apps and the reasoning behind their growth before looking into the features set that back their popularity.

1. Trending apps in the media and entertainment industry
2. How have mobile applications revolutionized the entertainment industry?
3. Feature-set that makes entertainment apps engaging
4. Future of mobile apps in the entertainment industry

Trending Apps in the Media and Entertainment Industry

Entertainment applications are a necessity today. We can always spot someone who is engrossed in such apps while commuting or having lunch at their desk. That is how media app development is done so that it can attract a massive audience. Some applications have turned into a trend now and we simply cannot do life without them. Let’s take a look at these rockstar trending apps in entertainment industry:

1. NETFLIX

Netflix is an entertainment app that has an unlimited list of movies and sitcoms. The app can be used to connect to any TV and gives a high definition experience to the viewers. This has completely changed the satellite TV game and has won the market. By revenue, Netflix is the world’s 10th largest company.

[Extra: Know how much does it cost to develop an app like Netflix]

2. TED

TED has over 1400 videos that have inspired millions of people in the world. The videos on this app can be accessed from any mobile device. TED also has its own radio that runs on demand. The app has videos from various successful people who give their best life advice on this platform.

3. BOOKMYSHOW

Bookmyshow is an app that lets you book tickets for movies, concerts, stand-ups and theatres in India. It will also tell you about the upcoming shows according to the location that has been set. Almost every Indian uses this app to conveniently book tickets online to avoid the rush at ticket counters.

[Related: How much does event management and ticket booking app development costs]

4. SPOTIFY

Spotify is a music service app that allows you to legally listen to music and save many of them offline as well. With a user base of 406 million, this app is trending in the music section. You can browse through songs as per artists or genres. The recently updated app allows you to save up to 3000 tracks offline.

[Extra: Know how much does it cost to develop an app like Spotify]

5. 9GAG

9gag is a Hong Kong-based company. They run an application based on their web content that allows users to upload funny videos, GIFs, and images that are user-generated. The app has more than 10 million downloads on Google Play with a 4.6 rating. 9gag has seen a huge rise in its base audience since it launched its own mobile app in 2012.

How Have Mobile Applications Revolutionized the Entertainment Industry?

1. Tracking the trends

The primary way mobile apps transforming entertainment is through making trends tracking easy. When social media wasn’t around, tracking the trends was quite difficult. But ever since social media got a grip on society, there is a new trend every day. Multiple social media applications have one complete section dedicated to the most trending topics on the application.

When it comes to the latest movies, games, music, and series, entertainment apps keep them on the top or trending section of the app so that users can learn what’s liked by the majority.

Entertainment is no more limited to time slots and closed doors. It is now available anywhere, anytime, and for anyone. Media software development companies are working progressively to improve the user experience by optimizing the applications.

2. Spreading and gathering information

Applications like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. have become a great source of authentic and detailed information. From the latest news to life hacks, everything is available on these applications.

Entertainment app development is done keeping in mind that the users can exchange every form of media and information on the platform that is authentic and useful.

Youtube is another platform for sharing information through creative videos. There are multiple Youtube-based news channels, travel vlogs, and classes for the audience.

3. A Complete platform

Entertainment applications are capable of forming a whole new platform for movies, music, gaming, live streaming, etc. This opportunity has given rise to many artists to showcase their talent and create a follower base.

Earlier making videos, music, or developing games was only done by professionals because they had access to platforms that launched these products but now OTT application development is not as complicated as it used to be. Many platforms even pay the real talents for the influencing work they do.

(Also read: How Much Does It Cost to Build a live streaming App Like Kick and Rumble)

4. Promotion Capabilities

A mobile app for entertainment industry can prove to be an efficient method of promotion of an entertainment agency or of influencers looking to make it big in the sector. The fact that the majority of the people are always on their smartphones, the chances of high engagement with the app and in turn the brand is very high. Entertainment marketing is one of the easiest ones in the app industry to make popular – especially since the celebrities who are a part of the content on your application do half of the work of making your app popular among their fanbase.

