Launched my own mobile app for my channel!

ohaple

ohaple

YTtalk Mad
I understand that this is a bit self-promotional, but I wanted to talk about my app, and share the experience of creating it and launching it with you guys, in case anyone else is interested in creating an app for their channel. If you want to see what it looks like, you can find a video of it on my channel, or on either app store, or on my website ohaple dot com

To start, creating an app is not easy unless you have some programming skills. We had a little programming experience going in, but had to learn javascript and HTML from scratch. We used HTML, CSS, and Javascript, coupled with PhoneGap Build (an adobe product that makes HTML apps run like they are native mobile apps)

If you do not have programming experience, you may have some luck building something with one of the available services such as ibuildapp or apps-builder they will not give the same level of customization, but they will be easier to use.


Programming is 1/2 the challenge, but honestly, just as much of the struggle is dealing with the Apple app store and Google Play. Figuring out the certificates, submitting apps and icons, etc is a very steep learning curve, and is not intuitive. Took Google 1 day to post my app, and hours to post updates. Took apple 8 days to publish the app, and an additional 5 for the first update.


Making an app is not free. Whether you are just going to go for a simple HTML web app, or a native mobile app, there are costs in developer fees, web hosting, or with app building services. If I remember correctly, Apple cost $100, Google play cost $25.


Another problem with making an app for your channel is adding value. You need to make your app more useful to your fans than watching on the youtube app. In my case, I added a couple gaming calculator widgets, a complete social media hub, a “play on xbox one” feature, easy video playing, and support for my gaming clan. I am hoping that this app helps me to grow my channel by being more accessible to people. I figure once I am on the homepage of their phone, they are more likely to remember to watch my videos.

I just wanted to ramble a bit, because I am very excited to have this addition to my brand. Now with youtube, twitter, facebook, twitch, a website, and a mobile app, I can hit the fans from every angle. :)

If you guys have any questions about making an app for your channel, or about my app in particular, be sure to post them below.
 
ohaple said:
I understand that this is a bit self-promotional, but I wanted to talk about my app, and share the experience of creating it and launching it with you guys, in case anyone else is interested in creating an app for their channel. If you want to see what it looks like, you can find a video of it on my channel, or on either app store, or on my website ohaple dot com

To start, creating an app is not easy unless you have some programming skills. We had a little programming experience going in, but had to learn javascript and HTML from scratch. We used HTML, CSS, and Javascript, coupled with PhoneGap Build (an adobe product that makes HTML apps run like they are native mobile apps)

If you do not have programming experience, you may have some luck building something with one of the available services such as ibuildapp or apps-builder they will not give the same level of customization, but they will be easier to use.


Programming is 1/2 the challenge, but honestly, just as much of the struggle is dealing with the Apple app store and Google Play. Figuring out the certificates, submitting apps and icons, etc is a very steep learning curve, and is not intuitive. Took Google 1 day to post my app, and hours to post updates. Took apple 8 days to publish the app, and an additional 5 for the first update.


Making an app is not free. Whether you are just going to go for a simple HTML web app, or a native mobile app, there are costs in developer fees, web hosting, or with app building services. If I remember correctly, Apple cost $100, Google play cost $25.


Another problem with making an app for your channel is adding value. You need to make your app more useful to your fans than watching on the youtube app. In my case, I added a couple gaming calculator widgets, a complete social media hub, a “play on xbox one” feature, easy video playing, and support for my gaming clan. I am hoping that this app helps me to grow my channel by being more accessible to people. I figure once I am on the homepage of their phone, they are more likely to remember to watch my videos.

I just wanted to ramble a bit, because I am very excited to have this addition to my brand. Now with youtube, twitter, facebook, twitch, a website, and a mobile app, I can hit the fans from every angle. :)

If you guys have any questions about making an app for your channel, or about my app in particular, be sure to post them below.
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Pretty cool man. I being a programmer myself know the struggles and amount of time it takes to very simple things. Simple things can turn into huge things which lead to bigger problems. I think what you did with your app is pretty cool. It's simple yet effective to what you are wanting to do. I enjoyed the additional features like the calculators for Call of Duty and Titanfall. We actually have dabbled in possibly making an app game in the future. We made a Flappy Bird bird clone called Flappy Meat it was fun but we want to get into more serious games and we have an idea that we might possibly release in the future on Android. I think I heard it was cheaper on Android than Apple phones. Just not real sure which one would be better to release on for our first mobile game. Anyways, enough rambling about stuff we are doing. I just thought this was a cool thread and had to respond because seeing another programmer made me smile. I hope your app does well. :)
 
Thanks for the rambling - it must have been a very interesting project to work on.

You should post some videos showing off the features of the app, and perhaps giving an inside look to the process of creating it. Have other YouTubers tried something like this? Are you planning to build on it? Is there an easy way for you to track user adoption?
 
UnoriginalGam3s said:
Pretty cool man. I being a programmer myself know the struggles and amount of time it takes to very simple things. Simple things can turn into huge things which lead to bigger problems. I think what you did with your app is pretty cool. It's simple yet effective to what you are wanting to do. I enjoyed the additional features like the calculators for Call of Duty and Titanfall. We actually have dabbled in possibly making an app game in the future. We made a Flappy Bird bird clone called Flappy Meat it was fun but we want to get into more serious games and we have an idea that we might possibly release in the future on Android. I think I heard it was cheaper on Android than Apple phones. Just not real sure which one would be better to release on for our first mobile game. Anyways, enough rambling about stuff we are doing. I just thought this was a cool thread and had to respond because seeing another programmer made me smile. I hope your app does well. :)
Click to expand...
It was actually pretty nice to use PhoneGap Build, because it allows you to program in common languages (html, javascript, css etc.) and then converts it to a native app for all platforms. Apple is more expensive, and programming in Objective C is not easy for most people I have heard. Android is friendlier, but apple has a big market share. This was a very big project for us, since we are new to programming. Thanks for the kind words![DOUBLEPOST=1394040750,1394040583][/DOUBLEPOST]
VanCityVideo said:
Thanks for the rambling - it must have been a very interesting project to work on.

You should post some videos showing off the features of the app, and perhaps giving an inside look to the process of creating it. Have other YouTubers tried something like this? Are you planning to build on it? Is there an easy way for you to track user adoption?
Click to expand...
It was very interesting to work on. I have a video on it, but this forum section doesnt allow links. It is the most recent video on my channel. A company called brass monkeigh apps has done some for other big youtubers, but I find they kind of underwhelm me. Smosh has a really nice looking app, as does SxePhil. I will build on it as I come up with other ideas for content. The app stores show downloads, but I don't think I will be able to tell the difference between users using the youtube app or using my app. I am planning a vlog today or tomorrow talking about the process.
 
Making an app does sound like hella work, but it definitely seems like it was worth it. That app already sounds badass. :eek: Congratulations! :D
 
Yeah. It was the equivalent of about 2-3 weeks worth of video work for me.. so lots of extra stuff to do. I am not sure that it will benefit my channel as much as the work I put into it, but I figure it is just one more way to get my brand out there. And like I said, if you can get on a person's home screen, that = a loyal fan and consistent views.

A question for you guys; what feature would you most want in an app from your favorite youtuber?
 
Moving this to the vid / channel section as the thread is essentially promoting your video and brand. Don't forget, with VIP you can embed a video in your sig. :)


Congrats on the app :)
 
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