How to Build an App Like ReelShort?

There is no wonder if you are searching for similar topics in the tech world. The movie’s length was reduced from 90 minutes to 2 minutes. Mobile users are more attracted to short-length videos like Instagram reels and YouTube shorts.

Somehow techies found this rise of short video content and made a new platform for creating bite-sized episodes and making the whole movie with a total duration of 30 to 40 minutes. Unlike user-generated content as in TikTok or YouTube, these short movie or drama apps are the tiniest form of OTT (Over-The-Top) where one full-length drama is chunked into episodes of 2 minutes length and uploaded by the owner of the website for free views with restrictions.

Buy why are we talking about creating an app like ReelShort? The reason is their stunning growth in the last two years. Over 11 million Americans have downloaded ReelShort just in three months after the launch of ReelShort in August 2022.

In a few months after the launch ReelShort App generated $22 million in revenue. This was feasible because of their micro-transaction-based monetization strategy where users can buy virtual coins to watch more videos.

Within half a month in November 2023, the overall app rankings were improved from #150 to #17 in the U.S. App Store Market. It also hit the #3 position in the overall chart during the same period where two popular short-form serials with bite-sized episode formats “Fated To My Forbidden Alpha” and “Never Divorce a Secret Billionaire Heiress” gone viral and have become extremely successful in ReelShort.

These stats are enough proof that any form of short video episodes will become more popular in the market as they all already know what is it. So, before we learn about how to build a short video app, let’s see the history of this bite-sized episode evolution.

History of Short Video App

iQIYI, one of China’s biggest streaming platforms, started to offer short-form serial content as part of its mobile-first entertainment push in mid-2014. iQIYI was launched in April 2010 as a general streaming service, and later it introduced short-form serial dramas, also called “miniseries” or micro-dramas, around 2016.

These miniseries are short, bite-sized episodes, a few minutes each, part of a bigger trend in China to cater to mobile users, easily consumable content on the go. iQIYI adopted this format to meet the growing demand for short, snackable content that fits into the fragmented viewing habits of modern audiences, especially during commutes or short breaks. This type of content became super popular, especially in urban areas where time for entertainment is limited.

iQIYI’s short-form serials grew in popularity through its freemium model, where users can watch a few episodes for free and then have to pay for a subscription or buy episodes to continue watching, the same as other platforms would later do.

So, there were already some big players in the market when ReelShort was launched. So, how did ReelShort become popular, and how did they find the right market fit?

How ReelShort Becomes Popular?

ReelShort was launched in August 2022 by Crazy Maple Studio, the overseas subsidiary of the COL Group, a Beijing-based company. Crazy Maple Studio had already been in the digital content business with other successful products like Kiss and Chapters (interactive fiction platforms) before moving into short-form video with ReelShort.

ReelShort is similar to apps like Quibi, focusing on short, serialized dramas which is a learning from Quibi’s mistakes. Unlike Quibi, ReelShort produces low-budget, dramatic, and fast-paced content – often with love, betrayal, and intrigue as the plot line which resonates with the target audience, especially middle-aged women. Shows like “Fated To My Forbidden Alpha” and “Never Divorce a Secret Billionaire Heiress” were huge hits on the platform and helped drive its popularity.

The Inspiration?

ReelShort was inspired by the same iQIYI’s micro-series trend in China which took off during the pandemic when movie theaters were closed. Micro-series were inexpensive and quick to produce but had great storylines with cliffhangers to keep you coming back. ReelShort adapted this model for the US Market with 1-2 minute long episodes with similar drama but for Western audiences.

How Did They Market It?

ReelShort’s success is largely due to its digital marketing. The platform uses a combination of paid social ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) along with influencer marketing and strategic content placement across digital media. By sharing short dramatic clips from their series on socials they attract users who are drawn in by the cliffhanger content. Plus ReelShort uses a virtual currency model where users can watch the first episodes for free and buy coins to unlock premium content. With in-app activities such as watching free ads to earn coins, ReelShort has built strong user engagement.

ReelShort also cross-promotes with their other digital products on Kiss and Chapters. Readers of romance and viewers of serials.

Key Features of ReelShort Short Form Videos

ReelShort was successful because of its size video content and unique features. Their monetization strategy, storytelling in curated content, and a standout app experience were the keys to success. Let’s break it down,

Bite-sized Content

Episodes are typically 1-2 minutes long, delivering a punch of drama, cliffhangers, and plot twists. So you can consume content in between daily activities, during your commute, or coffee break.

Serialized Storytelling

Unlike most short-form video platforms that are all about viral or random content (like TikTok), ReelShort is about serialized storytelling. Each series has dozens of episodes and the platform is about stories that follow traditional drama genres like romance, betrayal, and family secrets.

Monetization via Virtual Currency

ReelShort uses a virtual currency system where you can buy coins to unlock premium episodes. You can watch a few episodes for free and then pay as you go without committing to a full subscription. You can also earn coins by watching ads or doing in-app activities and it adds a game-like element to the experience.

Targeted at Specific Audiences

The platform is targeted at an audience that loves dramatic, soap opera-like content, middle-aged women who love Hallmark-style dramas. This targeted approach allows ReelShort to stand out from the broader, more generalist platforms.

High Engagement through Cliffhangers

Each episode is crafted to end on a cliffhanger, designed to keep viewers coming back for more. This is a classic storytelling tactic but is amplified by the extremely short duration of each episode, creating a cycle of constant anticipation and engagement.

