How to Build Roku App Without Coding?

Learn how to build a Roku app with no code platforms like ViewLift

Roku is a prominent player in the smart TV domain. The dominance of Roku TV in the US market throws several opportunities for content publishers. They can earn subscribers effortlessly from the vast user base of Roku devices. However, Roku TV deals in a diverse range of high-end and low-end devices. It makes Roku channel creation a complicated process among developers who create Roku apps. No-code platforms like ViewLift can help content publishers learn how to create Roku apps without writing any code.

What is Roku?

Roku devices make the content viewing experience smarter. Their devices are just like Amazon Fire Stick, transforming traditional TVs into smart TVs. By installing Roku devices, viewers get access to a wide range of OTT platforms, where they can stream unlimited OTT content with or without paying any subscription charge.

Roku: Data at a Glance

Before understanding the challenges in building Roku apps, here are some numbers that tell you why Roku is an ideal destination for your video content.

• Roku OTT reported annual revenue of 2.764 billion in 2021
• Its active subscribers touched 61.3 million in Q2, 2022 from 60.1 million in 2021
• Roku reported 20.7 billion streaming hours in Q2 2022
• Roku experienced a 26% jump in their advertising revenue

The above numbers indicate the significance of Roku TV apps in scaling the reach of OTT content. Unfortunately, while several content owners know these facts, they need help creating the Roku app because of minimal tech and coding experience.

The most significant challenges in building Roku TV apps

Building Roku apps come with several challenges due to the technology infrastructure associated with it.

Restricted device memory

Not all, but many low-end Roku devices come with a significantly low memory range. It means Roku devices face issues in loading large images and videos. If your Roku app uses heavy graphics, loading time might frustrate users. As a result, you can experience a drop in your subscribers.

Repeated UI thread execution timeouts

The time spent on user interface (UI) thread initialization and rendering collection items (such as Row List items) often result in UI thread timeouts, which can cause an application to crash.

Expensive CDN requirements

Roku requires organic, licensed, and original content. In addition, your Roku apps will require CDN to distribute your video content over the ROKU server seamlessly. However, integrating CDN into your app is an expensive process. You need platforms like ViewLift to help you build Roku apps with integrated CDN.

Minimal Roku app developer community support

Lack of app development coding and knowledge support from actual Roku app developers is another significant challenge in Roku channel creation. The number of seasoned Roku app developers in the industry is relatively low. This creates the need for content owners and publishers to hire experienced app developers, pushing the cost through the roof. On the other end of the spectrum, when content owners use the services of inexperienced Roku app developers, and these developers get stuck in the app coding process, they hardly have any authentic source or Roku customer support to rely on.
All these challenges make Roku app development an expensive and time-consuming process, making it inaccessible for independent content creators and publishers who want to monetize their content quickly.
But that does not mean that these indie content creators should look for other publishing avenues. They can still build Roku app with no coding knowledge or experience.

How to develop Roku apps easily and quickly

Let’s see what it takes to go live with your Roku app without hassles.

Choose no-code platforms like ViewLift

ViewLift is a unified OTT platform provider that allows content publishers to build Roku apps seamlessly. ViewLift’s USP is in its simplicity, making it an obvious choice for content publishers.
Our team understands coding and other technical constraints of content publishers. Therefore, by understanding all the customization needs of publishers, we help build Roku channels from scratch without a single line of code, using a UI-based app development platform.
Content personalization, password protection, video-on-demand, immersive viewing experience, and much more – ViewLift will provide all the unique features your viewers demand from OTT channels of all sizes, yours included.

How to create a Roku app on ViewLift

ViewLift handles Roku app building, submission, and QA processes through a seamless and easy-to-navigate user interface-based platform explicitly designed for Roku app creation.
Once Roku approves the app, your OTT channel will be live.
Content owners don’t need to control any complex settings or write a single line of code.
Our seamless, quick, efficient process removes all the hurdles that stop content owners from going live on Roku.

