Lots of downloads, very little watching
People install the app after a trailer goes viral, browse for a minute, and don't come back. Your install numbers look great. Your watch time doesn't.
Media & Entertainment · Lucknow & Toronto
A viewer opens your app on the train home. The first episode buffers twice, the home screen shows things they've already seen, and by the second station they've switched to YouTube.
- React
- Flutter
- Node.js
- AWS MediaConvert
- CloudFront
- Firebase
Tools and platforms we work with
AWS Media Services
Cloudflare Stream
Widevine
FairPlay
Android TV
Razorpay
Google Ad Manager
Sound familiar?
Signs your platform is losing viewers
Content is rarely the problem. Usually, people never got far enough to see how good it is.
Buffering on anything but Wi-Fi
On a 4G connection outside the big cities, videos stall or drop to unwatchable quality. Viewers blame your app, not their network.
The live event fell over
You promoted the match or the concert for weeks. Ten minutes in, the stream froze for thousands of people and social media noticed.
Your content shows up on Telegram
A new release is on piracy channels within hours, and every free copy is a subscription you didn't get.
YouTube owns your audience
Your viewers are on someone else's platform. The algorithm decides who sees your work, and the ad revenue split isn't in your favour.
Subscribers leave after the free trial
Sign-ups spike, then cancellations follow a month later. Nobody can say exactly why, or which shows would have kept them.
Why Softfix
How we work compared to a typical agency
A white-label OTT kit can get you live quickly. Making it feel like your own platform, and keeping it smooth when a big release lands, takes more than a template.
| What matters | Softfix | Typical agency |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | We look at your content, your audience, the devices they use and how you plan to earn, before choosing a single feature. | A standard OTT template with your logo. |
| Playback testing | Tested on budget phones, patchy 4G and older smart TVs, not just a fast office connection. | Checked on a laptop and a new iPhone. |
| Content protection | Multi-DRM, watermarking, device limits and geo-blocking set up from the start. | Basic encryption, or none at all. |
| Live events | Load tested against your expected audience, with a backup stream ready if something fails. | Discovered on the night itself. |
| Growth | Our in-house team can run social, SEO and ads to bring in subscribers. | You hire a separate agency. |
| Ownership | You own the code, the viewer data and the content library. | Monthly per-viewer fees on a platform you don't control. |
Who we work with
From a single creator to a regional network
A comedian with a loyal following and a studio with a thousand-title library need very different things. We start with what you have.
Studios & production houses
Your own OTT for films and series, with rights by region, release windows and a proper content management back office.
Regional language platforms
Bhojpuri, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali or Punjabi content for audiences who want it in their own language, often on low-cost phones.
Creators & influencers
A branded app for your community with premium videos, live sessions and memberships, so you're not dependent on one algorithm.
Sports & live events
Live streams for leagues, tournaments, concerts and religious events, with ticketing, pay-per-view and instant replays.
News & digital publishers
Fast articles and video, live blogs, push alerts and subscriptions or ad revenue, built to handle traffic spikes on big news days.
Audio & podcasts
Music, audiobooks, devotional content and podcasts with offline downloads, playlists and background play.
What we build
Media and entertainment app development services
From uploading a master file to a viewer pressing play on their TV. Start with one app and add the rest as your audience grows.
Discuss your project
OTT Platforms
Your own streaming service on Android, iOS and the web, with profiles, watchlists, continue-watching and a home screen that feels like yours.
Live Streaming
Matches, concerts, launches and classes streamed live with low delay, live chat and polls, and a replay ready as soon as it ends.
Smart TV Apps
Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung and LG apps that work with a remote, not just a touchscreen. Viewers pick up where they left off on their phone.
Content Management
Upload, tag, schedule and publish without a developer. Track rights, release dates and regions for every title in one place.
Subscriptions & Payments
Plans, free trials, coupons, rentals and UPI autopay, plus Apple and Google in-app billing where the stores require it.
DRM & Piracy Protection
Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady, forensic watermarking, screen-record blocking and limits on how many devices share one login.
Audio & Podcast Apps
Music, podcasts and audiobooks with background play, offline downloads, playlists and lock-screen controls.
Viewer Analytics
See where people stop watching, which shows bring in subscribers and which ones keep them. That helps you decide what to make next.
Multi-Screen Apps
One account, one library — from phone to TV without missing a beat, with a remote-friendly UI on every platform.
The full lifecycle
From idea to loyal audience
Five stages, one platform. Every handoff clean, every audience signal captured.
Plan content
Slate, rights and approvals tracked in one place.
Capture & edit
Footage, audio and versions flow straight into the platform.
Go live anywhere
Stream on app, web, TV — with geo and device rules.
Keep them watching
Recommendations, notifications and community features.
