How to Create a Social Network App for Music

This article will explore what it takes to make a music social network app in 2023. We'll delve into the best examples of music-sharing social media apps, key features to include, UI/UX best practices, recommended tech stack, development challenges, and the cost of developing a social networking app for songs.

How do we know all of that? Here, at Softermii, we work on app development for numerous industries and domains, including music and entertainment. We have already developed several successful social media apps such as SoundIt and Scrollme. Also, we know it all about mobile development. If you want to become an investor or have a music-sharing service in mind, stick around till the end!

Best Examples of Successful Social Media Music Apps

Social media platforms, like Instagram or Facebook, have been around for years. As soon as their features allowed us to move beyond a limited circle of friends, we started using them to promote ourselves online. In today's world, your feed is a mix of content related to your career, hobbies, and consumer interests. It's no secret that you've probably discovered some of your most-listened-to music through social media.

Read also: How to Make an App Like TikTok: Features, Process & Costs

However, there is a new level of engagement as social media music apps become increasingly popular. Streaming services like those from Apple, YouTube, and Amazon allow you mostly to share and discover music. But social media music apps offer a unique experience for music lovers to connect, share and engage with creators.

Let's take a closer look at some successful social media music apps.

Smule

Smule is a karaoke app that allows users to sing with others, including celebrities, in real time. Anyone can create duets and share their performances with friends and family. This app is suitable for music lovers who enjoy singing.

StarMaker

StarMaker is a singing competition app that lets users display their singing skills and compete with others. The app has a variety of genres and songs to choose from, and anyone can record and upload their performances for feedback. This app is suitable for aspiring singers looking to showcase their talent.

Groupie

Groupie is a social network app designed for music lovers to connect. Users can collaborate, share their music, and connect with like-minded people on this platform. The app provides various tools and resources to help people create and share their music, recording and editing tools, and live performance features.

Read also: How to Create a Social Photo-Sharing App Like Instagram or BeReal

Key Features for Your Music-Sharing Social Media App

To build a music social network app, it's essential to understand what users expect from it. You may adapt some features from other social apps or the traditional music-sharing experience. Perhaps, how we manage our playlists hasn't changed much since the end of the 20th century. Yet, the tools for doing it have evolved significantly.

To create a social network application for music, it's crucial to consider several factors:

• Users’ journey - try to learn as much as possible about how the audience would use the app
• User experience - It’s crucial to balance usability and engagement while excluding any unnecessary functions.
• Hear both sides - ensure that the app appeals to musicians and their potential audience, offering a unique value proposition compared to existing platforms like Spotify, Soundcloud, or YouTube.

Let’s dive into a list of music social network app features :

Record Wall

Allow users to upload their music, create custom music collections and share them on their profiles for others to listen to and interact with.

Material Promotion

Enable creators to promote their music on the app, increasing visibility and the chance of being discovered. The urge to be visible is why we have so many musicians on apps like Tiktok or Snapchat.

Reviews

Let the audience review and rate music, provide feedback, and support the community.

Statistics

Provide users with a dashboard to track stats such as plays, downloads, and shares and learn more about the audience location to provide appropriate content.

Create Posts

Enable anyone to create and share posts, including photos and text updates, to keep their audience engaged.

Album Timeline

Create a timeline of the user's musical journey, including previous and upcoming releases, collaborations, and tours.

Comment Section

Allow people to interact with each other in the comment section and provide feedback on content.

Create Custom Lists

Let users create custom playlists, share them, and follow ones created by other users.

UI/UX Best Practices in Building Music Social Media Apps

All of us have that special item in our wardrobe that looks so cool and seems really valuable, yet it’s just uncomfortable to wear. So, it can have any number of rhinestones or the favorite band’s logo, but you’ll end up choosing something else. The same rule applies to UX/UI in social apps.

Read also: How to create a social app

So, how to build a musician social network app that would make a difference? Here are some UI/UX design best practices of music-centered social network app development to apply:

Simplify Navigation

The app should have an easy-to-use navigation menu with a clear and straightforward interface. Users expect social media applications to have certain navigation standards, so make sure your app adheres to them.

Use Color Schemes

Color is a powerful tool for creating brand association and making your app visually appealing. Consider using color schemes that complement the music theme to create an immersive experience.

Responsive Design

Your app should be designed to work seamlessly across multiple devices, including mobile phones and tablets, and be available to both Android and iOS ecosystems.

Clear Call-to-Action

Use clear and concise wording on buttons and prompts to make it easy for users to complete actions such as adding a song to their favorites.

Personalization

Incorporate features such as custom playlists and recommendations to personalize their app experience as today's users expect it to be unique.

