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Develop a Subscription-based App Like Patreon
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Do You Know What It Takes To Develop a Subscription-based App Like Patreon?

Sanjay Kidecha,

Content creators are born with creativity. Content creators, as rightly said, are dreamers of dreams. Their talent of understanding the user’s desire and expressing it in the form of content is unparalleled. Their biggest reward is community recognition & appreciation but is that sufficient enough for the hard work they put behind curating the masterpiece. Well, to justify the hard work, there is a platform that acknowledges the creativity and helps the creators hit hundreds of dollars in their accounts. A subscription-based app development named Patreon facilitates rewards for uniquely talented people. The monetizing ways this new app idea provides exclusively to the content creators are well embraced in the industry and encourage entrepreneurs to develop a subscription-based app like Patreon. In this blog, we will go through the app development process of Patreon, the cost to develop the Patreon app, application offerings, and more. Have a look. 

A common complaint amongst content creators is, “Our talent is not paid and goes unnoticed.” However, this dilemma has been put to an end by the emergence of a subscription-based app like Patreon. Patreon is the right platform for all types of content creators in various niches.

It covers content creators like writers, visual artists, video creators, musicians, gaming creators, journalists, podcasters, and any new talent that wants to showcase their talent.

If you are building a subscription-based app like Patreon, you will be providing an online membership platform that connects content creators with content fans. The creators specifically will connect with a respective fan base who would willingly pay to the creators. The fanbase will pay a different amount based on their interest and effort recognition; however, they will have first-hand over premium content. The business model for the Patreon application thus sounds like a win-win situation for the audience and the participants. 

Some of the statistics listed below might sound inspiring for making an app like Patreon.

  • The application has around 5M+ downloads and a user rating of 4.3 stars.
  • The application has its headquarters in San Francisco, USA. 
  • The application got released in the year 2013, and the idea was the brainchild of YouTube musicians Jack Conte and Sam Yam.
  • It has nearly 200,000 creators having a fan base of 6M+.

Hence, the ultimate goal of developing a subscription-based app like Patreon should be that the content creators are paid & their voices are heard. A subscription-based app gives talented people a chance to monetize their skills.

How does an app like Patreon work
How does an app like Patreon work?

An application like Patreon is for content creators & supporters. Content creators need to set up a subscription-based payment tier, and their supporters pay for the content in return for the access.

The creators register on the application either using an email or social media account and select a section from the list. The list consists of various areas of expertise that help in creating a user profile.

Content creators can further start pitching subscribers and get paid in return. The payment is made either on a monthly basis or over the post the content creators release (in whatever frequency).

The subscriber joins the application using an email account and selects the community of their choice on the patrons’ side. If the patron likes the content, s/he can pay the subscription as per the plan. 

How are the charges planned?

For instance, if the patron admires a content creator, s/he decides on the payment amount for getting access to the exclusive content. The same amount is deducted from the patron’s cut, aka card. 

Once the amount is deducted, the patron can watch out for the content as an early bird. Thus, the entire cycle is completed, and the content creator’s community and patrons have their pie shares. 

How do audiences, aka patrons, benefit from the subscription-based application?

The content creators benefit extraordinarily from the app, but the same goes for patrons too. The list of benefits include,

  • Patrons can have hands-on access to elite content, uncut videos, and other interesting topics of their choice.
  • The informative content shares a great deal of knowledge with the patrons. The patrons get to know the process that follows behind the curtain, which might motivate them to experiment with any form of creative content. 
  • The patrons can educate themselves by connecting with the content creators personally. They can initiate text and video calls for communication. 
  • Patrons can coordinate with co-patrons and mingle with them. 
  • Content creators are excited to launch their merchandise, such as stickers, prints, clothes, etc., with their audience. This is the bonus gift a patron might receive from the content creator’s end.

What are the features of subscription-based application development?

The list of features of a subscription-based app like Patreon includes the following. However, you can brainstorm the features right at the beginning of the app development process. You can list down the features in a product requirement document and try them during the wireframing and prototyping stages of app development. 

