Rain Technology reported on June 27 that recently, QQ Music quietly launched a new feature that can chat with artists for paid attention – “Bubbles”. At present, this function is still in the internal testing stage, but it has sparked heated discussions in fan circles and user groups. Many people questioned that QQ Music is intended to “cut the leeks”.
It is understood that “Bubbles” is essentially a paid interactive service. By paying a subscription fee of 28 yuan per month, users can get the opportunity to “private communication” with artists and receive text, pictures, voice and other push messages from their idols.
This model draws on the “Bubble” function of the Korean LYSN platform. QQ Music was introduced into China through cooperation with overseas platforms. Most of the first batch of artists entering the country are K-POP (the abbreviation of Korean pop music). This model caters to a certain extent to fans’ demand for close contact with idols, but it is also accompanied by potential risks and controversies. At present, similar fan interaction platforms are not uncommon in the market, but how to avoid excessive consumption and false propaganda while ensuring user experience is a question that all platforms need to seriously consider.
After the launch of “Bubble”, users complained that the monthly fee of 28 yuan was too high, and the price of Green Diamond members with 15 yuan per month was lower than that of QQ Music, which was accused of being a “new routine of harvesting in the fan circle.” This kind of user feedback reflects users’ judgment of service value and their acceptance of platform pricing strategies. On the one hand, the operating costs of the platform need to be considered, and on the other hand, the consumption capacity and willingness of users are also crucial. How to find a balance point between the two is the direction that the platform needs to continuously explore and optimize.
In addition to price controversy, the user experience of “Bubble” has also been criticized. Many users have reported that the page design of this function is messy, with many advertisements, complex jump paths and slow loading speed. User experience directly affects user stickiness and satisfaction. Optimizing page design, reducing advertising interference, and improving loading speed are key measures to improve user experience. The platform needs to continuously collect user feedback and make timely optimization and adjustments in order to win the favor of users.
Although there is a function of viewing and redemption of chat duration, the number of advertisements is not only large, but the content is also repeated, and the actual usage experience is not good. This model of making profits by watching advertisements will be counterproductive if the quality of the advertisements is not high and the quantity is too high, and it will cause users to be disgusted. The platform needs to optimize its advertising delivery strategy and select high-quality advertisements related to user interests in order to obtain profits without affecting the user experience.
At the same time, there are also hidden concerns about the consumption supervision of minors. The “Bubble” function does not currently set parental monitoring options or consumption limits. Some parents are worried that their children are affected by the “fan circle atmosphere” and recharge consumption exceeds their own abilities. The protection of minors’ consumption is the focus of society’s attention. The platform needs to strengthen the supervision of minors’ consumption, set functions such as parental monitoring options and consumption limits, and guide minors to consume rationally and avoid excessive addiction.
