A curated list of resources, apps, tools, and communities for short drama (micro-drama / 微短剧) enthusiasts and industry professionals.
Short dramas are vertical-format episodic series, typically 1-3 minutes per episode with 60-100+ episodes per season. Born on Chinese short-video platforms, the format has exploded globally into a $26 billion industry.
- Platforms & Apps
- Production Studios
- Content Discovery
- Industry Intelligence
- Market Data & Analytics
- Industry Reports
- Creator Resources
- News & Media
- Communities
- Podcasts & Video Channels
- Academic & Research
- ReelShort - The largest English-language short drama app by Crazy Maple Studio. 2.7M+ DAU.
- DramaBox - Multi-language short drama platform by Storymatrix (九洲文化). Strong in SEA & LATAM.
- ShortMax - Short drama app by MangaToon with curated content library.
- FlexTV - Vertical drama platform with focus on diverse genres.
- MoboReels - Free-to-watch short drama app with ad-supported model.
- GoodShort - Short drama app targeting North American and European markets.
- TopShort - Emerging short drama platform with romance and thriller focus.
- HiShort - Short drama app with multi-language subtitles.
- Kaluah - Short drama platform expanding into Latin American markets.
- iSeries - Short drama app popular in Southeast Asian markets.
- 红果短剧 (Hongguo) - ByteDance's free short drama platform. Available in CN/HK/TW/MY/SG/Macau.
- 番茄小说短剧频道 (Fanqie) - ByteDance's novel + short drama platform. Globally available.
- PineDrama - TikTok/ByteDance's overseas short drama platform.
- 抖音短剧 (Douyin) - Short drama channel within Douyin. Mainland China.
- 快手短剧 (Kuaishou) - Kuaishou's dedicated short drama channel. Major domestic distribution.
- 爱奇艺微短剧 (iQIYI) - Baidu's video platform with dedicated short drama section.
- 腾讯视频微短剧 (WeTV) - Tencent's video platform with growing short drama library.
- 优酷微短剧 (Youku) - Alibaba's video platform with short drama section.
- 芒果TV微短剧 (MangoTV) - Hunan Broadcasting's platform featuring licensed short dramas.
- 咪咕短剧 (Migu) - China Mobile's content platform with short drama channel.
- 河马剧场 (Hema) - Dedicated short drama app by 点众科技 (Dianzhong).
- 九州短剧 (Jiuzhou) - Short drama platform by 九州文化.
- NetShort - Singapore-based short drama platform.
- Do Drama - Malaysia-focused short drama app.
- THINGMEDIA - Japanese short drama studio backed by Mixi, producing 100+ titles/year.
- Crazy Maple Studio - Parent company of ReelShort. Los Angeles-based, subsidiary of COL Group (中文在线).
- Storymatrix - Company behind DramaBox. Backed by 九洲文化.
- MangaToon - Parent company of ShortMax. Comic + short drama platform.
- 听花岛 (Tinghuadao) - Major short drama production company. Known for high-production-value titles.
- 星链传媒 (Xinglian) - Prolific studio producing cross-genre short dramas.
- 映探传媒 (Yingtan) - Production studio specializing in suspense and thriller short dramas.
- 点众科技 (Dianzhong) - Tech company behind 河马剧场 and multiple production lines.
- 柠萌影业 (Linmon Media) - Listed production company expanding into short drama format.
- 华策影视 (Huace) - One of China's largest TV production companies, active in short dramas.
- 阅文集团 (China Literature) - Tencent's literary subsidiary, providing IP for short drama adaptations.
- MyDramaList - Large community-driven database for Asian dramas including short dramas.
- Douban (豆瓣) - Chinese platform with user ratings and reviews for short dramas.
- Viki - Streaming platform with some short drama content and community subtitling.
- ReelPulse Rankings - Top 100 short drama apps ranked by content quality, UX, and value.
- 短剧好 (duanjuhao) - Chinese-language short drama recommendations and viewing guides for overseas audiences.
- ReelPulse - Short drama industry intelligence: platform reviews, market reports, and creator guides.
- 白鲸出海 (Baijing) - Chinese-language platform covering app "going overseas" trends, heavy short drama coverage.
- 霞光社 (Xiaguangshe) - Chinese media focused on Chinese tech going global, frequent short drama industry analysis.
- Pandaily - English-language outlet covering Chinese tech and entertainment industry.
- RestOfWorld - Global tech journalism with strong coverage of short drama's international expansion.