The prospective mobile app development company will go through your expected list of features and give you a budget accordingly. To save yourself from cost variation at the end of the project, it is important to finalize the list at the earliest. 

Let’s divide the application’s screen into three main screens, namely,

Artist/content creator app screen, Supporter/Patron screen, and the Admin panel. The features also differ slightly from one screen to another. To begin with,

Artist/content creator screen:

  • Profile creation:

A registered artist can set up his/her profile with their expectations of rewards and potential audience number. 

  • Feature content:

Just like LinkedIn’s “feature” feature, an artist can decide what s/he wants to showcase on the top of their profile.

  • Reward management:

An artist gets to manage the rewards they can send to their fanbase. 

  • Patron management:

If any legit reason is found, an artist can remove a patron from the list of followers.

  • Revenue management:

The money earned in the artist’s account can be seen with all the details of the patrons who presented the reward.

  • Share content:

Allow the artist to add content and showcase their talent to the audience. 

  • Push notifications:

Artists can notify their followers about a new release of content.

  • List of patrons:

Artists have all the rights to see and download the list of patrons who have subscribed to his/her art.

  • Social media connect:

Allow the artists to link their social media accounts with the app.

  • Subscription setting:

Content creators are free to set their monthly subscription fees based on the response they receive from the audience. 

  • In-app analytics:

An artist is free to analyze a content release, earnings, and sales based on the reports. 

Supporter/Patron app screen:

  • Profile set up:

A patron can register the application using an email address and personal interest information. 

  • Follow artist:

A patron can follow their favorite content creators and subscribe to their recent activities. 

  • Comment or like an artist:

Supporters can show their love for an artist by liking and commenting on their content release.

  • View rewards:

Supporters can have a look at all the rewards they have received from the content creator. 

  • Payment history:

Supporters can choose who to pay, but at the same time, can view the history of payments made. 

  • Switch to artists:

It doesn’t matter if the supporter has registered himself/herself as a patron; they can switch their profile to content creator whenever they want. 

  • Take pledge:

Content admirers can go for an artist and pledge for a particular amount. 

  • Purchase post:

If the subscriber likes the exclusive content, they can actually purchase a post.

  • A personal chat with the content creator:

If, for any reason, the subscriber wants to have a word with the content creator, s/he can choose to initiate a video call or an audio call.

Admin app screen:

  • Dashboard:

So, yes, the dashboard is the place from where everything else is managed; an admin has the right to see the activities. 

  • Artists management:

Admin is responsible for verifying the artists’ profiles before they go live on the application. 

  • Alert management:

Admin holds the responsibility of managing all the alerts sent to the supporter or the content creator. 

  • Support:

Admin is responsible to instantly respond to the queries of customers or content creators to their satisfaction. 

  • Commission management:

Admin is free to set the commission percentage over each pledge taken by the supporter.

A few other features include:

Multi-currency support:

If you have any plans to release the app globally, you should provide multi-currency support on the platform.

Advertisement management:

You can allow third-party to display their ads on your platform.

Email notifications:

Allow content creators and supporters to opt for email notification about any major update in the app.

cost to develop a Patreon application
What is the cost to develop a Patreon application?

It is difficult to give a fixed amount of development; however, you can expect the price to be between $20K to $25K. This budget includes quality testing, maintenance, prototype development… everything. However, this is our estimated price and may vary depending on the various factors such as your goal, expectation, app complexity, UI/UX design, etc. 

The addition of features may also add to the application development cost, but we suppose that it would be better to discuss all these details in person. 

If you have liked the idea of developing a subscription-based app like Patreon, please ring our bells. Our executives will get in touch with you at the earliest.  Get ready to launch an application with us! See you on the other side.

Sanjay Kidecha

Sanjay Kidecha is the Chief Operating Officer at Kody Technolab, where he seamlessly blends his expertise in operations, finance and technology to drive innovation and operational excellence. A passionate advocate for digital transformation, Sanjay writes extensively about how various industries can leverage technology to stay ahead. His insights on emerging trends and practical guides helps leading companies navigate this fast-paced tech world.

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