This report takes a detailed look at the trend that more and more Chinese consumers pay for quality content online; and, it also shares some insights on the most popular platforms of paid digital content.

Content generation start-ups in the United States generally focus on monetizing their viewers or followers through advertising, a la Youtube. In China, however, many such companies are able to directly charge their users for access to content on a pay-per-view or pay-to-subscribe model.

Chinese consumers are much more open to paying for content than American consumers, which has paved the way to the rise of a new content generation and sharing model: the “knowledge payment” platform.

Knowledge payment platforms aim to bring together experts or informed citizens and members of the public who will pay for the information, expertise, and perspective they can provide. Some take the form of consulting services, while most offer newsfeed-like platforms.

The following provide...