Benzinga | Apr 6, 2021 08:44AM EDT

LIZHI Highlights Launch Of New Livestream Podcast Feature On Its LIZHI Podcast App; Says Feature Will Be Implemented On XPeng Motors' Intelligent In-Car System

LIZHI INC. ("LIZHI" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:LIZI), a leading online UGC audio community and interactive audio entertainment platform in China, is launching its new 'Livestream Podcast' feature on the LIZHI Podcast app (LIZHI BOKE in Chinese). The new feature will also be implemented on XPeng Motors' intelligent in-car system and is the first livestream podcast to be available for in-car use.

LIZHI Podcast is among the first platforms in China to offer its community of users livestreaming podcasts for the in-car scenario, which will be dedicated to bringing together talented podcast content creators to engage with LIZHI Podcast users in real time. This fresh new mode of interactive audio entertainment will allow participants to have organic conversations and interactions across a wide range of audiences and networks on both the mobile application and in the in-car scenario.

The Livestream Podcast feature of LIZHI Podcast is powered by LIZHI's in-house real-time communication (RTC) technology developed by the "DOREME" project. The RTC technology provided by "DOREME" is designed to bolster the software infrastructure for LIZHI's products to allow audio data transmission in real time, providing users a stable and smooth audio experience.

"We are excited to introduce the Livestream Podcast feature on LIZHI Podcast, which may herald a new phase in the evolution of podcasts in China. Building on our years of operational experience in the audio field, we believe LIZHI is poised to elevate the level of podcast interaction with the introduction of livestreaming podcasts. We expect this new feature may also increase user engagement and deepen the relationship between podcast hosts/creators and their audience. In addition, we are proud to deploy our in-house RTC technology provided by "DOREME" to support Livestream Podcast on LIZHI Podcast. It has been our consistent belief that technology is one of the key advantages to gain competitiveness in the online audio sector. We plan to apply audio technologies developed by "DOREME" to more aspects of the Company's business in the future to further fuel our business growth and provide our users an enhanced listening and interaction experience," said Mr. Jinnan (Marco) Lai, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LIZHI.

In December 2020, LIZHI announced its collaboration with XPeng Motors, a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle company, to integrate LIZHI's in-car audio content product into XPeng Motors' in-car intelligent operating system, offering users access to LIZHI's extensive audio content library.

Mr. Lai said, "We are delighted to debut LIZHI Podcast's new Livestream Podcast feature on XPeng Motors' smart electric vehicles. We believe the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry offers great growth potential for the online audio industry. We believe that Livestream Podcast will provide a new way for users, including drivers and passengers, to enjoy interactive audio entertainment in vehicles and further elevate the in-car audio experiences. Leveraging LIZHI's extensive and diversified audio content offerings and advanced audio technology, we will explore more cooperation opportunities with XPeng Motors and other leading automobile companies to further enhance our in-car audio offerings and improve LIZHI's competitive advantage in the in-car audio space.