The definition of getting money from Android apps is:
Have 550+ apps with advertising
Make PRO versions of useful apps
Hope I helped someone. Currently I am getting $5 a day!
Several hundred?
In this case I suppose that you have a framework that allows you (or your programmers) to add content and publish a new app in few hours. While developers that create brand new apps can take up to 4-5 months to develop it.
In this case there are not many secrets to hide, if you work on quantity instead of quality.
A good indirect hint.
publishing 100+ apps is no big deal. I already have 50+ within 3 months starting android dev.
Wow ! That would be one app every 2 days. I am assuming it is some app where you change the content and republish. Like a wallpaper app or similar.
What would say is the ballpark total download count for those 50+ apps ?
I ask to establish a comparison whether âpublish many but trivialâ is better than âpublish quality but fewâ (though the publish many route is UNDOUBTEDLY the lower risk option - though I suspect in your case a majority of the apps would be basically the same app in which case maybe a major part of the time was spent on that âone appâ).
That is, to establish where â3 monthsâ (or letâs say a year) would be better spent - 50 apps or making 1 app (since many apps can take months and still have only 1K downloads etc.).
100000 total download count. total earnings in my account till now: $250 (paid earnings for 2 months. Third month earnings around $200 awaited). Now a days getting $6-7 per day with admob/airpush banners only. No push/icon/interstitial.
Yes around 50% apps are on similar lines which is my hobby from school days. Now I have started moving into entertainment/multimedia apps.
My bottleneck for the existing apps is getting them translated to multiple languages (manual) to reach more audience.
This is despite me working for Cisco full time.
Hope that helps.
P.S. I know many developers with 500+ apps and earning like $1000 per day after 1 year of publishing the apps.
100,000 downloads for 3 months is equivalent to a 2000 new installs per day app (since will be attrition also). Achievable for a moderately successful single app.
So if one compares the decision to make a moderately complex app vs. one that is simple and replicatable (leveraging new content every time) - the other factor then becomes âriskâ.
With one app you run the risk of success/failure all residing within one app. With 50+ apps that risk is distributed (though averaged). Though with a 50+ apps in 3 months there are a few models only at work - so there is a risk that the model could be liked/not-liked. However here there maybe some leeway as some content maybe liked more than others.
However, I think you mention more than one app model for those 50+ apps.
A factor NOT to be ignored is the greater visibility value of having 50+ apps vs. having 1 app - with one app there is danger of being relegated to sidelines if it doesnât get eyeballs - but with more apps and content there is a persisting likelihood the one of the newer apps MAY just happen to click or match some currently searched keywords etc. - thus leading to potential that one app leading people to your other apps - such a possibility does not exist with one app alone.
But then these things could be tuned away by Google if their algorithms specifically take into account the likelihood of success/discovery with one app vs. 50+ apps. If nothing else they could just scale down discovery/ranking depending on number of apps/month or some such thing (to counter the multiplicativ effect of cross-promotion potential from 50+ apps).
But for a developer thinking their idea has potential of catching on, the ability to repeatedly present the idea (in the form of new app) seems like an opportunity - in contrast with one app you have one month to really see how high the app really can go.
Cross-promotion between 50+ apps may provide a multiplicative effect (?)
Regarding concentration of downloads (per app) - having 50+ apps with downloads distributed among them WILL harm the ratings - since rankings maybe exponential i.e. potential downloads may go up exponentially as you rise in rankings (?).
So all these factors âŚ
So I guess it all depends on the niche and the thing the developer feels comfortable doing. This is esp. important for new developers - i.e. to find a niche they feel will get them going fast. I would think it is better for a developer to get a single or few simple apps out fast - as that helps them get familiar with stuff which can help tune/prune the effort required for a more complicated app.
Now coming to the politics of 50+ apps
Do you ever worry that having too many apps in one account could lead to being targeted by Google ? That is, be subject to a Google âpruningâ - as reported in some web article that 10% apps removed in one month in early 2013.
What do you make of the reports here about bannings by Google - not something that is of concern (esp. to the ones with 500+ apps ?). Or is the âgetting new Google accountsâ a necessary part of such a model ?
Google will ban when the apps are not getting downloads + users are not being fooled download (I mean title/description says something and most of the apps does something else). As long as I make apps which get downloads, I should be safe.
I am just making sure that I am listening to the demands of my users so that they feel happy. For e.g.
First I added app-bucks push/icon ads and within days I started getting bad reviews. I immediately removed it.
Then users asked about allowing swipe gesture in textview, holo UI design and then translation.
As long as my users are happy, I am happy. And yes the apps which I feel are not doing good with unnecessary burden, I do un-publish them (not more than 2 per month)
Yeah, it depends on your strategy definitely. For example, when I started android development I used to do simple apps like live wallpapers, battery widgets with Airpush. Then I had to take a break for a few months - revenue started to drop more and more. But lately I worked on my first game for a few weeks about 12h a day (or more?) and I multiplied revenue several times : ) So now Iâm going to stay making some games, but higher quality.
So you are saying as long as you feel your 50+ apps are âlegitâ you do not feel any pressure of âcapriciousâ Google actions. Keep users happy and have the downloads going through.
And that makes you comfortable enough that you trust all 50+ apps to one Google account etc.
That is how it SHOULD be - though we do hear examples - in some cases we can download and test the apps and they seemed above board.
Iâve managed to reach $120-150 last few month from previously $40-$60 USD, and mainly from 95% push & icon ads.
But Google playing their part eliminating ads network competitor, next 2 month I probably only get $20-40 from banner & interstial ad.
Life is tough brother 
Always nice to hear success stories 