By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-07 11:05:09 | Updated at 2025-01-08 11:44:01
1 day ago
ByteDance, owner of popular short-video app TikTok and its Chinese sibling Douyin, has launched a short-drama app in Southeast Asia in an attempt to replicate the genre’s success at home.
Melolo, released in November by ByteDance subsidiary Poligon, offers a variety of short dramas for free, with each episode typically a few minutes long. These online miniseries, filled with gripping plot twists designed to hook viewers, are quickly gaining traction in China.
The app is currently available in markets including Indonesia and the Philippines, according to a Melolo representative, adding that it continues to explore new business opportunities.
ByteDance appears to be eyeing the potential for short dramas in the Western market as well.
The Beijing-based social-media giant is currently recruiting an English-language editor and proofreader who will be responsible for adapting Chinese dramas into content “suitable for European and American audiences”, according to its online career page.
