7 Must-Read Articles About the Live-Streaming Industry in China

Feb 25, 2017 · 4 min read

1。Industry Overview

This article by the LA Times does a great job of giving a clear, concise overview of the live-streaming industry in China. And on top of that it features yours truly :)

Article: In China, live-streaming apps soothe lonely souls and create fortunes

2。A Slightly Deeper Look

Did the previous article intrigue you? Want to learn more? This excellent article “16 Observations on Livestreaming in China” takes a more in-depth look at the topic.

Article: 16 Observations on Livestreaming in China

3。How Chinese Live-Streaming Apps (and live-streamers) make Money

Yep, that’s what everyone really wants to hear about: money, money, money! Find out how exactly this live-streaming gifting system works.

Article: How Chinese Live-Streaming Apps Make Money

4。 10 Live-Streaming Apps Brands Need to Know in 2017

Obviously live-streaming is a huge opportunity for brands in China. But with over 200 platforms offering live-streaming, which one should you choose? This article by Jing Daily gives some great recommendations and case studies. I wrote a similar article here.

Article: 10 Live-Streaming Apps Brands Need to Know in 2017

5。Live-Streaming Lures China’s Luxury Travel Marketers

I think live-streaming could be HUGE for travel brands seeking to gain a larger portion of the China travel market. From personal experience I have seen how much Chinese viewers love watching travel-related content and I hope to focus more on this area in the future. This article shows how Hilton is already capitalizing on this opportunity.

Article: Live-Streaming Lures China’s Luxury Travel Marketers

6。 4 Ways to Maximize China Influencer Marketing ROI

While this article is not completely about live-streaming, it includes some great case studies of clothing and make-up brands using live-streaming to promote and sell their products.

Article: 4 Ways to Maximize China Influencer Marketing ROI

7。 Last but not least…Foreigners Banned from Live-streaming in China

I’ve had a lot of people asking me about this article. (Strangely enough the original article appears to have been taken down, but I’ll include a link to another article about it.) I had heard about this new rule a while back, but I didn’t have any details about it and chose not to report on it at the time. What I do know is that, at the moment, I have not been affected. I am still live-streaming on a daily basis and being promoted on the front pages of live-streaming apps. Maybe this is because I started early on. All I know is that the apps no longer allow you to use any form of foreign ID to sign up, you must use a Chinese ID card. Fingers-crossed that I will continue to be fine. In the meanwhile, I am trying to build up my following on other platforms such as Weibo so that I will still have access to my audience in case something does happen.

I have had experience being temporarily blocked before and you can read about it here.

Article: Foreign streamers are getting shut down in China, says report