Live streaming isn’t just about going live anymore—it’s about creating your own digital stage where you can truly connect with your audience.
Think Netflix, but live and personal. That’s what OTT (Over-The-Top) live streaming offers: a direct channel between you and your viewers, with no networks or platforms standing in between. Your content, your way, on any screen your audience prefers.
The best part? You can create this same electric atmosphere for your audience. Let’s explore how OTT live streaming makes it possible.
Ready to explore how Uscreen’s reliable, scalable solution is helping customers monetize live events through pay-per-view, on-demand content, and memberships?
What is OTT live streaming/broadcasting?
OTT stands for “over-the-top”, which is just a fancy way of saying you’re delivering live video content straight to your audience over the internet—no cable, no satellite, no barriers. And while platforms like YouTube Live or Twitch are great, OTT live streaming gives you more control as a streaming business owner. Instead of streaming on someone else’s platform, you’re streaming on your own branded app or platform. Your audience gets to watch you on their favorite devices—smart TVs, phones, tablets—wherever they want.
In the rest of this article, I’m going to be talking about OTT live streaming through that lens, because it’s the avenue that makes the most sense for creators. If you want to learn more about desktop streaming, or building a membership website, I’d suggest you look at some of our articles on “video on demand”:
- AVOD, TVOD, and SVOD explained
- VOD vs OTT: What’s the difference?
- How to create a successful membership site
Why creators are moving towards OTT live streaming
OTT live streaming is the natural progression for video-focused creators.
If you’ve done the hard work of building your following on a platform like YouTube or Instagram, and you’re earning a stable recurring revenue through a membership site, OTT platforms give you the chance to level up even further.
By making your content natively accessible on their favorite streaming device, you can increase the value you deliver to your audience and the number of people you can retain. This makes broadcasting vis OTT a valuable tool if you want to grow your revenue, reach, and impact.
When I talk to creators, live streaming always comes up as one of the most exciting ways to connect with an audience. And for good reason. Here’s why more and more creators are turning to apps.
You connect with your audience in real-time
There’s nothing like a live moment. Whether you’re running a Q&A, a fitness class, or a behind-the-scenes session, live streaming makes it personal. You can answer questions, give shout-outs, and interact in ways pre-recorded videos just can’t match.
Think about it: your audience isn’t just watching—they’re participating.
Based on Uscreen data, subscribers who use apps watch up to 25% more content than those who don’t download your app. In fact, on a weekly basis, members spend an average of 102 minutes watching content on apps versus 82 minutes for non-app users.
That extra 20 minutes can go a long way to increasing the impact you have. And, with impact, comes greater revenue.
Take Studio Bloom, for example. They’ve built a platform to empower pre- and post-natal mothers through targeting yoga and fitness routines, which now offers 6 apps across mobile devices and smart TVs.
These apps helped them reach 5,000+ paying subscribers, where 76% of their watch time comes from within their video streaming apps. That’s a huge part of their $1 million annual revenue!
You can monetize in ways that make sense for you
Offering apps is a great way for you to stand out in a crowded creator marketplace, and there’s data to suggest that they may your offer much more attractive.
Uscreen customers that offer apps see a 10% increase in user purchases within the first 6 months. This extra revenue comes from lots of different places:
- Free trials: More of their audience is willing to try the platform because the content is now available on their favorite device
- Membership sign-ups: Now they’ve tried the platform, more people convert to paying members because they’re able to use and see the benefit of the streaming services
- One-time payments: Subscribers are empowered to buy more from creators because it’s linked with their app store payment options, great for one-off courses or merch, etc.
By just offering an app to your existing audience you can increase the attractiveness of your membership platform, and provide a higher level of “authority” that increases conversions.
They can also help you to keep more of those customers, too…
Live content keeps your audience coming back
The whole point of running a subscription-driven membership site is to build a reliable recurring income. For that, you’re going to need to retain members and reduce churn.
The good news is that Uscreen customers who offer mobile and TV apps have 15% more monthly retention. This isn’t just because fewer members leave every month; it’s because more people are willing to make a long-term commitment when you offer an app.
Our research shows that customers who offer apps sell 1.6x more annual subscriptions than customers who don’t.
By having more members with annual subscriptions you can increase customer lifetime value, effectively maximizing profits from your members.
Improved community engagement
The final reason that creators are choosing OTT broadcasting comes down to community engagement. This is paramount to the success of any membership business.
And, community engagement and mobile apps go hand-in-hand. 78% of community activity on Uscreen’s OTT streaming service comes from mobile apps. That’s a huge number!
This has a direct impact on retention, as well. Customers who combine their app with an active community see 2x less churn than those who don’t.
Mobile apps + increased community engagement = membership success!
Ready to explore how Uscreen’s reliable, scalable solution is helping customers monetize live events through pay-per-view, on-demand content, and memberships?
OTT live streaming in action: How Filmmakers Academy built an OTT-driven business
Shane and Lydia Hurlbut founded the Filmmakers Academy with a vision to make professional cinematography accessible to filmmakers at all levels.
