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