If you’ve ever wondered how you can reach viewers who like to stream on their TVs, launching a Roku channel is the way to go.
Roku has the highest smart TV streaming watch time in the world, giving you access to over 62.1 million monthly active accounts in the US alone.
In this article, we will show you why you need a Roku app and how to create a Roku channel with 3 different methods.
We’ll break down how each method works, how much it costs, and how long it will take.
Let’s get started!
What is Roku?
Roku is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming device that lets you stream video content directly to your TV, both live and on-demand. Your device gives you access to an entire catalog of streaming channels, called Roku apps or Roku channels.
Know this, skip it!
The company sells its own hardware called Roku Players, which cost between $29.99 and $179.99, depending on the model.
The most common Roku devices are:
- HDMI dongles that plug directly into your TV.
- Block boxes that connect via Wi-Fi.
- Smart TVs
Roku OS is the software that runs on these devices. It lets you download and stream a wide range of Roku TV apps.
In this article, we’ll consider “app” and “channel” synonymous.
Why should you? Create a Roku channel?
Creating a Roku channel will increase your reach, revenue, and user satisfaction.
That’s because Roku is the easiest OTT app you can launch for your video-on-demand business.
By using OTT apps, you can make your content more accessible to your audience. In fact, we’ve seen Uscreen customers increase their video streaming revenue and views by 30%.
For starters, Roku TV apps dominate the streaming device market worldwide. as the most used large screen device, with 30.5%. of viewing time.
So, to reach the largest streaming TV audience around the world, you should probably create a Roku channel.
After all, it makes your video business more accessible by letting you meet current and potential viewers wherever they are. You’ll be able to:
- Give customers who already have a Roku device a familiar way to interact with your content and offer greater value for money.
- Capture a new subsection of potential customers, such as those who are already comfortable streaming content through their smart TVs and looking for more channels to engage with.
Even better, a bigger (and more satisfied) audience means more money!
Due to the convenience and increased user satisfaction that comes with having a channel from Roku, you’ll be able to increase customer referrals and justify any future price increases.
After all, 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.
Your audience wants seamless access to your content. And if they find it difficult to access your content at their convenience, they’ll find other brands to make it easier.
Now that you know what a Roku channel is and why it’s important, let’s see how you can start a channel. from Roku.
How to Create a Roku Channel
Roku is an open platform device, which means anyone can create Roku channels.
There are 3 channels Top Ways to Create a Roku Channel:
- Best Overall Method: Rent a Roku Channel.
- Best free method: direct publishing.
- Best for customization: hire a developer.
Each method requires a different level of energy, skill, cost, and time investment, but all are suitable for people with no coding knowledge.
In this section, we’ll break down each method, how long it takes, and how much it costs, so you can choose the most effective option for your business.
Here’s how you can create a Roku channel:
1. Best Overall Method: Renting a Roku Channel
Renting a Roku app is the fastest and most cost-effective way to create a Roku channel.
Renting a Roku channel from a provider of OTT services allows you to focus on perfecting your video content and running your business.
The beauty of leasing is that someone else takes care of all the technical stuff, like updating your app and adding new features, so he can spend his time on the important tasks.
It also saves you thousands of dollars in developers to keep up with the rest of the industry.
When choosing an OTT provider, here are the top 10 services and features you should be looking for looking for:
- A video streaming website that is fully customizable, along with its applications.
- Global payment gateways and in-app purchases.
- Live streaming capabilities.
- Protected content and secure downloads.
- Free maintenance and updates.
- A technically hands-off solution.
- Customizable and branded apps.
- Bulk uploading of videos.
- Marketing tools for business growth.
- Full ownership of the audience.
This is how leasing an app works: suppose who runs an educational content video business and wants to share their content on Roku smart TVs.
You can rent the services of an OTT service provider like Uscreen that has Roku channels, content delivery networks (CDNs) and video hosting out of the box.
You’ll need to provide some information about your business and certain brand assets to make the final product look and feel like yours, but that’s about it!
When you’re ready, the OTT provider you choose should give you a ready-to-use Roku channel that hosts and distributes your content to viewers while making it easy for you to manage your videos.
