The Sephora in my city's shopping mall has been there since as long as I can remember. As other stores are squeezed out by the ever-increasing rent prices, Sephora attracts a steady flow of customers. Over the last decade, the dominant customer group at this Sephora has shifted from hip white millennial women to wealthy young Asian couples. The musical intonation of casual Mandarin flows among the makeup aisles.
The last time I was browsing the store, I heard something different. It was still Mandarin, but fast and informational. The voice belonged to a young woman. She was trying on makeup products while talking to her phone, which was propped on a selfie stick. I knew what she was, but couldn't believe I was seeing it: a Chinese live streamer in my local Sephora.
I would not have been surprised if I had seen this woman in a Chinese shopping mall. According to the China Internet Network Information Center, there were 616.85 million online streaming users in China in 2020. Unlike the West, where the live stream user base is dominated by the e-sports industry, China's live streamers come in all shapes and sizes—although e-commerce undoubtedly receives the most attention.
China also has more successful live stream platforms, especially since well-established technology companies have invested in the sector.
The two main perspectives of live stream platform users are the streamers and the watchers. At the highest level, their motivations can be sorted into two categories: functional and social.
If both the U.S. and China have the technical capabilities for live streaming, what accounts for the difference in use of these platforms?
Lillian Li of Chinese Characteristics points to the contrast between live streaming as a technology/product and live streaming as a cultural medium/distribution channel. Enabled by local factors such as digital payment systems, efficient delivery and returns, talent agencies, and fandom culture, live streaming has become a fundamental way Chinese people interact with technology.
Differences in platform designs and values exist among the various Chinese live streaming platforms as well. Take Kuaishou and Douyin:
(WalktheChat has done a more in depth comparison.)
The result is the platforms' different user demographics. Douyin attracts more influencers, key opinion leaders, and technologically savvy people. Kuaishou appeals to a more diverse user base, especially to citizens in lower tier cities and rural areas. While some rural citizens use the app primarily for e-commerce, others like Han Shimei, a middle-aged woman living in rural Xichuan who shares her poetry on Kuaishou, have found community. Consequently, young urbanites who are fascinated by rural life use the app.
Chinese live streaming trends and features reflect the country's cultural norms. Since gift buying is a cultural norm, virtual gift buying is common on Chinese platforms. Viewers are incentivized to send virtual gifts both horizontally (viewers follow others who send gifts) and vertically (platforms have special visual or audio effects and badges for viewers who send gifts). In the last few years, Twitch has introduced a similar financial reward system using digital currency purchased with real money.