Build a Music Streaming App Like Apple Music
By idea2appAdmin
July 19, 2025
Table of Contents
The world of online music has made huge leaps in the last few years. From basic media player applications to using apps with built-in music libraries and radio, the industry has made significant progress. Music app like Apple music is a key component of entertainment applications, playing a significant role in the development of this industry.
Apple Music is considered a pioneer in the field of music applications, as it is one of the most well-known music and audio streaming platforms globally. Despite the popularity and weight of competitors like Amazon Music, Spotify, and many others, it has carved out its distinction.
So, if you’re looking to launch an app for music on your own, you could find yourself on a good path. In this blog, we’ve discussed the various factors of developing an Apple Music-like app USA.
Apple Music is a service that allows you to stream music and videos. Users can select songs to stream to their devices at any time or play sets that have already been created.
With Apple Music, users can download songs on their computer and listen to them even when they’re offline. It also offers users special suggestions based on the music they play. It includes features like Apple Music Radio.
It features stations curated for various moods and music styles. If you’re interested in developing a music streaming app like Apple Music, it’s best to consult with an application development company.
The music apps on the internet have changed how we consume music. It is easier for users to discover, share, and appreciate the latest music selections. One of the main reasons behind the success of music streaming app like Apple Music is that users have access to a vast library of music without needing to purchase individual albums.
Users can discover and explore new music tailored to their preferences, thanks to advanced algorithms and specially curated playlists. Furthermore, various best music streaming apps are accessible across multiple devices. This means that your customers can enjoy their preferred songs at any time, from anywhere.
Today, a majority of streaming services offer cheap tiers of service and free subscription plans to their customers. To allow them to enjoy the wide selection of their favourite music genres with no cost.
Apple Music, in general, is a popular app that offers several features contributing to an exceptional user experience. Once you’ve mastered the iOS music app features, you’ll be able to integrate them into your streaming app like Apple Music.
Users must be able to create playlists with their most loved songs. They should be able to add, remove, and alter the order of the playlist. Advanced features, such as including a cover image and a description, could be added to enhance capabilities further.
Streaming platforms generally permit users to access the page of every musician using the service. The artist’s page should include their biography, social media links, and a catalog of music available on the site.
The ability to save songs for offline listening is a valuable feature for any streaming service, as it eliminates the need to switch to different services when on the move or experiencing poor internet connectivity. Many of the top music streaming apps allow offline listening. To protect copyright, it is essential to ensure that the files downloaded to the user’s device aren’t accessible through another audio playback application.
Smart search options allow users to easily browse their most loved tracks by artist or song name. Therefore, it is recommended to incorporate smart search options through categories or tags.
Verify that the playlists and music are identical across all devices, including smartphones, computers, and smart speakers. This allows users to toggle between apps and the music streaming websites easily.
This feature enables you to create playlists tailored to your mood. Select a few filters that describe your mood. If you’re feeling happy, then the app will play happy songs. If you’re feeling relaxed, the service will select more peaceful songs.
Many music streaming apps come with the ability to play a demo of song lyrics. However, some of them can sync lyrics with the music playing. For instance, this is a feature that Apple Music offers. It allows you to search for and listen to specific tracks, which is extremely convenient.
Music categorization is the process of creating categories that are distinguished by the types, frequencies, and playlists made by the users. Music albums can be categorized based on specific criteria, and the users can playback and decode the music using the service.
Apple Music Classical offers a vast collection of classical music, carefully curated by experts to cater to music enthusiasts. If you plan to create an app similar to Apple Music, include this feature in your application.
For audiophiles, an on-demand music streaming app developed by a company includes Lossless as well as Hi-Res Audio features, offering the highest quality sound that brings out every single detail of the music.
Artificial Intelligence is an essential component of creating an audio streaming app. Because many people love exploring new genres and artists, they are more open to suggestions tailored to their music tastes and listening preferences. It is possible to ask them to mark the songs they truly like or dislike, which will help the AI track their preferences.
Here’s a simplified model of design principles to build Apple Music app.
The onboarding process must be fast and enjoyable. Users should be able to sign in using an Apple ID, a Google account, or any other social account. Onboarding enables users to select their preferred artist or genre, personalizing their experience. Alternatively, they can choose to skip the process and begin exploring immediately.
Navigation should be easy and user-friendly. A bottom navigation bar must be used in conjunction with key tabs such as Home, Library, Search, Radio, and Profile. Swiping should be a smooth transition between screens, as well as control of playback.
The search feature must be quick and efficient. It should provide predictive suggestions and include filters that allow you to refine results by genre, artist, album, or popularity. A voice search feature adds extra convenience.
The design must be contemporary, clear, and clutter-free. Dark and light modes should be available. The app must utilize fluid, responsive layouts that adapt to all screen sizes and resolutions.
