Popular Chinese stars were present at the launch of Star Space, an app created by Shenzhen Nesound Kankan Information Technology that is meant to put celebrities closer to their fans.
More than 20 top celebrities in the country, including Yang Mi and Hu Ge, joined the launch. Fans were also present, eager to get a closer look at their idols, thereby making the atmosphere resemble that of a movie premiere.
Celebrities also got the chance to interact with their fans before they tried the Star Space mobile app.
According to the Global Times, Star Space made it quickly as one of the 10 bestselling entertainment apps on the Apple Store.
Star Space is seen as Shenzhen Nesound's attempt to enter the "fan-based economy," told the Global Times.
The app is banking on its interactive feature, which veers away from one-way, static celebrity updates adopted before.
Star Space "allows fans to follow their idols in a more active way such as live video and other intimate means of communication," added the Global Times.
Live video feeds are also in the pipeline. This would be similar to Facebook's recently released live broadcast feature, letting users stream a video of themselves on the social networking site in real time.
User will need to pay a certain fee to get exclusive content straight from celebrities. Examples of such content are welcome videos and live broadcasts that will be available to all paying members.
Shenzhen Nesound CEO Zhang Yubo believes that the younger demographic, which is the target audience of the app, is very likely to pay for the exclusive content. Those who belong to this category have grown up alongside the Internet and are looking for an alternative form of interaction amid the fast-paced digital world.
The app is also seen to bring a new face of live entertainment to China's existing social media platforms, according to the Global Times.