- Sensor Tower - App store intelligence with download and revenue estimates for short drama apps.
- data.ai (App Annie) - Mobile analytics platform tracking short drama app performance across markets.
- SimilarWeb - Web and app traffic analysis for competitive intelligence.
- 七麦数据 (Qimai) - Chinese app store analytics platform with detailed short drama app metrics.
- QuestMobile - Chinese mobile internet data provider with short drama user behavior reports.
- App Growing - Ad intelligence platform tracking short drama advertising creatives and spend.
- 艾瑞咨询 (iResearch) - Chinese consulting firm publishing quarterly micro-drama market reports.
- 中国网络视听发展研究报告 (CNSA) - Annual report by China Netcasting Services Association covering short drama regulations and market size.
- Ampere Analysis - Global media analytics firm covering short-form video market trends.
- Omdia - Technology research firm with coverage of the mobile entertainment and short-form content sector.
- 易观分析 (Analysys) - Chinese digital analytics firm with short drama market sizing reports.
- ReelShort Creator Program - Submit original content or scripts to ReelShort.
- DramaBox Creator Portal - Guidelines for submitting content to DramaBox platform.
- Tongyi Wanxiang (通义万相) - Alibaba's AI video generation tool used in short drama production.
- Kling AI (可灵) - Kuaishou's AI video generation model, widely adopted for short drama prototyping.
- Minimax Hailuo - AI video generation platform increasingly used in the short drama pipeline.
- Runway ML - AI creative tools for video editing and effects, used in short drama post-production.
- Final Draft - Industry-standard screenwriting software applicable to short drama scripts.
- Variety - Short Drama Coverage - Entertainment industry trade publication covering short drama market developments.
- The Hollywood Reporter - Entertainment news with increasing short drama industry coverage.
- Deadline - Entertainment industry news covering short-form content deals and market trends.
- TechCrunch - Tech news outlet covering short drama app funding rounds and market expansion.
- KrASIA - Asian tech and business news with deep coverage of Chinese entertainment going global.
- TechInAsia - Asian startup and tech news with short drama market analysis.
- South China Morning Post - Hong Kong-based English-language outlet with regular short drama industry reporting.
- 36氪 (36Kr) - Leading Chinese tech media with extensive short drama industry coverage.
- 虎嗅 (Huxiu) - Chinese tech and business analysis platform with short drama deep dives.
- 新榜 (Newrank) - Content industry analytics and news platform tracking short drama trends.
- 毒眸 (DuMou) - Chinese entertainment industry media with micro-drama market analysis.
- 骨朵数据 (Guduodata) - Chinese entertainment data platform with short drama performance tracking.
- 云合数据 (Yunhe Data) - Chinese video content performance analytics and ranking platform.
- r/ShortDramas - General short drama discussion, recommendations, and news.
- r/CDrama - Chinese drama community with active short drama threads.
- r/KDrama - Korean drama community with growing short-form drama discussion.
- r/DramaBox - Community dedicated to DramaBox app and content.
- r/ReelShort - Community for ReelShort users and discussions.
- Short Drama Fans (Facebook) - Facebook groups dedicated to short drama discussion and recommendations.
- DramaBox Official Discord - Official DramaBox community server.
- 豆瓣短剧小组 (Douban) - Chinese-language short drama discussion groups on Douban.
- 短剧相关话题 (Xiaohongshu) - Active short drama recommendation community on Xiaohongshu (RED).
- #ShortDrama (TikTok) - TikTok hashtag with clips, reviews, and fan edits.
- #微短剧 (Douyin) - Chinese short drama hashtag ecosystem on Douyin.
- China Tech Investor - Podcast covering Chinese tech companies including short drama platforms.
- The China Project - Podcast with episodes on Chinese entertainment and cultural exports.
- Asian Boss (YouTube) - YouTube channel with short-form Asian entertainment content and commentary.
- Chinese Drama World (YouTube) - YouTube channel featuring Chinese drama reviews and recommendations.
- The Rise of Micro-Drama: Short-Form Serialized Content in Chinese Digital Entertainment - Academic research on the cultural and economic impact of the micro-drama format.
- Mobile-First Entertainment: Vertical Video and the Attention Economy - Research on how vertical short-form video is reshaping content consumption patterns.
- China's Cultural Export Through Digital Entertainment - Studies on how Chinese short dramas are part of a broader cultural export wave.
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