GUANGZHOU, China, June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LIZHI INC. ("LIZHI" or the "LIZHI App" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: LIZI), a leading online UGC audio community and interactive audio entertainment platform in China, has been ranked one of the "Top 50 Cultural Enterprise" in Guangzhou, China. The ranking is part of a study conducted by Guangzhou institute for society studies, South China Daily and Guangzhou Association for Cultural and Creative Industries to analyze and evaluate the economic significance of the cultural industry of the city.
The live-streaming industry in China has seen a dramatic boom in recent years. As of March 2020, the number of live-streaming users surged to 560 million with the number of viewers tuning in live-streaming e-commerce events reaching 265 million, according to report from the China Internet Network Information Center. The market has also seen major industry players such as Tiktok, Alibaba and Kuaishou achieved enormous commercial success.
With the launch of 5G network and the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has accelerated the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), Guangzhou, a city in southern China, which is home to numerous tech and internet giants, is on track to create an economic model developing a diverse ecosystem of live-streaming, spanning music, gaming, audio, entertainment, traveling, commerce and intangible cultural heritage. The huge potential of the audio market in China will also propel audio-sharing platforms to usher in a new era of on-demand and streaming content.
Against this backdrop, LIZHI has become the most extensive online UGC audio community and one of the Top 100 Internet Companies in China with total revenue of RMB 1.2 billion (USD 170 million) in 2019. 2020 marks a new milestone for LIZHI, which has seen the Company's Q1 revenue surge by 42% year-over-year to RMB 370 million (USD 52.3 million). The growth has brought a new record high of average monthly active users and creators, which stands at 54.5 million and 6.2 million, respectively. The average number of monthly paying users also soared by 60% this year, to over 450,000.
Backed by its unique business model, LIZHI is riding this technological momentum to create an audio community where everyone not only can enjoy informative and engaging user-generated audio content but also design, share and connect through voices across cultures and countries. Powered by AI, LIZHI's proprietary tools for audio creation enable creatorsto fine-tune recordings and produce innovative sound effects while streamlining the process of creation, production and distribution.
"As we build a vibrant platform and community for our users and creators, we want to offer the resources they need to thrive. LIZHI now boasts user-generated content across 27 categories including relationship advice, family, education, music and talk shows," said Mr. Marco Lai, Founder and Chief Executive Officerof LIZHI. "We are particularly proud to see that our community is helping low-skilled workers and people with disabilities connect with the world via their vocal talent."
LIZHI has been developing powerful tools with partners to help creators connect to and grow their audience. In 2019, LIZHI worked in partnership with Baidu, a technology company specializing in Internet-based services and artificial intelligence, to create Xiaodu smart speakers that come equipped with built-in features allowing users to better engage with listeners during audio-streaming sessions. Looking forward, the Company will continue to develop new ways of distributing content for IoT devices, optimize interactive features and user interface to create a better experience for all users.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.lizhi.fm/
About LIZHI INC.
LIZHI INC. is a leading online UGC audio community and interactive audio entertainment platform in China, with a mission to enable everyone to showcase vocal talent. The Company is aiming to bring people closer together through voices.
Since the launch of its Lizhi app in 2013, LIZHI has cultivated a vibrant and growing community encouraging audio content creation and sharing. Now LIZHI is an audio wonderland offering a wide range of podcasts and audio entertainment products and features, including audio live streaming and various interactive audio social products, empowering users to enjoy an immersive and diversified entertainment experience through audio.
LIZHI envisions a global audio community – a place where everyone can create, share and connect with each other through voices and across cultures.
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