Mini-drama programmes on applets, particularly on WeChat, are short episodes that can be accessed without downloading a separate application, either by scanning a QR code or searching within the applet. These episodes are brief, typically lasting one to two minutes, and are often viewed in portrait mode, earning them the nickname “vertical video dramas”.
Advantages of mini-dramas
Compared to traditional TV dramas, mini-dramas on applets have quickly gained market traction for several key reasons.
Convenient viewing and diverse content
Senior Partner
Hui Ye Law Firm
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Catering to fragmented viewing time. Traditional TV shows have longer episodes and slower pacing, requiring viewers to immerse themselves for extended periods to understand the plots and connect emotionally.
However, the pressures of modern work and life make it difficult for people to engage in such immersive viewing during short breaks. In contrast, mini-dramas on applets, with episodes lasting just one to two minutes, can be watched anytime, perfectly meeting the needs of modern, fast-paced lifestyles for fragmented viewing.
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Diverse themes. These mini-dramas cover a wide range of genres, including comedy, romance, suspense and science fiction. They excel in creating suspenseful and emotionally charged scenes, often using continuous updates or serialised formats to maintain user engagement.
Effective monetisation and interactive features
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Large traffic base. The short and easily shareable nature of mini-dramas allows them to quickly accumulate a large user base, providing a substantial traffic foundation for monetisation through advertising and transactional video-on-demand models.
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P to C monetisation channels. Traditional TV dramas primarily rely on platform purchases and ad revenue. Platforms like iQiyi and Youku depend heavily on membership subscriptions and view counts for their income.
In contrast, mini-dramas on applets have adopted a direct-to-consumer (P to C) monetisation model, where consumers pay directly for the content. Viewers can choose to purchase single episodes, entire series or subscribe monthly. This model offers relatively higher monetisation efficiency.
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Interactive features. These mini-dramas often incorporate social elements, encouraging users to share and comment, and fostering community interaction. Some even integrate e-commerce and tipping features, enhancing user engagement.
Long-term economic benefits and efficient production
Partner
Hui Ye Law Firm
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IP effect. Some high-quality mini-dramas on applets originate from established literary works on websites. These stories, having been market-tested, have already become IP. This allows for the swift conversion of novel readers into mini-drama viewers and lays the groundwork for subsequent IP licensing and derivative product development, aiding in long-term economic benefits.
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Capital investment. The significant market potential has attracted substantial investment, providing top content creators and platforms with ample financial support, which further drives content innovation and market expansion.
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Lower production cycle and cost. A mini-drama typically takes about a month from the start of production to its online release. Actor salaries for these mini-dramas are generally low, which helps keep production costs down. The cost of producing a mini-drama ranges from RMB200,000 (USD27,500) to RMB800,000.
Although costs on some productions rise to RMB1 million, this is still significantly lower than for traditional dramas, which often require investments of tens of millions of renminbi and face approval processes lasting several years. Consequently, mini-dramas enjoy a clear advantage in production time and cost.
Legal risks
As mini-dramas on applets grow rapidly, several legal risks need attention.
Content regulation and compliance. According to national laws and regulations, mini-dramas on applets must ensure that their content aligns with mainstream social values and must not include pornography, vulgarity, violence or harmful ideologies.
The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) has initiated special campaigns targeting these mini-dramas, establishing fortnightly reporting mechanisms, regular announcements, and a blacklist system to strengthen the oversight and punishment of non-compliant content and platforms.
The NRTA will soon introduce detailed guidelines for the creation and review of mini-dramas to further refine content standards and guide industry development. Given the NRTA’s requirement for online audiovisual platforms to bear primary responsibility, WeChat has begun addressing non-compliant content, removing numerous unsuitable mini-dramas.
This indicates that content regulation for mini-dramas on applets will become increasingly strict, with violations potentially leading to penalties or removal of the applets concerned.
Consumer rights protection. Viewers encountering poor-quality content or service problems have the right to request refunds under relevant laws. However, current refund mechanisms are inadequate, and consumers often cannot access paid content and request refunds if a mini-drama or applet is removed. Improving these mechanisms to protect consumer rights should be a priority for regulatory bodies and platforms.
IP protection. Protecting original content and preventing infringement are ongoing challenges. Ensuring that mini-dramas do not violate third-party copyrights, and safeguarding their own content from imitation, plagiarism and unauthorised use are also critical issues that need to be addressed.
In conclusion, producers and operators of mini-dramas on applets must stay abreast of policy changes, incorporate legal teams, enhance pre-emptive compliance measures, and improve content quality to mitigate legal risks.
Zhu Liang is a senior partner at Hui Ye Law Firm. He can be contacted by phone at +86 21 5237 0950 and by email at zhuliang@huiyelaw.com
Frank Ji is a partner at Hui Ye Law Firm. He can be contacted by phone at +86 21 5237 0950 and by email at frankjyf@huiyelaw.com
