Chinese multimedia
In China, multimedia is not “nice to have” — it is the default way people consume information. Short video, live streaming, and micro‑dramas have become mainstream formats for marketing, education, and e‑commerce.
To be effective in China, your content must be mobile‑first, fast to load, and designed for platforms where video and social sharing are built in.
Why this matters
Chinese consumers and businesses do research visually. If your website is text‑heavy and your media loads slowly from overseas, you will lose attention quickly — and your pages may be treated as “failed to open”.
How big is multimedia usage in China?
China’s internet user base is enormous and heavily mobile‑driven. Official statistics show internet penetration reached 78.6% in 2024.
The national CNNIC internet report shows how dominant multimedia has become. By December 2024:
- Online video users: 1.070 billion (96.6% of netizens)
- Short video users: 1.040 billion (93.8%)
- Micro‑drama users: 662 million (59.7%)
- Live streaming users: 833 million (75.2%)
- Online music users: 748 million (67.5%)
The key multimedia formats you must understand
1) Short video
Short video is the dominant “discovery” format for products and services. It is used for education, product demonstrations, credibility building, and social proof.
2) Live streaming
Live streaming is a trust and conversion engine: Q&A, product launches, factory tours, training, and live commerce. Live content is also reused as clips for short‑video distribution.
3) Micro‑dramas (short episodic stories)
Micro‑dramas are now a mainstream entertainment format and are increasingly used for brand storytelling and performance marketing.
4) Long‑form video and series content
Long‑form video still matters for premium content, training, and deeper brand narratives — but it is often discovered through short clips and social sharing.
5) Image + infographic content
Images remain essential, but should be treated as “fast media”: compressed, responsive, and designed to render instantly on mobile.
What this means for your website
Your website is still important in China because it acts as a stable, controlled source of business information. However, your multimedia strategy must respect China’s network environment and platform reality.
- Mobile-first layout: your media must fit vertical viewing and small screens.
- Fast loading: media hosted overseas can be slow or inconsistent due to routing.
- Self-host critical assets: do not rely on blocked or unreliable third‑party resources.
- Use “preview-first” media: show a lightweight preview image first, then load video on demand.
Platform reality: where video is actually consumed
International platforms like YouTube are generally inaccessible in mainland China, so Chinese users rely on domestic platforms and ecosystems.
Your job is not to “copy” Chinese platforms — it is to publish content in formats that can be distributed and consumed in China’s ecosystem.
Recommended approach for overseas businesses
- Start with 3–5 short videos that answer your most common questions.
- Create one “trust video”: who you are, where you operate, how you ship/support customers.
- Use subtitles (even in English) — subtitles improve comprehension and reusability.
- Host media sensibly: keep critical media fast for China, and avoid fragile dependencies.
- Measure real load and playback from China networks (not just “ping”).
Quick checklist
Use this checklist when upgrading multimedia for China.
- Are your images compressed and responsive (mobile-first)?
- Do videos use a lightweight preview + click-to-load pattern?
- Are critical media files accessible and fast from China networks?
- Are you relying on blocked or unreliable third‑party media services?
- Do you have short-video versions of key messages?
- Have you tested real page load and video playback from inside China?
Need help?
If you want help designing and testing a China-ready multimedia strategy, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.