Mobile appVideo, music & mediaOriginal by MUBI
MUBI won the trust of film lovers by offering carefully chosen independent and classic films instead of letting viewers drown in thousands of titles. Its curated selection model, where a new film is added every day and leaves the catalogue after a while, raises the urge to watch through a sense of scarcity. Editorial writing, festival selections and a cinephile community make the platform more than a video service.
Building something similar takes, next to a subscription video stack, a strong editorial content and curation panel. The date a film enters and leaves the showcase, reviews, director pages and user ratings come together in a single data model. Because of country-by-country licences, a different selection is shown in each region, and the mobile, web and TV clients enforce these rules.
How MUBI works: the core user flow
How many apps and dashboards do you need?
Viewer apps
Film lovers who watch the curated films, rate them and read editorial content on mobile, web and TV.
Curation and editorial panel
The panel where editors prepare the selection calendar, film notes, articles and festival collections.
Admin panel
An internal panel for managing regional rights, subscriptions, campaigns and community moderation.
Critical features of a product like MUBI
Daily selection calendar
A new film is added to the showcase each day and drops out of the selection automatically when its window ends.
Country-based catalogue
A different film list is shown in each country according to licensing rights, and the user's location is verified.
Editorial content
Film notes, reviews, interviews and director profiles are presented linked to each film.
Ratings and reviews
Users rate films and write short reviews, and can follow other film lovers.
Collections and festival selections
Collections themed around a director, a movement or a festival are prepared and promoted in the showcase.
Leaving-soon alert
A reminder notification is sent for films that are about to leave the selection.
What goes into the first version, what comes later
First version (MVP)
- Mobile and web player
- Subscription and free trial
- Daily selection and a curation panel
- Film page and editorial notes
- Ratings and a watchlist
Later releases
- Smart TV apps
- A cinema magazine and long-reads section
- User following and a community feed
- Cinema ticket or physical merchandise partnerships
Modules and how the budget is calculated
The budget is calculated with 360 SOFT’s pricing model from the modules below, about 24 screens and the project’s complexity: roughly 154 person-days for the full scope and 117 person-days for the first version. Every module you drop lowers the budget directly.
| Module | Phase |
|---|---|
| Sign-up, login, social login | First version |
| User profile and settings | First version |
| Subscriptions and recurring billing | First version |
| Online payments (Stripe / PSP) | First version |
| Product / content catalogue | First version |
| Advanced search and filters | First version |
| Video / voice calls | First version |
| Ratings and reviews | First version |
| Content management / blog | First version |
| Push notifications | First version |
| Multi-language | First version |
| Admin dashboard | First version |
| GDPR and security hardening | First version |
Hosting, SMS, map APIs, app store accounts and payment-provider fees are separate items. Maintenance and improvements (optional): €550 / month. We send a fixed written price within 24 hours after a free discovery call.
The hard parts
Independent film licences
Striking country-by-country deals with many small rights holders and entering them correctly into the system takes effort.
Curation operations
The product's value rests on the editors' choices; without a content team, technology alone makes no difference.
Growth in a niche audience
A cinephile audience is loyal but limited, so organic growth through community and editorial content has to be planned.
Business model
The model is a single-price monthly or annual subscription; student discounts and gift subscription campaigns work well with a cinephile audience. Joint bundles with film festivals and cinemas, production and distribution partnerships and special screening tickets can be extra revenue lines. Advertising is generally unwelcome with this audience.
Get a free quote for your project
Let us scope it together and send a fixed written quote within 24 hours. NDA on request; you own the source code.
Choosing a company to build an app like MUBI
Most people searching “build an app like mubi” are really looking for a reliable app development company. When comparing quotes, check four things:
- Can you try similar products they have shipped, in the stores or live?
- Are the source code, design files, servers and store accounts transferred to you by contract?
- Do they show a working demo every two weeks, with written scope and acceptance criteria?
- Are maintenance, scaling and GDPR/security costs written into the quote?
Copyright and trademarks
A business model and features are generally not protected on their own, but the MUBI name, logo, interface design, content and source code are. That is why we build a product with similar functionality but your own brand, design and code. This is not legal advice; we recommend a trademark search before launch.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build an app like MUBI?
A first version with the selection calendar, subscriptions, player and editorial panel can be ready in a few months. Community features and TV clients are added later.
Does it make sense to start with a small catalogue?
In a curated model, few but high-quality titles are the essence of the product. What matters is that the selection is refreshed regularly and the editorial storytelling is strong.
Are there copyright or trademark issues?
The curated film subscription business model and its features are generally free to use, but the name, logo, design, content and code cannot be copied. Licences must be obtained from rights holders for the films; this information is not legal advice.
What should I look for when choosing a company to build an app like MUBI?
Look for a team that has video streaming and DRM experience and can also build editorial content management. Ask how they will apply region-based catalogue rules.
