Ximalaya raised 1b yuan for online programs

Ximalaya, a Shanghai-based online radio station, raised over 1 billion yuan (US$147 million) in just a few days of an online campaign amid booming demand for digital services in China.

The marketing campaign had attracted 1.08 billion yuan for online podcast content by Saturday, with 26 percent of consumers first-time paid users. 

It offers programs in 393 categories, compared with 328 a year ago, covering entertainment, self-improvement and study programs, history lectures and audiobooks such as "The Lord of the Rings" and works by Chinese writer and Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan.

The company said it was creating a “listening economy” to change and improve people’s daily lives during the pandemic.

Listeners in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengdu spend the most money on the platform, according to Ximalaya.

It has over 10 million podcasters including 8,000 disabled people, creating jobs and generating income during the pandemic.

Shanghai has held a number of events to boost the digital economy, including the 55 Shopping Festival.