Your Guide to Apple TV SDK: Developing a Business App for tvOS

By Todd Sitrin•Jul 22, 2024

Demand for video content is sky-high. In recent years, it’s been happening more and more through over-the-top (OTT) streaming. In fact, we recently wrote up a guide all about OTT TV that reveals how viewers are shifting from traditional broadcast television to streaming. 

We also revealed step-by-step how your business can take advantage of OTT streaming with your own smart TV app. Of course, getting in front of your target audience starts with knowing where they’re watching content – and chances are good, that’s going to include Apple TV. 

In this guide, we’ll explore what the Apple TV SDK is and how you can use it to make your OTT strategy come to life on Apple TV.

Table of Contents

What is the Apple TV SDK?

Why I switched back to Apple TV after a month with the Fire TV | Tom's Guide

 

The Apple TV SDK, or software developers kit, is a set of tools and resources provided by Apple that are designed to support over-the-top (OTT) app development for the Apple ecosystem. With core components like TVMLKit, AVKit, and GameKit, the Apple TV SDK provides an incredible depth of pre-built functionality that you can use to speed up your development workflow. 

Note that the Apple TV SDK is compatible with the broader Apple ecosystem, so if you’re looking to develop an app for tvOS 18, you can leverage features or services found on other iOS or macOS Apple devices you may have already coded for, including iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers.

In particular, if you and your team are already familiar with iOS development, you should be able to make a quick and painless leap to tvOS.

The Benefits of a tvOS App

So, why would your business utilize the Apple TV SDK or even bother creating an app for tvOS? Here are a few of the biggest benefits of your own tvOS app:

  • A huge user base. With your own Apple TV video app, viewers can easily access and engage with your content right on their televisions. Given that the iPhone is the most popular smartphone in the United States, with millions of active global users, it makes sense that you’d want to expand your content’s reach and visibility across Apple TV 4K boxes.
  • Premium audience. People who buy Apple products tend to be higher-income, or at the very least, more willing to pay for quality services and content like yours. Whether you’re B2B or D2C, the Apple customer base is a valuable audience to tap into.
  • Custom UI. Using SwiftUI and UIKit, you can easily port your app’s interface from iOS or iPadOS apps to tvOS, ensuring it’s easy to navigate and authentic to your brand and your content catalog. If you’ve already got an existing iOS or iPad app, it’s almost a no-brainer to make it available on Apple TV as well.

We should also note that Apple’s TV SDK supports pay-to-download apps and in-app purchases, so along with conventional monetization opportunities like subscription and advertising revenue, you can generate transactional revenue by offering exclusive content, services, and features behind a paywall – either on the app download itself or within the app via in-app purchases. 

This can be a substantial revenue driver in its own right!

How to Create an Apple TV App

TokBox's new developer kit brings voice and video chat to Apple TV apps | VentureBeat

The good news with Apple is that they understand software development inside and out.

With tvOS, you can expect a range of robust tools, technologies, and features right out of the gate for creating your own tvOS app. Apple TV also makes it easy to stream whatever type of content you’re looking to share with your ideal audience, from entertainment to education to games.

So, how do you create your own Apple TV app? Well, to begin with, you should get familiar with Xcode, which is Apple’s integrated software development environment. This is a complete suite of tools that includes:

  • A project manager
  • Code editors
  • Visual editors for UI
  • Debugging tools
  • Simulators for different devices
  • Performance measurement tools

In addition, Xcode comes with system code modules (i.e. frameworks) that you can use to develop your software for tvOS.

Keep in mind that Xcode is just a development environment, not a programming language. Because of this, you’ll still need to decide on a few more things as you build out your TV app for Apple TV:

  • Your programming language. Apple recommends Swift, but it also supports Objective-C, JavaScript (TVML), or a combination of these. It’s up to you what is best for your project. 
  • Your app-builder technologies. Apple encourages SwiftUI, but TVUIKit and UIKit are also options.
  • Your user interface. Apple provides some key features like Dark Mode, Scenes, automatic layout, and scalable images for UI. Aside from the general design you go with, you should consider how your UI will work with these features. 
  • Your media formats. Through AVKit, AVFAudio, and PHASE, you can implement a number of different formats for your app’s audio and video content.  