Other Important Features to Consider

Beyond the features that ReelShort offers, adding the following enhancements can help any new app focused on bite-sized video content stand out and differentiate itself from the competition.

Personalized recommendations

This is one of the big missing pieces in many short video apps. With AI and machine learning on the rise, content curation through machine learning algorithms will definitely increase user engagement. Automated, personalized push notifications based on user’s preferences will also increase user retention.

Watch Party

Enabling a watch party feature allows users to share video content with friends and family, boosting referral engagement. Those who don’t yet have the app will be more likely to install it to join in and enjoy the watch parties.

Subtitle Team

Having a dedicated and authorized team to add subtitles to your video content will make it easier for users to watch videos in any language. It also fosters community involvement by offering incentives, such as free credits or commissions, based on the number of views and the usage of subtitles.

Community

Building a closed community is always a great approach and keeping the same within the app would make it more engaged. Community with forums to leave reviews about the dramas, wish to watch and many other options will bring more engagement to the users.

In-video Advertisements

Displaying relevant in-video ads based on users’ preferred genres can significantly boost impressions and click-through rates, creating an additional revenue stream for app owners. Users can also earn virtual coins for watching ads tailored to their favorite genres, enhancing their experience while benefiting from the ads.

How to Build an App Like ReelShort and Stand Out to Win the Market?

Coming up with unique ideas and strong selling points is as important as managing the development process and project execution till the end. Let’s see how one can plan and develop an app for short-form video series.

Market Research and Conceptualize

The first step is to find the target audience. ReelShort succeeded by targeting a specific demographic, middle-aged women who love dramatic and romantic stories. Know your target audience, what type of content they like, and how they consume it. For example, the younger generation and teens are crazy enough to watch anime. Creating short-form series using anime will attract an audience in this age range.

Then analyze the existing competitor in the same market. Study ReelShort and similar apps like Quibi (although it failed), TikTok, and others. Know what they did well and where they struggled.

Finally, use surveys or feedback from potential users to see if there’s a market for your app. For example, ask if people are interested in short, serialized drama formats.

Business Model and Monetization

Based on the market research and target audiences, one has to choose the right monetization strategy and business model for consistent growth. Like ReelShort, the freemium model is most recommended for any new bite-sized video content apps. However, the business model should have a strong plan to keep the retention rate higher in terms of premium accounts.

This can be achieved by offering in-app purchases and allowing users to watch ads in exchange for credits to unlock premium episodes for free. This approach not only adds value for users but also introduces a gamified aspect to the business model, enhancing user engagement.

Content Strategy

This would become the core of any growth plan you do your marketing. Keeping the users entertained is the top priority. Never compromise on the video durations and it should be strictly within 2 minutes. The content should be high-drama with cliffhangers.

Finalizing the right production and consulting unit will help you create & filter the content before the filming. Since the content is short, the production can be quickly done and completed within a week. So partnering up with the right creators and group of professionals will consistently bring a diverse range of videos to your app and keep the customers excited.

App Development

Make sure the app is cross-platform supported for both iOS and Android and lightweight enough to perform well on high and low-resource mobile devices.

Video players should have advanced features like “Skip Intro”, “Watch Credits” and “Skip to Next Episode” along with basic functions like play, pause, restart from the beginning, and show all episodes. Also showing audience preferences and parental guidelines for different content types will enhance user experience.

Automated notifications, daily rewards for watching videos, and free credits for sharing on social media will be key features.

User Engagement and Growth

Gamification can be a big part of this by offering users ways to earn rewards like virtual coins for watching trailers, sharing episodes, or taking part in social media challenges. This keeps users entertained and encourages deeper use of the app.

Also, a feedback mechanism where users can rate episodes or shows and suggest new features will keep them invested in the platform’s growth and feel like they own it.

Technology Stack and Development Tools

For the backend use cloud solutions like AWS or Google Cloud for scalability as your app grows. For video streaming use platforms like Vimeo OTT, Brightcove, or even custom solutions using FFmpeg depending on your needs.

For mobile development use cross-platform frameworks like Flutter to speed up the process. Or go native with Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android (Android Studio) for performance.

Use analytics and monetization tools like Firebase Analytics and AppLovin to track user behavior and adjust your monetization.

How Much It Would Cost To Build This App Like ReelShot?

We strongly recommend opting for native app development for business models that rely on live video streaming. Native apps have access to the core resources of mobile devices, which ensures smoother playback and better performance.

With a team of 2 Android developers, 2 iOS developers, and 2 full-stack developers, an app like this could be completed within a maximum of 3 months. Based on this setup, the estimated cost would range between $30,000 to $40,000. However, this price may vary depending on additional requirements not covered in this blog.

How AppKodes can Help you Build Your App Like ReelShort?

Our experts have been working with live streaming app development and smooth short video playback mechanisms for over six years, so we know how to handle any glitches. We’ve successfully optimized video content across multiple platforms.

We specialize in optimizing new content for seamless playback by breaking it into smaller video segments (like m3u8 formats). This ensures smooth performance, even as users continuously scroll through videos, similar to TikTok.

Recently, we partnered on a project with requirements very similar to DramaBox, where we integrated live-streaming solutions. We’ve been supporting the client from the initial landing page design to the final beta launch.