China's digital publishing industry to see revenue rise this year

Jul. 8, 2009 (China Knowledge) - The revenue of the digital publishing industry in China in 2009 will exceed RMB 75 billion, since it is growing even faster than last year, when it reached RMB 53 billion in 2008, up 46.42% from 2007, said Sun Shoushan, vice director of the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) at the Second Chinese Digital Publishing Exposition in Beijing, sources reported.

The number of users of digital publishing products will grow by more than 30% in the next few years, and the annual revenue is expected to maintain a 50% growth rate, said Sun.

The ongoing global financial crisis has negatively impacted the traditional publishing industry, but has provided the digital publishing industry with opportunities for development.

In fact, about 90% of 578 publishing houses in China currently offer digital products and services. According to a national survey, 30 out of 40 newspapers have an online edition, and 22 of them have mobile newspapers delivered through an instant message service.

The digital publishing industry, which comprises internet magazines, e-books, digital newspapers, blogs, online music, mobile phone publishing products, online games and internet advertising, relies on content provided by traditional publishing products and involves matters of copyright, distribution, payment platform and client services.