Turn attention into revenue
Subscriptions, ads, rentals and sponsorships — all in one flow.
Problems we solve
Where streaming platforms lose people, and how we fix it
1. Videos buffer on mobile data
The problem
Most of your viewers are on 4G, not fibre. A single stall in the first minute is often enough for them to give up.
What we build
- Adaptive quality that adjusts to the connection
- CDN delivery from servers close to viewers
- Downloads for watching offline later
The result
Smooth playback in smaller towns and on the move, where a lot of your audience actually is.
2. Viewers can't find anything to watch
The problem
They scroll past the same rows every time, give up and open another app.
What we build
- Home rows based on what each person watches
- Search that handles Hinglish and spelling mistakes
- "Because you watched" suggestions after each episode
The result
People find something to watch quickly and stay for the next one.
3. Live streams crash at the worst moment
The problem
The audience arrives all at once for the final over or the headline act, and the stream can't handle it.
What we build
- Streaming setup sized for your expected peak
- A backup stream that switches in automatically
- Someone watching the dashboards during the event
The result
Your biggest night goes the way you planned it.
4. Shows leak within hours
The problem
Screen recordings and shared logins put paid content on piracy channels almost straight away.
What we build
- DRM on every device type
- Invisible watermarks to trace where a leak came from
- Limits on simultaneous streams per account
The result
Leaks become harder, and when they happen you can find the source.
5. Subscribers cancel after one month
The problem
They signed up for one show, finished it and left. Nobody reached out before they did.
What we build
- Alerts for subscribers who've stopped watching
- Personal suggestions sent before renewal
- Pause options instead of a hard cancel
The result
More people renew, and you learn which shows actually keep them.
6. Publishing takes too long
The problem
Every new episode means emailing files, converting formats by hand and asking a developer to put it live.
What we build
- Upload once, and every format is created automatically
- Scheduled releases by time and region
- Approvals for teams with several editors
The result
Your content team publishes on their own, on time, every time.
AI where it helps
Smarter features that keep people watching
These work best once you have a few months of viewing data. Before that, a well-curated home screen usually does a better job.
Personal recommendations
Rows and suggestions based on what each viewer finishes, skips and rewatches, not just what's trending.
Auto subtitles and dubbing
Draft subtitles in several Indian languages from the audio, ready for your team to check, so one show can reach more people.
Clips and highlights
Finds the best moments in a long video or live match and cuts short clips for Reels, Shorts and trailers.
Churn prediction
Spots subscribers likely to cancel based on how their viewing has changed, so you can win them back in time.
Want to know what your platform would cost?
Tell us how much content you have, which devices matter and how you want to earn. We'll send a written estimate and a suggested first version.
How we work
From first call to launch night
Streaming has a lot of moving parts. We test the hard bits, like playback and payments, early, so launch night is calm.
01
Understand your content and audience
1–2 weeks
What you have, who watches it, on which devices and in which languages. We also agree on how the platform will make money.
02
Design for every screen
2–3 weeks
Phone, web and TV layouts, plus the content team's back office. You click through a working prototype before we build.
03
Build in sprints
8–12 weeks
Two-week sprints with a demo each time. The video pipeline, DRM and payments get connected and tested early on.
04
Playback and load testing
2 weeks
We test on real devices and slow networks, and simulate your expected peak audience for live events.
05
App store approval and launch
1–2 weeks
We handle Play Store, App Store and TV store submissions, upload your launch titles and stay on call for launch night.
+
Monitor and grow
Ongoing
24×7 monitoring, help with big releases and live events, and new features based on what viewers actually do.
Audience intelligence
Know what holds attention — and what loses it
Feature spotlight
Audience & engagement analytics that guide content
Not just views. Real signals about what to produce more of, what to retire, and where audiences drop off.
-
Drop-off points by scene
See exactly where viewers leave — per episode, per scene.
-
Cohort and viewer segments
Binge-watchers, weekenders, lapsed — each with their own plan.
-
Content ROI tracked
Cost per title vs watch time, renewals and revenue.
Security & compliance
Your content and your viewers, both protected
Studios and rights holders will ask how their content is protected before they license it to you. We make sure you have good answers.
Content protection
- Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady DRM
- Forensic watermarking on premium titles
- Geo-blocking by country or state
- Signed, expiring links for every stream
Privacy & regulation
- DPDP Act 2023 for Indian viewers
- GDPR and PIPEDA for overseas audiences
- Age ratings and parental controls
- Support for the IT Rules 2021 grievance process
Payments & security
- PCI DSS compliant gateways
- RBI-compliant UPI autopay mandates
- ISO 27001:2022 certified processes
- Account sharing and fraud checks
Technology
Proven tools for smooth playback
A creator app with a few hundred videos and a network with live sports need very different setups. We pick tools based on your audience size and budget.
