The ugly side of China’s live-streaming celebrity factories
To make even a modest living, online presenters have to work long hours in cramped conditions, and all under the watchful gaze of demanding agents
It might seem like a glamorous way to make a living, but being a presenter on a Chinese live streaming platform is anything but, according to a recent media report.
For a basic salary of just 5,000 yuan (US$750) a month, Er Xuan spends a minimum of six hours a day – and often as many as 15 – singing and chatting with her loyal fans from a tiny room in her agent’s office, Beijing News reported.
Keeping fans happy is the principal aim of all online “celebrities” like 19-year-old Er. The happier they are, the more likely they are to send her gifts, and that can boost her salary significantly, the report said.
Er has approximately 10,000 fans and receives about 3,000 yuan a month in gifts. Unfortunately for her, she gets to keep only 40 per cent of the take, with the remainder being split between her agent and the operator of the streaming platform.
Agents provide accommodation – within their “celebrity factories” – and equipment for their presenters, which costs them about 5,000 yuan per head, the report said.