Why choose ViewLift to build Roku apps

ViewLift offers a plethora of valuable features that make content publishing and viewing an enriching experience. In addition, ViewLift has seasoned expertise in building Roku apps for a large ecosystem of developers. We have been deploying Roku apps for​​ 12 years. As a result, a content owner who works with ViewLift to build Roku app only has to focus on bringing engaging content. Our platform takes care of everything else.
This is what makes ViewLift an ideal choice for Roku channel creation.

Top ViewLift Roku TV app features

ViewLift is known for its OTT platform solutions. We offer a wide range of features that make content publishers’ Roku channel creation and after-launch experience delightful.
Viewer experience, content rights, attractive monetization models, a 360-degree dashboard for one-click visibility into traffic, viewer engagement, revenue, and marketing – ViewLift offers everything you need to become a highly downloaded Roku app. All you need is to bring great content.

Build an app without really building an app

ViewLift is a no-code platform. So, to build a Roku app, you do not need to write even a single line of code. Instead, content publishers or owners can simply sign up on the ViewLift platform, customize the layout, add content, and the platform will build a Roku app for them almost instantly.

Achieve UI updates in real-time

App builders no longer worry about UI timeouts with ViewLift’s platform. ViewLift also extends the functionality of built-in infrastructure that includes a robust content management system, CDN, Multi-DRM, Encoder and Transcoder, attractive Monetization Models, Integrated Payment Gateways, Ad Servers, and all the effective tools and features required to create Roku TV apps.

Enjoy the flexibility of airing live streaming and on-demand content

ViewLift lets you air all forms of content, whether on-demand or live streaming. Our ultra-low latency makes live content streaming a rich experience for your viewers. Your customers will enjoy live content and video-on-demand streaming services without compromising content quality or viewing experience.

Take your content to market quickly

The app development stage wastes content owners’ time quite significantly. They can utilize this time better in gaining subscribers, experimenting with monetization models, and building a fail-safe content strategy. ViewLift solutions are agile and help content owners bridge the gap to enable content publishers to go to market with their content in as little as one day.

Build your own OTT brand and give the behemoths a run for their money

ViewLift provides content publishers with several brand-building opportunities where content owners can create their brands leveraging ViewLift’s white-label solutions. Content publishers enjoy the sole right to their Roku TV app, OTT brand, content, users, revenue generation, IP, and more. ViewLift is only an enabler on this journey to the top.

Monetize flexibly with multiple models and in-app purchases

ViewLift offers a holistic list of monetization models, including SVOD, AVOD, and Hybrid. We also enable app owners to supplement their marketing and content efforts with offers and coupons redeemable within the app to acquire, engage and retain audiences. Your viewers also have the option to make in-app purchases with simple ecommerce integration. Actionable analytics make these processes insight-oriented, reducing your risks and increasing your chances of success.

Offer seamless viewing experience across a wide range of Roku devices

ViewLift understands that Roku devices come in many forms, ranging all the way from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. All have different asks from the apps deployed on them and yet, the viewing experience must stay consisted, no matter which device the user is streaming content. Our seasoned experts and solutions offer support across the entire gamut. As a result, your viewers get a unified experience on your app, irrespective of the Roku device they own.

Address your roadblocks quickly with 24×7 support

ViewLift doesn’t set it and forget it! When you build Roku apps on our platform, you get technical support around the clock. Our expert team has all the answers you need as you build, deploy and grow the audience for your Roku app.

Start building for Roku to gain viewers instantly

The Roku App Store is one of the most popular, with over 32,000 apps available for download. Nearly all these apps come free for viewers, with just 6% paid apps. This data confirms any doubts you might have about your next destination as a content owner looking to scale viewership by leveraging the scale and fandom of Roku TV. Additionally, you can quickly recover costs through subscriptions, advertising, and in-app purchases powered by a seamless ViewLift platform built for you to create engaging Roku apps.
Content owners and creators should not miss out on creating their Roku TV channel apps. Otherwise, they would be leaving money on the table.
Request a demo to build your Roku app today.