Podcast Summary: How to Unlock Revenue Growth on Google Play — Tammy Taw, Google
Sub Club by RevenueCat
Host: David Barnard
Guest: Tammy Taw, Product and Business Growth Consultant, Google Play
Date: March 11, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, David Barnard interviews Tammy Taw from the Google Play team to uncover data-driven best practices and strategies for maximizing app revenue on the Play Store. The discussion delves into monetization diversification, the nuances of different buyer segments, market-specific insights, and actionable tactics developers can adopt to unlock revenue growth—particularly in emerging markets and for hybrid subscription/IAP models. Tammy also shares resources and benchmarks available via the Play Console and other Google Play initiatives.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Importance of Platform-Specific Strategies
Timestamp: 01:21–01:53
- Users behave differently on Android vs. iOS; metrics can vary widely across platforms.
- App success depends on understanding these behaviors and not applying a one-size-fits-all solution.
- Focus first on optimizing the subscription business before diversifying.
Quote:
"There's not one solution for every type of user and... if you can look at metrics and KPIs ...you'll notice that the behavior is very different."
— Tammy Taw (01:53)
2. Revenue Diversification and Buyer Behavior
Timestamp: 01:53–03:16
- In markets like Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, nearly half of users buy consumable In-App Purchases (IAPs), not subscriptions.
- Users often make repeat purchases of consumable IAPs; this isn’t just a one-time behavior.
- Developers should consider adding IAPs after subscription opportunities have plateaued.
Quote:
"What we're starting to see in the data in these markets is that almost half of users are buying consumable IAPs versus subscriptions and that they're not just buying these consumable IAPs one time, they're buying it over and over again."
— Tammy Taw (02:50)
3. Category-Specific Monetization Trends
Timestamp: 03:16–04:12
- Categories like comics, dating, social, and tools see the highest adoption and success with consumable IAPs.
- Example: Social apps with tipping/gifting; Dating apps with boosts or special features.
- Potential for adaptation in other categories if thoughtful about real-world analogues and value.
Quote:
"In social you can gift and tip the creators and dating, like you can get boosted or you can send flowers to someone that you think is special..."
— Tammy Taw (03:32)
4. Aligning Pricing Models With Resource Usage
Timestamp: 04:12–05:17
- Resource-intensive services (e.g., AI, media streaming) benefit from offering consumable or usage-based bundles.
- Apps can monetize by tying payment to quantifiable or high-resource activities.
Quote:
"AI is a great example... in terms of like the number of messaging or inquiries a user inputs that takes computational resource."
— Tammy Taw (04:46)
5. Trade-Offs and Risks in Hybrid Monetization
Timestamp: 05:17–07:17
- Main risk: Cannibalizing subscriptions by migrating users to cheaper, non-recurring purchases.
- mitigation: Recognize different buyer cohorts—recurring vs. one-time purchasers—and optimize for both.
- Emphasize repeat transaction mechanics; avoid “lifetime” one-off features with no upsell path.
Quote:
"I like to think that we can optimize the area under the demand curve with different price points that fits users needs."
— Tammy Taw (06:09)
6. Hybrid Buyers: Small but Mighty
Timestamp: 07:17–09:27
- Hybrid buyers (subscription + IAP) are a small cohort but spend 3x more annually than pure subscribers or IAP-only buyers.
- Introducing more SKUs may lower average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) but increases your overall buyer percentage.
- Understand your business maturity and be clear on the LTV and ARPPU trade-offs.
Quote:
"Users who buy both typically spend three times more than a subscriber and three times more than users who just buy IAPs."
— Tammy Taw (08:40)
7. Tactical Recommendations for Monetization on Play
Timestamp: 09:27–12:06
Three-Pronged Approach:
- Optimize the Existing Business:
- Expand payment methods (e.g., offer installments, local variants).
- Experiment with offers: free trials, discounts, adjusted intro lengths.
- Localize prices—emerging markets trend ~40% lower than developed markets.
- Explore New Revenue Streams:
- Add consumable IAPs where appropriate, keeping close tabs on trade-offs.
- Calculate LTV and ARPPU impacts for multiple monetization models.
- Leverage Play Console Benchmarks:
- Compare your key metrics to peer apps in your category to spot growth opportunities.
Quote:
"Hybrid buyers ... make up 7% of total buyers, but they can bring in a quarter of the revenue, which is pretty impressive."
— Tammy Taw (11:44)
8. Experimentation and Avoiding Decision Paralysis
Timestamp: 12:06–13:32
- Too many purchase options can lead to user decision paralysis.
- Strategic offer presentation along the user journey; use in-app signals to tailor SKUs (e.g., weekly vs. monthly).
- Pay attention to price discrimination laws: all users must see the same prices, but timing and placement can vary.
Quote:
"You give users so many options ... they probably will have some decision paralysis and they will probably take a whole year to decide what they need."
— Tammy Taw (12:17)
9. Long-term Monetization and Win-Backs
Timestamp: 13:32–14:08
- As the subscription app industry matures, win-back campaigns (resubscribing former users) will become increasingly important.
- Prioritize customer loyalty and experience for sustainable growth.
10. Resources and Benchmarking Tools
Timestamp: 14:08–15:33
Tammy recommends:
- Play Console: Rich benchmarking data comparing your KPIs to peers, including conversion rates.
- Play Academy: Free courses for small and large developers on topics like user acquisition and monetization.
- Playtime Conference: Annual event with Google experts sharing insights and trends.
Quote:
"We actually have a lot of benchmarking data in there. So if you want to see how you are performing against a peer set or a different category outside yours, you can look at some of your KPIs."
— Tammy Taw (14:22)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "No one solution fits all users. So you do need revenue diversification strategies. But before you do that, I do think it's important to optimize your subscription business."
— Tammy Taw (01:53) - "In emerging market prices are about 40% lower than developed markets. And so be very cognizant, especially in markets that you see, see rapid new user growth, that you are fitting your prices to that market."
— Tammy Taw (10:49) - "Hybrid buyers ... make up 7% of total buyers, but they can bring in a quarter of the revenue, which is pretty impressive."
— Tammy Taw (11:44) - "[After the first purchase] definitely continue to optimize that buyer's experience because whether it's a recurring SKU or one-time transaction, you want them to continue to pay. To get that loyalty, you need to show that loyalty back to the customer."
— Tammy Taw (13:13) - "As the industry matures ... even longer term win backs will be more and more of a thing as the subscription app industry matures over time."
— David Barnard (13:38)
Helpful Resources & Where to Learn More
Timestamps: 14:08–15:33
- Play Console — Metrics and benchmarking: https://play.google.com/console/
- Play Academy — Developer education: https://playacademy.exceedlms.com/
- Playtime Conference — Industry event with Google updates and insights
- Google I/O — Annual developer conference (with dedicated sessions on monetization)
Actionable Takeaways for App Developers
- Map buyer behaviors by region and platform before adopting monetization changes.
- Test hybrid models, but watch for and calculate potential ARPPU impact and cannibalization risks.
- Localize pricing and payment methods—especially for emerging market growth.
- Leverage Google Play’s benchmarking, learning resources, and annual events.
- Use user journey triggers to tailor when and how offers are presented to maximize conversions and LTV.
This concise, insight-rich episode demystifies Google Play revenue growth strategies, emphasizing a data-first approach, market-specific nuance, and actionable pathways for both indie and large-scale app creators.