Dec 13, 2023 • After a tumultuous year of development, our new myNoise Android app is finally here. This milestone marks not just the culmination of countless hours of hard work but also, most certainly, the start of new challenges. In this extensive blog post, I aim to share insights about our journey – where we are now and how we got here.
To enhance clarity, I've included section titles to make it easier for you to skim through the content.
The Harsh Reality of Android Development
Releasing an app on Android may require a certain level of masochism. It is common knowledge in the developer community that you choose to release an Android app only out of necessity, such as big companies that cannot afford to ignore the platform. Smaller independent developers often opt to steer clear of it. Those who dare, should be ready to enter a hostile territory.
From a personal standpoint, my views on mobile apps have been consistent: I prefer to avoid them. My experience predates myNoise; I developed two apps single-handedly and quickly realized the lack of sustainability in the mobile app market. Without a robust team and treating these apps as commercial products backed by significant marketing, it's challenging to thrive. The app stores offer little visibility, regardless of an app's quality, unless you pay for premium placement.
Today, the scenario is such that not only does the store owner (Apple, Google) take a cut of your sales, but they also eat into your profits by necessitating investment in paid visibility. In essence, without reallocating your profits to store advertisements, your app remains unnoticed. This dynamic forces developers to operate on thin profit margins.
The Genesis of myNoise as a Website
The very reason myNoise initially launched as a website was to avoid these app store challenges. And as a website, it has been a success, drawing in 15,000 unique visitors daily. Thank you, dear reader, for being one among them.
This popularity is precisely why we dared to venture into the realm of mobile apps. The established recognition of myNoise meant that there is an audience actively seeking a "myNoise" app in the mobile stores. This stands in contrast to the generic search for "white noise app," which yields hundreds of results, overshadowing myNoise despite its superior quality. You can't get visibility from keywords anymore, unless you pay for them. That's the unfortunate truth of today.
The Role of Florian and the Initial iOS Success
While I personally hesitated to take on the mobile app challenge, I was open to the idea if someone else could take care of the development. This is where Florian's crucial role began, a decade ago. He was the man behind the first myNoise iOS app, which even achieved the prestigious 'App of the Day' recognition from Apple. This was a time when outstanding apps could still achieve significant visibility in the stores just with their intrinsic qualities.
Challenges with the Android App Development
Our venture into Android app development followed, albeit with mixed results. We successfully pushed an app, but it was more a proof-of-concept than a fully-fledged application. It made its way to the Google Play Store but gradually became outdated due to lack of maintenance, eventually becoming incompatible with newer Android devices. Until today, you could not find the myNoise Android app anymore on Google Play.
The truth is, we didn't put much investment into the Android app because our experiment showed that the revenue wouldn't cover the high development costs. This is mainly because of the wide variety of Android devices available in the market. It seemed like the Android app would never recoup its development expenses. (Now, as I write this, I find myself questioning why we decided to try again. It really feels like I didn't want to learn from my previous experience - haha).
A New Beginning: Overcoming Challenges with Rémy and Guillaume
The departure of Florian marked a turning point. His exit left me with complex code that no-one would build on, resembling an old house slowly falling into disrepair. On Android, it was already in ruins; on iOS, it still functions but is vulnerable to strong winds coming from Apple; if they ever decide to bring deep changes to iOS, for example.
The Bold Decision to Rebuild
At this crucial point of time - that was one year ago - my son, Rémy, and his friend, Guillaume, stepped in to confront this challenge. We faced a simple choice: either shut down the mobile apps and focus solely on the website, which I could manage independently, or take a "last chance" effort to construct something robust and enduring.
Fueled by Rémy's boldness, we chose the latter path. He committed a full year, working full-time to address these issues. Rémy, a commercial engineer, teamed up with Guillaume, a civil engineer with a profound knowledge of programming, to take on this huge task. This collaborative effort is why I now refer to the mobile app development as "we." The website and its content mostly remains a solo endeavor, the "I".
The Strategy for Android Development
Rémy's strategy prioritized Android development first, as our app was no longer accessible on newer phones in that ecosystem anyway. We employed a technology that would allow for easy portability to iOS with only minor adjustments. The rationale was simple: if we could conquer the challenging Android landscape, transitioning to iOS should be comparatively straightforward.
The Launch and Initial Reception of the New Android App
Fast forward one year of intense labor, and the fruit of our efforts, a brand-new Android app debuted in the Google Play Store just yesterday. The initial reception? A series of negative reviews.
Let's not throw in the towel just yet. After all, delving into the Android app world requires a certain level of masochism, would you remind us of that. You may be surprised, but no, our aim was not to get beaten by receiving unfavorable reviews :D
Appeal for Community Support
The financial burden of this project is significant, equivalent to the cost of a high-end car, covering two salaries for a year. Faced with such an investment, the prospect of the project ending in failure is not something I can accept at this point. This is where I kindly ask for your assistance, starting with those who use Android phones.