Mobile & TV
Flutter
Kotlin
Swift
Android TV
tvOS
Tizen
webOS
Web
Next.js
React
Shaka Player
Video.js
Backend
Node.js
Python
Laravel / PHP
.NET Core
Video
HLS
MPEG-DASH
FFmpeg
AWS Elemental
WebRTC
Delivery & DRM
CloudFront
Cloudflare
Akamai
Widevine
FairPlay
PlayReady
Data & Payments
PostgreSQL
Redis
Razorpay
Stripe
Google Ad Manager
Ways to work with us
Start with one app, then grow your screens
One build fee, then a monthly charge for hosting, streaming and support. You get a written quote after our first call.
Creator
Channel or single show
A branded streaming app for one creator, channel or show, with memberships and a simple content back office.
Typical timeline: 4–6 weeks
Studio
OTT + CMS + billing
A full OTT platform on mobile, web and TV, with content management, DRM, subscriptions and analytics.
Typical timeline: 3–4 months
Network
Multi-brand & multi-region
Several brands, languages or regions on one platform, with live streaming, ad insertion and a dedicated team.
Typical timeline: 5 months and up
Cost
What affects the cost of a streaming platform
Two OTT apps can look the same on a phone and cost very different amounts to build and run. These are the main reasons.
Number of screens
Android and web are a good start. Each TV platform adds its own design, testing and store approval.
Live vs on-demand
Recorded content is simpler. Live streaming with low delay and chat needs more work and higher running costs.
Content protection
Basic encryption is cheap. Hollywood-grade DRM and watermarking add licence fees and setup time.
How you earn
One subscription plan is simple. Mixing plans, rentals, ads and in-app billing across stores takes longer.
Library size and languages
A few hundred videos in one language is a light setup. Thousands of hours with subtitles in five languages is not.
Streaming bills
CDN and storage costs grow with your audience. We plan for these early so the monthly bill doesn't surprise you.
About Softfix
We build the platform and help grow the audience
We're 30+ developers, designers and testers in Lucknow, with a second office in Toronto. Our in-house team also runs social media, SEO and paid ads. For a new streaming service, getting the first few thousand subscribers matters as much as the app itself, and we can help with both.
Everyone is in-house, nothing is subcontracted, and the platform is yours.
300+
Projects shipped
30+
In-house experts
15+
Industries served
ISO
9001:2015 · 27001:2022
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does an OTT app cost to build?
It depends mostly on how many screens you need, whether you stream live, how strong your content protection has to be and how you plan to earn. A creator app on Android and web is a much smaller job than a multi-language platform on six TV systems. After a short call, we'll send a written estimate.
How long does it take?
A creator app can be ready in about 4 to 6 weeks. A full OTT platform on mobile, web and TV usually takes 3 to 4 months. Larger multi-brand platforms take 5 months or more.
Which devices can you build for?
Android, iOS, web, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Samsung and LG smart TVs. Most platforms start with Android, web and Android TV, then add others as the audience grows.
Can you stop people from pirating our content?
We can make it much harder. DRM stops most downloads and screen recording, device limits stop password sharing, and watermarks help trace leaks back to an account. No system stops someone filming a screen with another phone, but the watermark makes those leaks traceable too.
How does the platform make money?
Subscriptions, ads, one-time rentals, pay-per-view for live events, or a mix of these. We'll help you pick a model that suits your content and audience.
Will it work for viewers on slow internet?
Yes. Video quality adjusts automatically to the connection, and viewers can download episodes on Wi-Fi to watch later. We test on budget phones and slow networks before launch.
Can you handle a big live event?
Yes. We size the setup for your expected audience, load test it beforehand, keep a backup stream ready and have someone watching the dashboards during the event.
We're already on YouTube. Why build our own app?
YouTube is great for reach. Your own app means you own the subscriber relationship, set your own prices and keep far more of the revenue. Many of our clients use both, with YouTube for discovery and their app for paying fans.
Who owns the platform and viewer data?
You do. The code, the content library and every viewer record are yours, and we're happy to sign an NDA before you share anything.
What happens after launch?
We stay on for 24×7 monitoring, updates and new features, and help you plan big releases and live events. Our marketing team can also help grow your subscriber base.
Keep exploring
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Book a free 30-minute call
Let's build a platform your audience comes back to every night.
Tell us about your content, your viewers and how you want to earn, and we'll suggest a sensible first version.
[email protected]
India
+91 81890 10044
Canada
+1 (647) 846-9494
India office
1st Floor, CP/140, Viraj Khand-4, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226010
Canada office
2 Bloor Street West, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4W 3E2