Video Music Editing App
Story of a teamwork with customer,
making the improbable happen
How a passionate Music lover was able to Launch a viable APP having
10+ Video editing features
150K+ APP Downloads
The Customer
The client is a serial entrepreneur in the mobile and technology domain, having established and invested in a large number of startup companies since 2003. He is an ardent music lover and a huge admirer of Facebook. Such an enthusiast who
" Flew all the way to India to be part of the team"
to achieve the goal.
The Background
The client tried to create groups on Facebook that were focused on discussing and sharing music but always felt that the experience was incomplete. His goal was to create a truly unique social network experience centered around music.
An application where people could come together to share, discuss and experience music.
TheThe Roller Coaster Journey
6 months timeline
and a fixed scope
Rapid Application Development
with double team size
Plan in place for
the Launch
Timeline reduced to
3 months due to
business threat
Technical
Challenges
The Launch/ Release
& the celebrations
Iterative & Parallel
R&Ds
The Go Live
Challenges
Client visit
to HB
Technical Challenges
The Impact
DRM
Digital Rights Management to ensure downloaded
songs cannot be distributed outside the appCustom & Interactive
Completely custom and interactive music player
Multiple API Integrations
Apple Music, Spotify, Musixmatch, eJabberd
Reduction in development timeline [6 months to 3 months]
Database of Songs
Video Editor Features including Reverse Tracking, Audio and Visual Effects
Downloads from iTunes & Google Play Store
ApplicationDesign
Hidden Brain'sPATH TO SUCCESS
The complexity and scale of the undertaking forced us to adopt creative and unique methodologies during the development phase that combined the Agile Scrum with Rapid Application development methodology.
Inception
Once the project scope was clearly defined, we mapped out the entire project plan and launch strategy. Our initial project timeline targeted to complete the development and have both applications ready for launch within a 6-month timeframe.
This took into account the technical challenges and complexities involved in the development of some of the features. We also established open lines of communication with the client and internally from the very start. This set the base to maintain us aligned with the final goal.
01step
02step
The Deep Dive
To map out the best possible solutions for the more complex requirements, we employed an iterative research strategy to dive into each feature and find the most impactful and value adding solution.
This included hours of research into all available APIs to build a large and diverse music database. We concluded on integrating both Apple Music and Spotify to achieve this. Parallel to this was also found an API that could supply the lyrics for the extensive library we had planned to build. For this, our team concluded Musixmatch would be the best fit. Along with these the team also explored GPL Libraries and OpenGL to complete the video editor feature as well as the technical documentation of eJabberd to ensure smooth integration during development.
The Acceleration and Work Division
A few weeks into the project, the client approached us and informed us of a potential business threat he was facing. Because of this, he requested us to revise the plan and push the launch up by 3 months. Due to the nature of the threat, we immediately responded with an all hands on deck brainstorming session to remap the project timeline and launch strategy. Once we had the revised plan in hand, we jumped straight into execution.
We quickly engaged more resources and increased the team size to 18 members. Next, we further broke down each feature into smaller individual pieces and distributed the work making sure everyone knew their role. The keys - collaboration and a strong team ethic.
03step
04step
The Visit
The nature of the threat and the accelerated timeline even prompted the client to visit our offices. We coordinated with the client and set up a plan for him to spend time at our office during the development phase. While there, he was afforded a behind-the-scenes look at our process and was thoroughly impressed with our professionalism and work ethic. In 0ur iterative sprint release strategy, we also provided the client with substantial feature updates to get real-time feedback and ensure we remained aligned with the end goal.
The Trial
Once the beta was ready, we employed a two-fold testing strategy. Firstly, given the subjective domain of the application, we performed a thorough examination of the user experience to identify and enhance the overall user journey. Secondly, we employed more traditional testing techniques to test the robustness and extensibility of some of the more complex features to ensure the highest product quality. Since the client was at our offices during this time, we were also able to run a successful UAT cycle and get that seal of approval as well.
05step
06step
The Reaction
The client was overjoyed that not only were we able to complete the entire project within the revised timeline but also that we were able to build a product that matched his vision. This resulted in a celebration with the client who was visiting us at that time.
The Release
Once we concluded a successful trial and received the go-ahead from the client, we launched both applications in the respective stores. The apps were well received and have gotten many downloads through iTunes and Google Play Store. Within 3 weeks of launch, Muzeit became the No. 1 Music App in 18 countries and among the Top 10 in a further 62 countries.
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The no-end relationship
Since its launch, we have helped push 8 version updates for Android and iOS. We are proudly still serving them and continue to help them grow.