Virtual Idol Industry Trends and Future
Last updated
Last updated
The virtual digital human industry is rapidly evolving, with advancements in technology and increasing demand for immersive and interactive virtual experiences driving growth and innovation in the industry. Here are some key trends and developments in the virtual digital human industry:
Increased Realism: One of the key trends in the virtual digital human industry is the increasing level of realism that can be achieved. This is due to advancements in technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, and motion capture, which allow for more accurate and detailed representations of human movement, expression, and behavior.
Growing Market: The market for virtual digital humans is growing rapidly, with increasing demand from a range of industries, including entertainment, gaming, education, healthcare, and more. The market is expected to reach several billion dollars by 2025, according to some industry reports.
Applications in Healthcare: Virtual digital humans are increasingly being used in healthcare applications, such as medical training, patient education, and therapy. Virtual digital humans can provide a safe and controlled environment for medical professionals to practice procedures, and can also provide personalized education and support for patients.
Integration with AI: Virtual digital humans are also being integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, allowing for more advanced interactions and personalized experiences. AI can be used to create more natural and responsive conversations and interactions with virtual digital humans.
Potential for Virtual Influencers: The rise of virtual influencers and virtual celebrities is another trend in the virtual digital human industry. Virtual influencers, such as Lil Miquela, have gained significant followings on social media platforms and are being used by brands for marketing and advertising.
Public acceptance of virtual digital humans is an important factor in the growth and success of the industry. While virtual digital humans have gained popularity in certain markets, such as Japan and other parts of Asia, there are still some concerns and challenges related to public acceptance in other regions.
As the popularity of virtual idols continues to rise, public acceptance of virtual humans is expected to continue to increase, driving the penetration of virtual humans in finance, culture and tourism, education, and other fields, bringing intelligent, efficient, and humanized services to C-end user
Public acceptance of virtual digital humans can be influenced by a range of factors, including realism, cultural factors, ethical concerns, and education and awareness. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be important to address these factors and work towards gaining wider acceptance and adoption of virtual digital humans.
On October 31, 2021, Liu Yexi posted her first video, gaining 1.35 million followers within one day, 2.3 million within three days, and 4.3 million within a week. With only four videos released, Liu Yexi has 8 million followers on Douyin, 1.53 million on Kuaishou, 800,000 on Xiaohongshu, and 440,000 on Weibo.
In May 2021, the lifelike virtual character Ayayi appeared on Xiaohongshu, causing a discussion on whether she was a real person or AI. Ayayi gained a lot of attention with just one image, and Xiaohongshu gained 40,000 new followers in one day, with the first post reaching 3 million views.
Over the past year, there has been a concentrated outbreak of virtual idols, with over 20, such as Imma, Angie, Alice, and Jiyuan Mei, entering Xiaohongshu. Most of them started operating this year.
According to data from iMedia in China, over 80% of Chinese netizens are fans of virtual idols, with an estimated audience of over 500 million people. The core market for virtual idols in China is predicted to reach 62.2/120.8/205.2 billion RMB from 2021-2023, with YoY growth of 79.6%/94.3%/69.8%. In 2020, the virtual idol market was worth 64.56 billion RMB, with YoY growth of 70.3%. The total Chinese idol market is expected to reach 140 billion RMB by 2022, providing significant growth opportunities for virtual idols.
Future Market
By 2030, the market size for functional virtual humans is predicted to reach 95.54 billion yuan, accounting for 35.4% of the overall virtual human market. Virtual humans have independent identities, personality traits, and participate in real-life entertainment and social activities to create economic benefits. They can be classified into three categories: virtual idols, virtual characters, and virtual avatars.
Realistic human virtual avatars have been implemented in social, gaming, and work environments, and have gradually achieved commercial success in fields such as live-streaming e-commerce, virtual idol creation, and companion services in the AI virtual digital human industry.
The market for virtual idols in blockchain is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by the increasing popularity of blockchain technology and the growing demand for immersive and interactive digital experiences. As the industry continues to evolve, we can expect to see new innovations and opportunities for creators, performers, and fans alike.
In terms of industry development, virtual idols are in the early stages of industry development, with more space and possibilities for content and peripheral product development, and audiences have a stronger willingness to pay for virtual idol peripherals. The early investment in technology costs is relatively high, and according to Shiyou Technology, the annual cost of a virtual idol is between 2 and 5 million US dollars. However, the labor cost is relatively low, and once the technology breakthroughs and standardization of operation, the profit expectation is relatively optimistic.
In terms of controllability, humans are the root of uncontrollable factors. Although most virtual idols currently rely heavily on "middlemen," there is still a certain risk of "failure," but the risk is still lower than that of real idols. Virtual idols objectively have a lifespan close to wireless, leading different stages of aesthetic trends, and having stronger continuity in image and content development.
In terms of audience experience, virtual idols are generally beautified images of reality, capable of real-time interaction and maintaining high-frequency interaction with fans, but currently unable to achieve physical interaction. The audience is mainly young people, and how to continue to attract traffic and attention and improve monetization level from the operation level is currently the key breakthrough point for the industry.