Now that you have looked into the reasons that make mobile entertainment apps a right move for the media and entertainment industry and the popular entertainment apps, let us now look into the features set that are present in all the different types of entertainment industry incumbents. 

Feature-set that Makes Entertainment Apps Engaging

1. Content flow

Entertainment applications have allowed the easy flow of content throughout the globe. Any creator can put their content on these applications and receive attention from audiences from all over the world.

One such example is Quora. An app that allows you to answer multiple questions as well as ask questions yourself. Another application is Wattpad which has given a platform to writers so that they can publish their books, journals, or short stories.

Other entertainment applications have allowed the free flow of content such as articles, blogs, videos, etc. Reading interesting content on the go is a facility that mobile applications provide and the users’ demand.

2. Gaming and music

Gaming is the most popular section in the entertainment industry. Not only have mobile applications made it possible for players to carry their games in their pockets but also have enabled real-time multiplayer options so that gamers can play together from all over the world.

This feature connects many players around the world via the internet and even has features like chatting and voice call. This is how mobile applications are reinventing the gaming experience. Even if your entertainment application is not a whole and sole gaming application, you can still use the feature to make your app experience more immersive and engaging. In fact, shareable micro games can be a great way to make your app popular in the market. 

Music was only limited to cassettes, radios, and websites but not anymore. Applications like Spotify, Wynk, iTunes, etc. have given the opportunity to the audience to choose to listen to any music, anywhere and anytime. Some of these apps have free access to music as well.

3. Engagement features

Entertainment apps attract a huge audience because of their interesting features, type of content, and curiosity in each other’s life. The most-followed people on applications are celebrities since they have a huge fan base.

Mobile applications give fans a chance to interact with their idols and also keep a track of what’s going on in their life. This also helps businesses interact with their customers and attend to the needs and demands.

Engagement is the most important feature of entertainment mobile applications. Features like push notifications make it extremely easy for the users to remain updated on the new content launch on the application, in addition to any change in their subscription status.

4. In-app purchase capabilities

In-app purchase features tend to be one of the most important feature sets of an entertainment application. Your users should be able to start, modify, or stop their subscriptions from within the app through the app of a secure payment gateway which has been designed to keep their financial information secure. 

5. Social media integration 

One of the most common ways people find the next content to stream is through social media posts. This implies that in addition to having a solid social media campaign, you should also give your users the functionality to share the content that they like on their social media channels along with the provision of tagging your brand. 

When integrating social media, it is extremely important to ensure that you make the experience as seamless for the users as possible  – meaning in your entertainment apps for mobile don’t ask them to log in multiple times simply to share the content online.

6. Content moderation facility

With history as our witness, even the most popular of the entertainment apps have come under scrutiny for posting content that hurts viewers sentiments. To safeguard your users’ interest, it would be beneficial to have a content moderation practice in place that would ensure that nothing pirated or hurtful gets live on your application without raising a red flag within your application. 

7. Intuitive search functionality 

What separates an average entertainment application from the one that ranks on top in the stores in the intelligent search functionality. Talk to your media and entertainment app development company in USA about the integration of artificial intelligence addition in the application. This would help you give your users recommendations on what they should watch next – on the basis of what people who viewed the content they did watch next. 

Future of Mobile Apps in the Entertainment Industry

Mobile phones are used for more than just calling. It has become a source of information, a necessity, and something without which human life doesn’t seem to be easy.

Applications are literally solving our daily problems from food to clothing to entertainment. Mobility is the future of technology and entertainment is going to be an unbeatable industry.

With all the information gathered so far, entertainment applications have a future that will bring them on the top, even beating the game applications. In near future, the mobile application economy will have more optimized apps and will rise to newer levels.

IoT, Augmented Reality, Virtual reality is all the features set to enter the entertainment apps development to enhance the user interface. One can only imagine for now what these latest technologies can bring to the audience and how fierce the competition is going to be for newcomers.

THE AUTHOR

Prateek Saxena

DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER