Social media giant Tencent has recently launched a live-streaming matchmaking app, as the live video format continues to grow in popularity in sectors like social networking, education, and e-commerce.
The new app, called Qingyuan, shares similarities with Huanyu, another video matchmaking app released by Tencent. The tech giant intends to float both apps to see which one gains more traction, industry watchers said.
Qingyuan lets users join live video chatrooms set up by third-party matchmakers, after providing some personal information such as names, ages, occupations, and income ranges. These matchmakers are verified by Tencent, and serve to break the ice and improve the relationship-building experience, said the company.
Viewers can choose to work with a particular matchmaker after watching them live-stream. If the viewer is interested, he or she can join a chatroom after being approved by the matchmaker.
Qingyuan has been available for Android users since Jan. 15, but it is unknown whether it will have an iOS version anytime soon. When KrASIA tested the app on Feb. 11, there were only two chat rooms on the main page.
The app was developed by Tencent’s entertainment arm Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), which owns several popular music-centric products, including QQ Music, Kugou Music, and karaoke app WeSing.
Previously, Tencent has churned out other dating apps including Tinder-style platform called Qingliao, anonymous social app Dengyu Jiaoyou, and voice-based Huiyin, in a bid to explore China’s promising online dating market, where Momo is the top player and many smaller rivals have emerged.
To find out more about the online dating market in China, check out the video below.