500 dramas a day: China’s AI factory is churning out titles at an alarming rate

China’s AI-generated micro-drama market is expanding fast, with thousands of new titles flooding platforms like Douyin as AI tools slash production time and costs.

Local governments and state media are backing the sector with subsidies, parks, and publicity, helping turn vertical AI video into a major commercial industry.

Regulators are also tightening filing and review rules, including requirements around content, portrait rights, and compliance.

Chinese micro-drama firms are increasingly going global, using the boom at home to build overseas revenue and compete with apps like ReelShort and DramaBox.