However, like a true Hollywood Hero’s Journey, their quest to build and educate a community of budding cinematographers wasn’t without obstacles to overcome or (proverbial) dragons to slay.
Filmmakers Academy initially struggled because it was built using a patchwork of video-on-demand and OTT services that lacked essential features for growth. Their custom backend setup and video hosting through services like Vimeo fell short, especially when it came to building membership apps.
And, an app was the goal. The Filmmakers Academy team needed something that empowered their customers to learn from and interact with their content on the go, on set, or in the studio.
Our members love having us in their pocket to reference on set. The ability to ask questions and get help in real-time is invaluable!
Lydia Hurlburt, Co-founder of Filmmakers Academy
It was caught between this hodge-podge approach to over-the-top streaming and building a game-changing app that the team discovered Uscreen. And, in 2021, they decided to make the jump to migrate their content over.
The results speak for themselves. Since the migration and launch of their app, Filmmakers Academy has seen an impressive 180% growth in their member base.
Anytime you switch OTT platforms, there’s a risk of losing customers and we had a massive amount of content we wanted to migrate over. Uscreen provided the best solution for retaining as many customers as possible during the transition, minimizing the impact.
Brendan Sweeney, CEO of Filmmakers Academy
In fact, they’ve launched four OTT streaming apps on Roku, FireTV, Android, and iOS, attracting thousands of members from over 96 countries. This is helping them maintain a steady monthly growth rate of 8%, with lower churn.
But it’s not just about the numbers. The quality of the OTT experience has significantly improved for both the Filmmakers Academy team and their members.
What I love most about Uscreen is the comprehensive backend feature set. It’s like playing an instrument—I manage to push notifications, email broadcasts, upselling functions, and abandoned cart features all within the Uscreen platform
Brendan Sweeney, CEO of Filmmakers Academy
This streamlined approach has allowed the small team at Filmmakers Academy to focus on what they do best – creating top-notch content for aspiring filmmakers. They no longer have to juggle multiple platforms or worry about technical complexities. They can just focus on delivering value.
The OTT apps have become a central part of the Filmmakers Academy experience, offering members the flexibility to access content wherever they are, whether it’s on set or at home. It’s also enabled other avenues for growth, too.
By leveraging Uscreen’s OTT capabilities, Filmmakers Academy can now provide a robust community platform, monthly Spotlight Coaching sessions, and even 1:1 coaching for personalized mentorship.
Their success is a great example of how powerful OTT broadcasting can be, and when done right, can empower you to have a massive impact on your audience in lots of different ways!
How to tell if your business is ready for OTT
Okay, by now you’ve read all about the benefits of OTT streaming and apps, and you’ve seen some examples of creators who are using it to level up their businesses.
But the question still remains: is your business ready for OTT live streaming?
There are a few things I recommend that you have in place before you take the plunge.
You have an engaged audience on an established platform
A question I often get asked is “How big should my audience be before I launch my app?”. The truth is, there is no Goldilocks size that you need to meet in order to get started with ott streaming.
What’s more important is that you have an engaged niche audience that you’re sustaining on an established platform like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.
Frances Long, the founder of Your Book of Memories, is a great example of this. She’s built up a (relatively) modest-sized following over on YouTube of around 36,000 subscribers.
But her reach within her niche is fantastic. She gets great engagement across all of her videos, where she teaches people how to make their own handmade journals and photo books.
The following might be “small” compared to large creators like Mr. Beast (381 million), or some niche content creators like James Hoffman (2.2 million). But, the engagement is enough that it warrants providing an app:
Pay close attention to the depth of the engagement and reach you get in your niche, and you’ll get a much stronger indication about whether you need an app rather than looking at the total size of your audience.
Your audience would benefit more from your content with an app
There’s a commonality between a lot of the creator’s audiences that you’ve seen in this article so far. All of them would benefit from having an app to access the content.
If having an app would make your audience’s experience of your content better, then that’s a very strong argument for why you should look at getting into OTT broadcasting.
You could make an argument that OTT technology is a positive addition in any niche:
- Entertainment: Films are better to watch (and higher quality) when they’re streamed through a native app on a smart TV
- Fitness: Getting a workout in is much easier if you can take your mobile phone to the studio or gym and follow along in real-time
- Yoga: You have more chance of maintaining your yoga practice if you can take your app on the road with you, or get on the mat in front of your smart TV
- Education: You’re more likely to sneak in 10-15 minutes of learning if it’s an app on your phone than if you have to go through the trouble of getting your laptop out
But the decision has to be right for your audience. So, if you’re on the fence, it may be worth asking them if they’d prefer using an app to access your content or if they’re happy on their browsers.
You’re monetizing your audience through a membership site
Running a branded membership site – or at least a subscription video offering – is an important step to take before you jump into the world of OTT. Why?
Because you need a proof of concept that this model is right for you. Creating, launching, and running your own app requires a real cash investment into your business, and you should feel like launching your app is a worthwhile extension of that business.
