Apps and Trends to Watch: Lessons From Entertainment Upstarts AirBuds and FlareFlow

Growth often captures our attention, but knowing the “why” behind the success is where smart strategy starts. Here at AppRefinery, I’m excited to launch a new insight series, Apps and Trends to Watch—a monthly look at high-growth trends and apps. Each installment will dig into new apps scaling fast, successful features from top apps, or a can’t-miss industry trend. I’ll break down why it matters and what app developers can learn to improve their features, app UI, or UA strategy.

At AppRefinery, we often analyze top-grossing apps to see what makes them successful. But I’ve been reminded lately that some of the best lessons come from newcomers. That’s why I’m kicking the series off with AirBuds and FlareFlow.

AirBuds is redefining a familiar experience by bringing real-time social sharing to music. Short-drama app FlareFlow shows us that the right daily engagement strategies can skyrocket a new app to success. Both apps are reminders of how smart execution is as important as innovation in fueling app success.

AirBuds: The Social Music App Making Listening a Shared Experience

AirBuds is a social music app that connects with Spotify or Apple Music and lets users share what they’re listening to in real-time with friends. Instead of delivering a solitary experience, the app builds connections. Its social-first design gives the app a strong network effect—every new user enriches the in-app experience.

The app’s feed also shows friends’ current tracks, while weekly recaps, comments, and reactions keep engagement going. It’s an experience that feels closer to scrolling on a social networking app than browsing a playlist. In many ways, AirBuds is doing for music what Letterboxd did for film—building community around personal taste.

With a recent and consistent ranking among the top 20 free Music apps in the U.S. App Store (iOS) and a recent $5 million funding round, AirBuds is quickly gaining traction. The big question, as with many social apps, is retention. Suppose the team can sustain daily engagement and keep the network effect growing. In that case, AirBuds might be able to transform our perception of music apps, bringing a communal or concert-like experience to the act of listening at home.

FlareFlow: Short-Form Drama App With Its Finger on the Pulse

FlareFlow is a rapidly growing app in the short-form drama category—video-streaming platforms specializing in quick, mobile-friendly episodes. The format took off in Asia and gained traction in Western markets through apps like ReelShort. FlareFlow, a remarkably successful new entry in the genre, demonstrates how quickly you can scale when you invest in proven engagement strategies.

Launched in 2025, FlareFlow reached the top three free Entertainment apps and ranked within the top 100 for revenue on the US App Store US (iOS) as of October. Like genre-leader Reelshort, FlareFlow offers a gamified design. It doubles down on features that encourage daily interaction: users unlock episodes, earn rewards, and complete challenges that keep them coming back.

FlareFlow effectively localizes the short drama format for Western audiences, but what’s interesting is that it doesn’t offer anything new. The app has scaled off the effectiveness of the Reelshort strategy: combining daily tasks with login rewards. Its success is a reminder of the power of the tried-and-true in the right environment.

App Growth Lessons from AirBuds and FlareFlow

In short, AirBuds shows that innovation doesn’t always come from inventing something entirely new. Instead, it often comes from applying proven app growth strategies to the right opportunities—in this case, a-Letterboxd-like experience for music.

Alternatively, FlareFlow shows us that the playbook of daily engagement and rewards, written by apps like Reelshort, is repeatable, and that there’s room for other players to expand in this space. The two apps show two contrasting ways of building on tried-and-true strategies: apply an established approach to an underserved category or, when the conditions are right, simply do what top apps are doing.

If you’re looking to build social or daily-engagement features, watch these apps closely. The teams behind AirBuds and FlareFlow are showing us approaches that are driving growth for new entertainment apps.

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