Read also: How to Make an App like Pinterest

Tech Stack for a Music-sharing Social Media App Development

When developing a music-centered social network application, it's crucial to choose a tech stack that can handle large amounts of data and traffic. Based on our experience, we recommend the following technologies:

• Backend:
• Node.js or Ruby on Rails for the server-side code
• GraphQL for API development
• PostgreSQL or MongoDB for database management
• Frontend:
• React Native for cross-platform mobile development (both iOS and Android)
• Redux for state management
• Expo for app development and deployment
• Design:
• Figma or Sketch for designing user interfaces
• Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator for graphics design

Challenges in Music Social Network App Development

Yes, it might be challenging to develop a music social networking app. But yet, it is an exciting journey. Creating such an app presents unique challenges. Solve them to ensure compatibility with the market and fun to use for both musicians and listeners.

Here are some key challenges to consider.

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Music Licensing

The first and foremost goal is obtaining proper licensing, which can be a complicated and costly process.

User-Generated Content Moderation

As people engage and share content, it's essential to find a way to monitor and moderate user-generated content to ensure it meets community standards and copyright laws.

Music Discovery

It's crucial to make it easy to use the app to discover new music and artists, whether users are searching for a specific song or exploring new bands or creators.

User Engagement

Keeping them engaged with the app and encouraging them to come back for more is vital. However, it's vital to strike a balance between engaging features and overwhelming notifications and advertisements.

Platform Compatibility

Ensuring that the app is compatible with different platforms, devices, and operating systems is crucial to reach a broader audience.

How Much Does It Cost to Create a Social Media Music App

Our experience shows that the cost of developing a music social networking app can vary greatly. And a variety of factors can affect the cost. Yet, to have approximate numbers, you can try to go with all the steps the music app development process consists of:

Web and Mobile Development

The basic stage of a music social network app development.

This is where the process of tech implementation happens: from the administrative panel and up to features and technologies you want to have in your application, like videochat or push notifications.

The key thing is that the more complicated features you want to implement, the higher the development costs will be.

Additionally, you need to consider the platform for your app, iOS or Android. If you want to cover the needs of all clients, it’s better to create cross-platform apps that will be compatible with the major OS.

Web and mobile development price: can take up to 900 hours, costing approximately $27,000.

UX/UI Design

A unique UI/UX design will create responsive user interfaces and positive experiences by studying your target audience. Furthermore, an adaptive music social network app design will run smoothly on any device, especially if it is a cross-platform app.

There are 4.76 billion social media users around the world as of 2023.

UX/UI design price: up to 200 hours, costing $6,000.

Testing and Quality Assurance

It is crucial to test your product before releasing it to the public. At Softermii, manual and automated testing will ensure that performance is unimpaired and that all bugs are eliminated.

Furthermore, this will provide insights into the application’s usage, improving features and interfaces.

QA price: up to 200 hours, costing $6,000.

Project Management

A project manager will ensure that milestones are met and that the project’s scope remains as you want it to be. They will also perform risk analyses to identify potential security weaknesses and communicate with you on the music-sharing social media app development process.

Read also: Role of Project Management in Software Engineering

Project management typically costs 10% to 15% of the total budget. However, considering our current estimate, it will be approximately $5,500.

What is the final cost to create a social media music app? Look at the table below:

Real Estate App Development Cost
Process	Cost
Web and mobile development	$27,000
UX/UI design	$6,000
Testing and quality assurance	$6,000
Project management	$5,500
Total:	$44,500

A basic and simple solution can be priced from $25,000 to $45,000. However, more complex apps can cost upwards of $70,000. Note, that music social network app development can vary greatly depending on the features, functionalities, and technology used.

The more complex app you want to create, the more talents and technologies you need. Yet, you may still get a price estimation of the music-centered social network app development before you start to work on it. We know that every project is unique, and we’d love to learn more about your vision and goals. Contact us now to get a personalized quote.

Building Music Social Media Apps with Softermii

If you’ve decided to take the first steps toward your dream and create a social network application for music, consider having a trustworthy and experienced partner by your side. Softermii is a full-cycle software development company that covers all the stages, from research and planning to Quality Assurance magic.

Our team comprises experienced developers, designers, and project managers working together to deliver high-quality software products. We specialize in engineering, design, and product management services, focusing on creating valuable tools that help our clients achieve their goals and bring their ideas to life.

Our portfolio includes two notable examples:

SoundIt

As part of our work at Softermii, we developed SoundIt, a social network application. SoundIt allows anyone to earn using their creativity and build a community for their brand. The app has a user-friendly interface, making it easy to create audio content. Moreover, it has a Clubhouse-like audio chatting-room feature.

Scrollme

We built Scrollme, a video-focused social app with cryptocurrency integration. The app features a sophisticated recommendation engine that uses machine learning algorithms to create an even more personalized feed and a Clubhouse-like audio-chat feature allowing users to explore and connect.

Read also: Bringing video conferencing into social networking app

In a nutshell

Developing a music social networking app presents unique challenges and requires a specific set of technologies and expertise. You have to ensure your app stands in line with Apple, YouTube, and Amazon streaming services.

Softermii is a reliable partner for companies looking to build high-quality apps in this domain. With experience in developing social music platforms, we have the skills and tools necessary to bring your ideas to life. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a successful app.

If you want to become an investor or have a music-sharing service in mind, contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a successful app.