When was the last time you got on a video call with your family members or friends? Or when was the last time you got on a video calling app with your colleagues? Your answer lies probably between 12 and 36 hours, right?
What we want to establish here is the fact that, after 50 years of mobile phone invention and 40 years since the internet came into being, video calls have become an indispensable part of our lives. Not to mention, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant increase in remote work and online connections, prompting individuals to embrace more and more forms of digital communication, such as video calls and video conferences.
In fact, as per an article established in 2018 by Cisco suggested that video would make up 82% of all IP traffic in 2022. And the forecast has turned out to be absolutely true. So, if you are thinking of build live video chat app, now is the time to stop thinking and start executing!
So, before we get started on developing an online video calling app, let’s first explore the various types of video chat applications, which will help you narrow down what exactly you want to develop and how you will compete with hundreds of video chats already on the market.
Types of Video Calling Applications
Video call is nothing but a process where you can interact with someone face-to-face via software on a mobile or computer device without physically being with them, regardless of the distance involved between the people.
Previously, video calls could only be made between two participants, but as technology advanced, this limit got progressively expanded and group video calls became a thing. With the implementation of lockdown, prohibitions on going out, and the growing prevalence of remote work, video-calling applications grew increasingly popular.
- Video Calling Apps
There are some chat apps that are mostly used when it comes to connecting with friends and family members. Such chat apps are primarily made to facilitate message-based communication or what is generally referred to as chatting. However, to compete against the new players joining the raging video calling market, these chat apps also allow video calling features.
While these apps add loads of convenience in day-to-day communication, such video calling apps, like WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger do not allow connecting with more than 6-8 people at a time, thus restricting their use for professional meetups where more people need to participate.
- Video Conferencing Apps:
As the term ‘conferencing’ suggests, video conferencing apps are used more commonly used in professional settings, such as corporate meetings or sales meetings, where usually a large number of people are required to participate. Video conferencing apps usually allow a large number of participants (500 or more) as a way to facilitate remote work settings.
Additionally, video conferencing apps also offer a suite of interactive, helpful and engaging features, like high-quality visuals and audio, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, noise cancellation and more, to make communication seamless and unambiguous. One of the most prominent examples is Zoom, a video conferencing app that every working professional or student has used at least once in their life.
- Entertainment Video Call/Video Chat Apps:
Everyone who surfed Instagram and similar social networking sites during the lockdown has heard about such video call/chat apps. Video chatting apps that also offer entertainment features like games and interactive filters have gained popularity over the past few years.
Some of the leading examples of entertainment video chat apps are Houseparty and Snapchat. Such apps allow a group of friends to connect face-to-face on the application while playing games. These apps come with a varied set of features like notifying the other users when one of the groups joins the video call room. Entertainment video call/video chat apps are mostly used for fun purposes, mostly by a group of friends and are quite popular amongst the younger generation.
How to Build a Video Calling App
There are many blogs circulating on the internet that will offer a step-by-step guide to create a video calling app. None of those articles, meanwhile, will provide you suggestions on how to make your app stand out in the market’s severe competition. The two steps given below will not only give your video call app a distinct recognition but may also resonate better with the audience, adding to its profitability.
- Decide the USP (Unique Value Proposition) of your Video Chat Application
When it comes to building something new when there are already many popular players in the market, deciding the USP of your product becomes an integral part. It means that in a crowded market, you must offer something unique or different to your target audience that inspires them to use your product.
One of the best ways you can get insights and build on the same is by checking the feedback on the existing apps and looking out for what more the users are looking for. Zero down on a USP, and half of the job is done right there!
- Select the Type of Video Chat App you want to build
The second half of building your video calling app begins here. Reading about the types of apps offers an important insight as to what purpose you want to create your own video chat app for, and what kind of audience you wish to target with your app. Answering these two questions will help you go further ahead in the development process.
In addition to that, you should also make a list of the features you want to include in your video calling application and focus on one or two main features.
When you have figured out these fundamental pieces of information, you have already made great strides in making a successful and profitable video calling app.
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Must Have Features for a Video Calling App
Let’s admit that we have all used enough video calling applications to answer this question.
- Screen Sharing
Screen sharing is one of the most important features that each video call app must include in order to be more preferable amongst users. Screen sharing basically allows you to share some information present on your computer or mobile screen with others on the video call.
- Virtual Background
When it comes to professional meetings, more often than not we are found sitting in a setting that’s not very presentable on a video call. This feature gives your app an edge in such a scenario as it allows users to replace their current background with potentially anything.
- Noise Cancellation
No one likes it when their conversation is interrupted by background noise. The noise cancellation feature is a great one in such cases as it smoothens conversations by making the users’ voice more audible.
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Cost to Make a Video Chat Application
When developing a video chat application, it’s crucial to take the cost to make the application into consideration. Otherwise, your ambition could just throw you off guard right in the middle of the process, rendering your half-built app useless. There are a number of factors that affect the cost of making the video chat application, including the technology stack, platforms you choose (Android, iOS), the features, app design and planning and development platform, among others.
On an average, the cost of development usually starts from $40,000 and can go up to $1,25,000 and even more, depending upon all the above-mentioned factors.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered all the points you must know before starting to develop a video call application. So, now all you need to do is select the best API solution provider to assist you in the process. MirrorFly has designed unique live video calling software for various industries, using powerful APIs and SDKs, for iOS, Android, and the web platform with 150+ real-time video chat capabilities.