There may be exceptions to this, like if you’re running a large YouTube channel with strong engagement, or if your audience is actively asking you to create an OTT platform. But in most cases, it’s good to have the experience of creating content and managing a membership platform.
You’re willing to focus on community engagement and growth
With great apps comes great responsibility.
Uncle Ben may or may not have said that. But, it’s true.
Launching an app means that you’ll need to focus on the community aspect of your membership. Even though the data shows a real increase in engagement, you’re going to need to foster and promote that engagement as you grow.
The good news is: you can’t fail at community building. However, it does take time and a bit of elbow grease to get there. Here are 31 community-building tactics if you’re up to the challenge though.
The two different ways to start OTT live streaming
If you’re seriously considering launching your own OTT platform, you need to know about the 2 different ways to go about launching your app. Let’s take a look!
| Method | Best For… | Price | Complexity | Customization |
| Lease an app | Established video creators that want a white-labeled solution to building an app, without “owning” the app itself. | $$$ | Low | You can brand your apps, but you’re bound by pre-existing UX |
| Custom development | Creators with the budget to invest in creating an app from scratch to their specifications, using a team of developers. | $$$$$ | Low | You have full control over the brand and flow of your app. |
1. Lease An App
Leasing is the most efficient and cost-effective way to get into OTT broadcasting and launch your app.
This method means you’ll rent the OTT services of a provider, like Uscreen, that already has white-labeled over-the-top apps for a variety of devices, content delivery networks (CDNs), and hosting in place.
A team of professional developers will build your white-labeled OTT apps — but instead of buying them for tens of thousands of dollars, you’ll rent them on a monthly basis for as long as you have the apps running.
These apps have been built through rigorous testing with thousands of creators and hundreds of thousands of subscribers to find the app that works best for you. Inside, you’ll find a fully optimized UX and extra capabilities like access to OTT live streaming.
Each app comes fully branded just for your business. All you need to do is provide us with the details like your logo and brand colors.
Here’s an example of what your content will look like on a leased app from Uscreen. Filmmakers Academy puts all its course content on its OTT app for members to watch, and even share with other members.
They can see a description of the course and jump to another lesson with a simple scroll and a tap.
Here’s how launching an OTT service with Uscreen works:
- Set up a Uscreen account and place an order for your app.
- Get your video website ready by adding content (read more).
- Set up your app developer account (our team will help you with that too).
- Provide us with your app requirements (read more).
- Wait 4 weeks while we build your app. You can test it shortly after.
- Submit your app for approval in the App Store (we got you).
- After it’s published, your app will be launched!
There are other platforms available to help you lease an app, if you’d like to keep your options open. You can read about more of them in our OTT alternatives article here.
2. Hire an app developer
Hiring someone to develop your OTT apps is a great way to develop the app you envisioned, but it can be very expensive.
If you have a healthy budget, you can hire an agency or developer to create custom OTT apps for you. It’ll be built from scratch by a professional (or team of professionals) to your exact needs.
This process usually takes between 3 and 6 months and costs between $10,000 and $20,000 per app, depending on the features you want. Plus, you’ll still have to pay monthly expenses for running the app, maintenance, or support costs.
To find the cheapest quotes, you can use websites like Upwork to find an affordable developer. They should be able to create a basic app without breaking the bank.
If you want a comprehensive app with all the bells and whistles, you’d be better off looking for a high-end developer or agency. You can either approach them directly or advertise the job on a site like Stack Overflow.
So…if you’re on a tighter budget – or timeline – I seriously recommend you go for OTT option 1.
Looking for an OTT Streaming Platform? Uscreen’s got you covered
If you think OTT broadcasting is the right next step for your video-driven creator business, then allow me to introduce you to Uscreen. (Don’t worry, I’m not about to go all hard sell on you!)
Uscreen is an all-in-one platform that provides value to your audience through delivering top-notch video streaming and community-building features.
We make it easy for you to launch a membership site and build an app for your content, in the same way that all of the Creators you’ve seen featured in this article have done, too!
The content library is inspired by Netflix and YouTube and helps community members find what they’re looking for fast – or discover new videos they weren’t expecting.
Uscreen’s apps are white-labeled and built to meet the needs of content-driven businesses across a wide range of devices. You can deliver your brand in a way that feels native and natural to your subscribers’ devices.
We also provide community engagement tools like user-uploaded videos, social profiles, integrated member feedback, and community challenges to help you deliver great value to your members.
Public and private spaces let your users connect to you and each other, and a variety of monetization options let you control access to content, community spaces, and online courses in a way that works for you.
Uscreen gives you complete control over how you run your membership business and makes it easy to step into the world of OTT broadcasting and apps in a way that suits your needs.
You can request a demo below to find out more.
Build, launch and manage your membership, all in one place.
Wrapping This Up…
Phew! Okay, that was a lot of information about OTT broadcasting. Still with me?
Great!
If you’re looking for OTT streaming services, Uscreen can help you build your own membership site and launch a branded OTT streaming app easily. You can learn more by requesting a demo below!
Build, launch and manage your membership, all in one place.