The price and specifics of your channel will vary for this method depending on the OTT provider you choose, and it can take a few weeks, or up to 6 months in certain circumstances, to launch your Roku channel.
2. Best Free Method: Roku Direct Publishing
Roku Direct Publishing is Roku’s own service created to help you start and create your own Roku channel.
Here’s how it works:
First you’ll need to set up your Roku customer, developer, and billing accounts. Then, log in to the Roku developer control panel and create a new channel under the “Manage My Channel” tab.
You will see a set of follow-up screens that you need to complete. These will ask you to include things like your name, content type, and brand. Once you get to the final steps screen, you’re almost done.
There are 3 important technical tasks you’ll need to complete before your channel is ready to go live:
- Set up a content delivery network (CDN): This is a third-party server that contains your video content and delivers it to your viewers through your channel. Prices range from $20 to $1,000+.
- Create a “content source”: This is a piece of code that tells your CDN where to stream your content. You’ll need to hire a developer who knows Roku’s niche code language. Prices range from $60/hour to $100/hour.
- Set up a web hosting service: This allows you to get your feed online. It works like hosting any website and could be added to your current page. You could use a web or video hosting service. Prices can range from $10/mo to $100/mo.
There are a lot of moving parts involved in this process that you need to keep track of even after your Roku channel is up and running.
This can be time consuming and expensive.
Roku Direct Publisher is free to use, but you will need to spend money on the services you need to set up before creating a Roku channel.
This method will cost you anywhere from $30 to $1,000 or more per month (not including developer fees) and may take a few weeks to implement.
3. Best for Customization: Hire a Developer
If the last method sounds too complicated and you have a solid budget dedicated to launching your OTT service, then hiring an agency or developer to create a custom Roku channel can be be the easiest. option.
By hiring a developer, you can build your app from scratch to your exact specifications without requiring any coding knowledge on your part.
Given which is a complete app development project, will typically take 3-6 months to get up and running, and will probably cost you $10K-$20K depending on what features you need. That’s a lot of time and money!
The cost estimate is just the development fee, so keep in mind that you will still have monthly costs for running the app, maintenance, support, and hosting. So, if you go ahead with this method, be prepared to spend.
The biggest mistake you can make here is trying to take shortcuts, which will result in a buggy application and cost you more time. and money to fix it.
In the next section, we’ll give you a rundown of how you can rent a Roku channel with Uscreen and what it looks like.
Come on…
Launching a Roku Channel with Uscreen
Now that you know the 3 ways you can launch a Roku channel without coding it yourself, let’s dive into the easiest and fastest way and the cheapest option: rent an application.
But how do you know if Uscreen is for you?
Well, if you are looking for a cheap option, a technically hands-off solution, and a ready-to-use platform, creating a Roku channel with Uscreen is the right choice!
With Uscreen, you get more than just an app – you get a complete OTT platform. For the duration of the lease, you’ll have the full support of our team and we’ll regularly update your app to make sure it performs optimally.
Better yet, by using Uscreen, creators can launch other OTT apps like part of a bundle, like Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android and more.
Here’s how to create a Roku channel with Uscreen:
- Set up a Uscreen account and order your app.
- Get your video website ready by adding content.
- Set up your Roku developer account. (Our team will help you figure it out.)
- Tell us your app requirements (assets needed to build your app).
- We’ll review your app requirements and ask about assets incomplete.
- We’ll create your app, which you test and provide feedback.
- We’ll submit your app for approval on the Roku channel store.
- After After it’s released, you’ll pitch it to your customers and celebrate!
If you’re looking for more OTT services that launched with Uscreen, check out this colorful list of video platforms from 4 different industries who successfully launched their Roku channels (and more) with us.
In Summary
There you have it: a comprehensive guide on how to create a Roku channel if you’re not a developer. Now you can make an informed decision for your video business.
If you’re ready to start streaming to your audience’s TVs with the best overall method, request a demo with Uscreen today and we’ll help you get started.
Creating a Roku Channel FAQ
Still have questions about creating a Roku channel? We have the answers.
.