First Internet Audio and Video Content Creators Conference

Internet audio and video content in China has generated a large market of more than 800 billion yuan in 2022, according to data released at the first Shanghai Internet Audio and Video Content Creators Conference on May 11.

The conference took place in Shanghai's Hongkou district from May 11 to 13, adn was attended by celebrated streaming platform uploaders from all over China. With the theme of "Creation Achieves Dreams", the conference was jointly held by the municipal administration of Culture and Tourism, the Municipal Administration of Radio and Television, and Hongkou district, aiming to nurture more popular homegrown cultural content and IP franchises.

The 2022 White Paper on the Internet Audio and Video Content Creators was released at the conference. According to the White Paper, the number of Internet audio and video content creators in China went through explosive growth in the past few years and now has gradually become settled and stable. Leading platforms such as bilibili.com, Douyin and Xiaohongshu had a total number of 9 million content creators in 2021 and in 2023 their total number has exceeded 13 million, still with potential for further growth.

According to the White Paper, nearly 60 percent of China's Internet audio and video content creators are young people between the age of 25 and 34 years old. 

Forty-six percent of Internet audio and video content creators in China are doing it as a part-time job, and 37 percent make a living with it. "To record and share my life"; "it's my personal hobby"; "for the extra income" and "to share my ideas and knowledge" were among the most popular motivations for these Internet content creators.

The White Paper also noted that Internet audio and video content providers are becoming even younger and more diversified and professional. They have made quite a lot of economic, cultural and social recognition, but, at the same time, are faced with problems such as the exhaustion of creative ideas, anxiety for the flow of page-views, as well as homogenization of content.

The conference organizers released  a proposal of new directions for the Internet content creators on the same day, encouraging them to promote Chinese culture, present the beauty in the everyday life, facilitate cultural communications, spread messages of solidarity, and continue generating more outstanding audio and video contents.