Create a video for your app on the App Store

One great new feature announced by Apple in iOS 8 is the ability to add video previews of apps to iTunes Connect. The addition of video to screenshots will allow users to see what your app looks like in action, hopefully leading to bigger sales.

If you are an app developer, we think you should already be preparing a good sales video for your app. We believe video previews will be a big feature for driving the sales of apps.

In this feature, we’re going to look at how to record a video of your app and upload it to iTunes Connect.

See also:

• OS X 10.10 Yosemite – in-depth preview
• 5 ways to actually find what you are looking for on the App Store

Record a video preview of your app for App Store

The first thing you should do is record a video preview of your App. If you’re running the Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite preview you can attach your iPhone to the Mac, and record a video using QuickTime Player. Note that the iPhone or iPad device needs to be running iOS 8.

[See: 10 Awesome hidden features in Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite]

Here is how to record a video of your app in Mac OS X Yosemite:

1. Connect an iPhone or iPad to the computer using the Lightning cable.
2. Open QuickTime Player.
3. Click File > New Movie Recording.
4. Click the small Select icon (to the right of the red Record button).
5. Choose your iOS device from the Camera section of the list.
6. Click record to start recording the screen.

Now as you use your app, QuickTime Player  will record a video of it. Click Stop to end the recording

If you are running Mac OS X Mavericks, or want a direct capture of the video you should invest in a device like the Elgato Game Capture.  You can connect your iPhone to the Elgato Game Capture using an Apple HD adaptor.

[See: How to capture iPhone screen video &  How to record the screen on your Mac]

While you can just upload a video demonstrating gameplay, it’s probably a good idea to talk people through the features of your app. You can also add some titles and annotations (often called Lower Thirds) to the app.

The easiest way to add these effects is to use iMovie (or Final Cut Pro if you’ve got editing experience). Here are some tips for creating a demonstration video of your app:

• Write a script. Some games can be demonstrated visually, but for other apps you should write a script and record a voiceover.
• Create a concept. Do you want to just show your app in action? Or would you rather add an informative voiceover? Do you want to create a fast-paced advert; or soft and emotional narrative? Do you want to tell the story behind the app, or  do the hard sell about features? Take some time to think about the kind of video you want to make.
• Sketch out a storyboard. You don’t have to be an artist to sketch out the things you want to show. Just create rough boxes from A to B to C that go over the features you want to cover.
• Add a voiceover. You can click the Microphone icon in iMovie to quickly add a voiceover to your movie. Or you can use the New Audio Recording option in QuickTime Player to record a voice track.
• Consider background music. You can find royalty free music on sites like PremiumBeat.com or Jamendo.

Submitting your preview video to iTunes Connect

When you have finished the video, you will be able to upload it to iTunes using iTunes connect. When you submit your app you are able to correctly upload screenshots, prior to the launch of iOS 8 Apple will include the video option here. 

When Apple switches on video upload, you will be able to add a video to iTunes Connect. Here are the steps to adding media to your App on iTunes Connect.

1. Go to iTunes Connect.
2. Enter your Apple ID and Password and click Sign In.
3. Click on Manage Your Apps.
4. Click View Details
5. Click Edit
6. Click Choose File.
7. Select a file using the Finder window and click Choose.
8. Click Save.

Apple hasn’t announced what format videos will be accepted. But we expect they will be in the standard iPhone or iPad resolution and QuickTime .MOV file format.