Taking Advantage of Apple TV

It’s important to understand how app development for Apple TV differs from other popular platforms. Apple has a number of features that viewers may not find anywhere else, but that your app will definitely want to support. 

For a start, Apple TV supports the highest-quality, industry-standard formats like 4K video, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and HDR10. It also works with the Apple TV remote, so you should make sure your app is easy to navigate with this input. Beyond the Apple TV remote, other possible inputs you should expect your app to work with include remotes, game controllers, or the viewer’s voice through Siri. 

Here are some other features to think about when you develop an app for Apple TV using the tvOS SDK:

  • The tvOS focus system
  • Edge-to-edge artwork with fluid animations
  • Multi-user support 
  • Privacy and user data protection
  • Internationalization and localization

In terms of actually developing your app, you have two basic paths to choose from:

  • Assembling your UI from standard views.
  • Draw everything onscreen yourself.

This decision really boils down to how much customization you need. There are a lot of standard elements that work well for Apple TV, so starting with those will allow you to avoid reinventing the wheel. But for the most custom experience, you can always create every onscreen element from square one.

Best Practices for Apple TV Apps

Like with any SDK, tvOS app development goes beyond the development environment (i.e. Xcode) to include a simulator called tvOS Simulator for testing your app on virtual Apple TV devices. 

It also includes Apple developer documentation and plenty of third-party libraries and frameworks you can turn to for adding further functionality to your app. 

From start to finish, you’ll conceptualize your app, design it with wireframes or mockups of the interface, build it through Swift or Objective-C, test it with the tvOS Simulator or a physical Apple TV device, debug any issues, and optimize it for Apple TV. 

Submitting Your App to the App Store

How to get the Apple TV Plus app on iOS and Android | TechRadar

Once you’ve built your app, you’ll have to submit it to Apple’s App Store. Before you do this, make sure it’s in compliance with all of the App Store guidelines, from the technical requirements to the content policies. 

You’ll use App Store Connect to manage the app’s submission process. This is a platform where you can upload your app, configure the metadata, and set other important details like pricing and availability.

After you’ve submitted the app, it’ll have to go through a review by Apple. After a possible round of feedback and changes, your app will hopefully be approved and published on the App Store!

Official SDK vs Platform SDK

SDK - Software Development Kit Icon. Graphic by DG-Studio · Creative Fabrica

Throughout this post, we’ve been talking about the official Apple TV SDK, which comes straight from Apple. However, you can find an online video platform (OVP) like Maestro who can host and manage all of your VOD and live streaming content. 

We recommend working with an OVP for a range of features that go beyond what you’ll get on your own or through an official SDK, such as detailed analytics, interactive options, and monetization.  

When you find a quality OVP, you can collaborate with their team and their platform-specific TV SDK to develop your own branded OTT app. Ultimately, whether you’re looking to white-label a tvOS app or build one from scratch, getting an OVP with an Apple TV SDK will help your business get there! 

Work With Maestro

Live Streaming Platform & Interactive Video Solution | Maestro

If you’re new to OVPs, Maestro is one of the leading online video platforms for enterprises, with advanced monetization options, in-depth analytics, robust security features, and interactive tools.

Now, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve opened up a whole new opportunity for reaching your customers through the use of OTT TV and smart TV apps. To help you take full advantage of OTT as a distribution channel, we’re releasing a new suite of TV SDKs, including Apple TV and the tvOS platform.

Are you ready to reach your customers over OTT with Maestro? Give your video content a wider reach and a better viewer experience. Contact us now to find out more and get your content out there via OTT!

→ Contact us to get started

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