I encourage you to visit the Google Play Store and give the myNoise mobile app a try. If it meets your expectations, please consider leaving a positive review. Your feedback is not just valuable; it's essential for our continued growth and improvement. We are at a point where the Android app needs to start funding itself, to cover more development costs. This is a key moment, and if user engagement doesn't reach the desired level, it will become even more challenging for us to continue its development.
myNoise App: Free Access and Support Options
The myNoise app is free to use, with a wide pool of sounds available at no cost. My request above doesn't involve any mandatory purchases. However, if you find the app useful and wish to support our efforts, there is an option to purchase the complete catalog. This is a one-time, lifetime purchase that grants access to all current and future soundscapes.
We've listened to your feedback and steered clear of the unpopular subscription model. Like many of you, we are not a fans of forced subscriptions. Our approach is straightforward and user-friendly: a single purchase for lifelong access. This model aligns with our commitment to making myNoise as accessible and user-friendly as possible. Making it entirely free and backed from the donations on the website is impossible at the moment.
Future Plans and Challenges in the Android Market
The journey with our Android app is ongoing. We're starting with basic functionalities and will soon share a roadmap outlining future enhancements. The Android market is notoriously challenging, akin to building a house on quicksand. Our approach is to solidify the foundation first, ensuring stability before we add decorative elements and furnitures ;-) Popular features like slider animation will come up next, very soon.
Understanding User Frustration and Looking Forward
We have encountered many negative reviews, primarily due to the new app's incompatibility with the older version, which still functions on older Android models. Users accustomed to the old app are understandably frustrated with issues related to losing their favorite sound settings in the new version. This has led to one-star reviews, adversely affecting our ranking.
While I empathize with their frustration, the stark reality was either to let the app fade away or rebuild it. The former would have been easier for us, and for them, it would mean no compatibility issues - because there would be no app at all ;-)
Preparing iOS Users for Changes
I also need to prepare our iOS users for upcoming changes. The iOS app may stop running from one day to the other, if Apple decides to change how iOS behaves as we cannot update the current code anymore. We are diligently working to port the new Android app to iOS, with plans to roll out in 2024. However, I must caution about potential compatibility issues during this transition. Our goal is to ensure a smooth experience, but some bumps along the road are inevitable. Some features might be lost in the process, but we'll do our best to make up for it with the introduction of new ones.
Why We Ventured into Mobile Apps
So, why did we venture into the realm of mobile apps? The answer is simple: you, our community, asked for them repeatedly. Your enthusiasm and support have been the driving force behind this decision. At one point, before the release of the mobile apps, I would receive daily emails requesting them. I often joke that the apps were developed just to stop these emails from flooding my inbox!
The Challenge of a New Audience
Once released into the vast Android ecosystem, the app reaches an audience distinct from our website's community. Many of these new users are unfamiliar with the myNoise project's background and ethos, leading to some of the adverse reactions we've encountered. This is frustrating, very frustrating, but totally understandable. That's why I'm reaching out to you, members of our website community, to help us spread the positive vibes about this project which is a labor of love for me, maybe by taking the time to write a positive review on the Google Play store at this time.
Donations, Subscriptions, and Support Philosophy
A crucial aspect to note is that donations on the website are separate from the mobile apps. This separation might cause frustration again, which I completely understand. My philosophy revolves around users contributing to the platforms they use: donations for the website (which support me personally and fund sound recording), and a one-time lifetime purchase for Android.
For iOS, we're currently experimenting with a uniquely structured subscription model – one that allows you to access the full catalog even after the subscription ends. Essentially, it's a pay-what-you-want system spread over months. However, it seems this concept isn't resonating as we had hoped; we have been quite criticised for this actually. People do not understand they can now access the full catalog for a lifetime, with a single month payment if they want to. But there is no turning back, as we can't change the code anymore.
If you ever feel frustrated about paying to unlock features on the mobile apps as you already baked the project online, please don't hesitate to contact me – Stéphane (at mynoise.net). I'm more than willing to discuss a refund of the price paid on the mobile store, credited to your web account or other means.
Ho, Ho, Ho...
As we come to the end of this rather lengthy post, I have an exciting teaser to share. While Rémy and Guillaume were working hard on the mobile side of myNoise, I've been working on a new website, dedicated to static, synthetic noises. This project is nearing completion and is set to revolutionize the way we experience white noise.
The goal is to offer an alternative to those white noise playlists on Spotify and other streaming platforms, which are often limited to very short tracks, typically around three minutes long. This format, while beneficial for publishers who earn per play, doesn't make much sense for listeners seeking uninterrupted soundscapes.
My upcoming solution? A platform offering free, high-quality, infinitely long tracks, generated on-the-fly using real stochastic noises. This will be a game changer for those who appreciate the soothing, uninterrupted ambiance of synthetic white noise tracks.
And here's the cherry on top: as a member of the myNoise community, you'll receive privileged access to this new venture. Stay tuned for more details, and get ready for a special treat that might be just in time for the holiday season. Ho, ho, ho...
Sincerely yours,
Stéphane (the 'I') + Rémy and Guillaume (collectively, the 'we')