Typography should be consistent and easy to read. Choose a system font, such as San Francisco or Roboto, and ensure that the font’s sizes and weights reflect a clear hierarchy.
Colors should align with the brand’s identity while maintaining high contrast to ensure readability. The principal accent color should be used to highlight specific actions and states of being active. Animations should be used sparingly to improve clarity. Smooth transitions while navigating, playing, pausing, or switching tracks allow users to feel connected without feeling overwhelmed.
The application must utilize adaptive bitrate streaming techniques, such as HLS and MPEG-DASH. Media should be distributed via a CDN to provide quick, worldwide access with low latency.
The backend must be cloud-based and capable of scaling. Services such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure can manage authentication, data storage, and algorithms for recommendation. Caching and effective state management will ensure the quick rendering of UIs and a minimal number of network requests during frequent interactions.
All user information must be secured both during transmission and at rest. Utilize secure login protocols such as OAuth 2.0 and incorporate two-factor authentication when needed. Digital Rights Management (DRM) should be implemented to ensure the security of copyrighted content. Downloads and premium services must be linked to authenticated accounts.
The app should comply with privacy laws, such as GDPR and CCPA. Set clear privacy settings and offer users the ability to control the collection and use of their data.
VoiceOver as well as TalkBack must be completely enabled. All UI elements should have proper labels and tips to guide users. Text elements should be resizable. Color selections should be in line with the minimum contrast ratio for reading. The gestures must be accessible to people with motor impairments. Each feature should be evaluated to ensure it meets accessibility standards for both iOS and Android platforms.
It is essential to track user behavior to measure levels of engagement, feature usage, and identify points at which users drop off. Metrics such as listening time, playing the most songs, and retention should guide decision-making for the product.
Feedback tools must be integrated into the application. Customers should be able to report issues, propose new features, or review recommendations and playlists. A/B testing should be conducted often to refine layout adjustments, as well as recommendation algorithms and promotions.
The app should maintain a uniform branding using logos, colors, font tones, and microcopy. The brand’s visual identity must be consistent across all platforms, including mobile, web, and marketing collateral. Legal agreements should have been signed with the music rights holders as well as record labels and publishers. Licenses must support both streaming and downloading, as well as offline playback.
A clearly defined terms of service and privacy policy should be included in the onboarding process and be accessible via the settings. App Store Optimization (ASO) must be carried out to enhance visibility, which involves using relevant images, targeted keywords, and localized versions of product descriptions.
As we’ve previously mentioned, to build your sound streaming service, you’ll need permissions for the songs your application will host and pay the rightful owners of these songs. There are various types of licenses available:
This license allows for the use of audio tracks for your streaming service. Record companies typically hold this license, which they can also transfer to streaming companies.
Another license that you’ll require allows you to utilize the track for specific reasons, but also play it for your customers, as in most cases, streaming is considered a public performance. To obtain this license, you’ll likely need to contact the nation’s performance rights organization, also known as copyright societies.
If you intend to offer individual tracks to consumers in any way, it is necessary to obtain this license. While the license is typically used to distribute physical copies of CDs, it may also be required for streaming.
These are licenses that, like the name implies, do not require you to pay any royalties to recording companies or artists. They are available to independent music creators. Instead of paying royalties, you’ll need to pay the licensing service to use recordings. The service will compensate creators by its guidelines.
Each successful music streaming app begins with a single query: “How long does it take to develop a music streaming app?” The reality is that the build time for mobile apps can vary from a few weeks for an uncomplicated MVP to a few months for a feature-rich customized music streaming application.
When we speak of the development time for apps used in streaming services, it’s not only concerned with writing code. It encompasses everything from app wireframing and planning UX/UI design to creating prototypes for apps, setting up the backend, and final deployment.
If you’re considering building a music streaming application from scratch, the duration of the process will depend on the type of app you’re planning to make. However, the timeframe can range between 1 month and 9 months or more.
If you’re planning to build a music streaming app like Apple Music from scratch, the amount of time needed will depend on the type of app you’re looking to create. However, the timeframe can range from one month to 9 months or more.
Here’s a quick guide to assist you:
The delay in creating your music apps can affect not only the launch date but also cause the app not to work. It is essential to maintain an open mind during the beginning and gradually develop your app following the launch of your MVP.
The time to develop Android or iOS music apps may differ slightly due to specific platform modifications; however, the most seasoned tech teams will align both within the same development period.
Many entrepreneurs are concerned about the expense of creating an all-inclusive music streaming application to run their business. The cost of developing a music streaming app USA can range from $40,000 to $ 250,000 or more.
What’s the reason for such a wide variety? Creating an application for music streaming isn’t a one-size-fits-all task. It comprises a limited number of high-tech products, dependent on various factors such as the complexity level and the implementation of features, among others. This section will outline the cost of an app for streaming music, which is dependent on several key factors. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the following:
Let’s examine the key factors that influence the cost of developing a music streaming app like Apple Music.
