Getting Your Content onto the iPad/iPhone Platform A look at the development process, timescales, and revenue flows Christopher Drum @ http://development.christopherdrum.com
Nov 01, 2014
Getting Your Content onto the
iPad/iPhone PlatformA look at the development process,
timescales, and revenue flows
Christopher Drum @ http://development.christopherdrum.com
iPhone/iPad PlatformMature development platform called Cocoa
iPhone / iPhone 3G / iPhone 3GS /iPod Touch
50M iPhones and 35M iPod Touches (April 2010)
Captured 72% of Japanese sales last year
iPad
450K units in the first four days
May be the creation of an entirely new platform
The App Store is the killer app.
“I want to sell my content on the iPad!”…is not “an idea for an iPad application.”
Scope is ill-defined.Destination is ill-defined.
Content publishing options already exist.
Scope: what does the software encompass?Destination: what are we building?Content options: why not just iBookstore?
Requirements
Design
Implementation
Verification
Distribution
Maintenance
In a Nutshell, the Development Process
Requirements Gathering
Specifications Writing
Planning and Scheduling
Art Assets
• Icon• Splash screen• In-app assets
What the software should do.
How it should do it.
What should be done, when.
Often forgotten!
Sound Assets
• In-app music• Sound effects• Startup sound
Code
• Zeros• Ones
Testing!!!
App Store Submission
Marketing
Bug fixes, feature requests, etc.
80 pages of requirements, 3 to 6 weeks
The “Real Work”
Obviously.
Almost ALWAYS forgotten.
Developervs.
Programmer
Programmers Need a Roadmap
YouAre
Here
(and so do you)
Tie-InNovella?
Game?
BonusVideo
Content?
RPG?
Puzzle?
Action?
CYOA?
JRPG?
Action?
D&D?
SinglePlayer?
Multi-Player?
Eastern Flavor?
WesternFlavor?
New York?
Japan?
Things that seem so obvious to you, may not be at all obvious to a programmer.Disambiguation is key!
A Developer is not necessarily a Programmer, and vice versa
A developer can help you make your roadmap
A roadmap tells you when you’re “done”
The more details you give a programmer, the better. It is impossible to give “too much” detail
Asking someone to write a program does not de facto mean that person can also help you develop your idea
These two concepts are often mutually exclusive, but many (yours truly *ahem*) can offer both services
In a Nutshell, the Development Process
Requirements Gathering
Specifications Writing
Planning and Scheduling
Art Assets
• Icon• Splash screen• In-app assets
What the software should do.
How it should do it.
What should be done, when.
Often forgotten!
Sound Assets
• In-app music• Sound effects• Startup sound
Code
• Zeros• Ones
Testing!!!
App Store Submission
Marketing
Bug fixes, feature requests, etc.
80 pages of requirements, about 2 weeks (?)
The “Real Work”
Obviously.
Almost ALWAYS forgotten.
Requirements
Design
Implementation
Verification
Distribution
Maintenance
Self Publishing
BooksiBookstore publishes in the ePub format (document is essentially one long page)
You must work through an “Apple Certified Aggregator”
Lulu and Smashwords are two such companies
Rights remain yours
Can build a custom iPhone app out of your content, like Pixel Mags
Comics have embraced in-app purchasing
MusiciTunes publishes in Protected AAC for DRM, as well as non-DRM AAC
iDevices support AAC, protected AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
iTunes is not the only way to obtain media for the iDevices!
Aggregator like CDBaby, Catapult, and Tunecore will publish your music to their distribution affiliates
Rates and royalty cuts depend on the company; Rights remain yours
Other distribution channels: Amazon.MP3, Rhapsody, Aime St., Shockhound, Myspace Music, Lala, and more
VideoFor free video, there is the Video Podcast route
Apple recommends for iDevices (including Apple TV) H.264 video with AAC-LC audio, saved as an M4V file.
iPhone supports 640x480, Apple and iPad up to 720p
Like books and music, pairing with an Aggregator is necessary
Tunecore.com will publish your video to their affiliates for a flat-rate fee; all rights and royalties are yours
CDBaby also does video, but takes about 9% from net
Apps
Books
Music
Video
The only medium an artist can upload directly.
Expect up to three months development time.Approval process averages 3 to 6 weeks.Payments are monthly.
}All Aggregators say to expect a 4 to 8 weeks.Payments are monthly.
$
30%
10%60%
Apple Smashwords You
Source: “How Are Royalties Calculated?”http://www.smashwords.com/about/supportfaq#Royalties
Through 3rd Party
(iTunes, via Smashwords)
30%
70%
AppleYou
Direct(via App Store)
$99/yr Registration FeeDeveloper/Programming @ $100-150/hr
Graphic Art services @ $50-75/hr
TuneCore, one album @ $46.99 flat-rate
Two More Options
In-App Purchasing iAd
Christopher Drumhttp://development.christopherdrum.com