The process of selecting the right music streaming app is challenging on both Android and iOS because you’re targeting both platforms with cross-platform frameworks, such as React Native or Flutter, which simplify the development of a single codebase. It reduces the price by 30% compared to developing native apps.
However, a native application offers superior performance and an exceptional user experience. Which is the best option for your business requirements? In that case, select one type of platform to use to develop music apps.
The overall complexity of the app depends on the features and functions you integrate into your music streaming application. We’ve listed what we have and classified the app’s features into three levels, such as
It comes with a basic set of required music streaming features, including search and profile management, as well as the ability to authenticate users and support playback/podcast features. For instance, the price range for this type of application is between $30,000 and $50,000, and it usually requires 3 to 6 months to complete.
The app features include personalized suggestions, offline music playlists, social media sharing, and support for lyrics syncing. These features are included in the app’s price range, which is $ 60 to $ 120,000. In total, it takes 6-8 months to have a fully furnished application.
In this area, a music streaming app aims to incorporate features such as intelligent music search, support for various high-end (Hi-Fi) audio formats, video streaming of music, smart device integration, and compatibility with multiple platforms. In this class, the price ranges from $150,000 to over $150,000, and it takes over 10 months to develop a feature-rich music streaming app.
The team responsible for app development plays a crucial role in determining the price. Here’s a list of ways to outsource your app developers to these areas, including
You can also choose an app development firm that gives you greater control, clear communication, and a mid-range price. Ultimately, it will consume between 20% and 60% of your budget.
Ultimately, a music streaming application is expected to play a significant role in enhancing user engagement and offering user-friendly feature options. These types of beneficial features will take some time to incorporate your brand’s logo, color schemes, and animations, as well as to test them in various scenarios. The total development cost of the music streaming app could vary.
The approach to designing your platform begins with Prototyping, wireframing, and implementing an appealing and user-friendly interface that is compatible with all platforms.
The ability to handle tasks for users, such as streaming in continuous quality and managing playlists efficiently, depends on a properly optimized back-end infrastructure. To do that, you’ll require an appropriate cloud storage solution, such as AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Azure Blob.
To build a scalable database, it utilizes PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Cassandra. To stream faster, consider using a responsive CDN, such as those provided by Cloudflare and Akamai. In all cases, you’ll need APIs to find information about artists, songs, and albums.
Above all are the issues that must be managed and scaled to handle the millions of users you’ll require a refined and backed optimization. To achieve this, you’ll need to invest a substantial amount of money, ranging from $15,000 to $80,000, depending on your specific needs.
To secure a deal for music rights with a record label, publishers of music, and solo artists/songwriters, a substantial sum of cash will be required. The typical cost for purchasing music rights ranges from $ 30,000 to $ 300,000+, depending on the size of your music collection.
The development of a music app isn’t all there is to it. Apart from that, it requires certain maintenance costs that can make a difference for your company. Here are some possible expenses that are considered, including bug fixes, feature updates, marketing, royalties for music users, customer acquisition, payment processing charges, app maintenance, and security updates.
As a therapeutic method, music can help people feel more relaxed when they’re stressed. It’s a great way to unwind. The Apple Music app is one of the most effective ways to listen to music, whether you’re at home or on the move. It is now the best opportunity to develop an app like Apple Music and enter the global music streaming industry.
Do you know of an app that allows you to listen to music at any time? Are you seeking on-demand application development services that enable users to listen to music at their convenience? Do you have a novel feature in mind that you’d like to incorporate into a music streaming app?
Contact us today to reach out. A leading music streaming app development company in USA like Idea2App will guide you through the entire process of creating an application so you can make use of technology to increase the size of your business.
To build an app like Apple Music, it is necessary to choose the appropriate actions, like conducting a study of the marketplace, knowing your intended audience, creating an MVP, identifying the most important technology, the costs, and finally, implementing the strategies for monetization.
Beyond all of these, it’s essential to incorporate key features such as live streaming, push notifications, social media integration, and content uploading. Additionally, it’s essential to enhance the overall performance of your app by addressing issues that could impact the development process. A relationship with a reputable business can help here.
A music streaming application enables users to access a vast library of music on the internet. Users can search songs or playlists, as well as stream music on demand. The most popular options are Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora.
The most important features that had to be implemented included push notifications and social media integration. Live streaming on all platforms, compatibility across various platforms, music classification, seamless audio quality, and content upload.
You can develop an app like Apple Music in the following steps:
There are numerous companies in the online music market. While Spotify holds the largest share of the market, a variety of additional music services are also loved by music lovers. These include Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tencent Music, YouTube, NetEase, SoundCloud, Pandora, TuneIn, and Deezer, along with others.