Vertical series (microdramas): what brands need to know.
Microdramas are fiction series shot vertically, split into very short episodes that almost always end on a cliffhanger. Apps such as ReelShort and DramaBox distribute them on a paid model: the first episodes are free, the rest is unlocked with coins or a subscription. A brand can borrow the format's levers (short episodes, characters, suspense) in a free series released on Instagram or TikTok, without copying the paid model.
What is a microdrama?
It is a serial designed for the phone. Episodes usually last from 90 seconds to two minutes, according to CNBC. A single story can run to dozens of them: TIME magazine describes series of 60 to 90 short episodes. The titles TIME cites, such as « Fated to My Forbidden Alpha » or « The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband », set the tone: romance and twists.
The format took off in China during the pandemic, according to NPR. In 2024, the China Netcasting Services Association put the Chinese market at more than 50 billion yuan, above cinema box office (reported by CNBC).
What are ReelShort and DramaBox?
They are two of the most downloaded microdrama apps in the United States. Together with GoodShort, they accounted for about half of microdrama app downloads in the United States in 2025, according to Sensor Tower data cited by CNBC.
| ReelShort | DramaBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Crazy Maple Studio, a Silicon Valley company backed by the Chinese publisher COL Group (TIME). | Developed by Dianzhong Technology, in Beijing, and operated by its subsidiary StoryMatrix, in Singapore. |
| Launch | 2022 (TIME). | April 2023. |
| In-app purchases, Q1 2025 | About 130 million dollars (Sensor Tower). | About 120 million dollars (Sensor Tower). |
| Milestone | Named one of the TIME100 Companies in 2024. | Selected for the Disney Accelerator 2025. |
Sensor Tower's amounts are estimates of in-app purchases on the App Store and Google Play. They exclude advertising and payments made outside the app stores.
ReelShort, DramaBox: what should you make of them?
This guide does not give a viewer's review: the studio does not rate these apps. Here is what can be said with sources.
- The model is pay-per-episode. According to NPR, the first episodes are usually free, then the viewer buys coins or a pass to unlock the rest. NPR mentions spending of 10 to 20 dollars a week, and up to 80 dollars a month. Before paying, read the prices and terms shown in your country's app store.
- The commercial success is real. According to Sensor Tower, short drama apps generated about 700 million dollars in in-app purchases worldwide in the first quarter of 2025, almost four times more than a year earlier. The United States accounted for 49 % of that.
- The model is changing. In China, free ad-funded microdramas overtook paid ones in market share at the end of 2024, according to the China Netcasting Services Association, cited by Caixin.
Why is the format reaching big studios and brands?
Because audiences already watch vertical video, at scale. In June 2025, YouTube announced an average of 200 billion daily views on Shorts. The big groups are following:
- Disney selected DramaBox as one of the four companies in its Disney Accelerator 2025 programme.
- In October 2025, Fox Entertainment took a stake in Holywater, the publisher of the My Drama app, and plans to produce more than 200 vertical titles over two years. The deal also covers brand partnerships.
For a brand, the point is not to sell episodes. It is to give the audience a reason to come back, week after week, to its own accounts.
Paid app or free branded series: what is the difference?
| Microdrama app | Brand series | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays | The viewer, to unlock what comes next. | The brand, which produces the series. |
| Where to watch | In the dedicated app. | For free, on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube Shorts. |
| End of an episode | A cliffhanger followed by a paid unlock. | A cliffhanger, an appointment, sometimes a vote. |
| Goal | Sell episodes. | Build attachment to the brand's world. |
| Tone | That of the genre: excess, revenge, twists. | That of the brand, set in the bible. |
How can you take inspiration from microdramas without copying them?
- Hook right away. The first seconds raise a question.
- One question per episode. A short episode carries only one stake.
- An honest cliffhanger. What follows has to keep the promise, or the audience won't come back.
- Readable characters. You understand who they are in one shot.
- A fixed schedule. The same day, every week.
- The brand in the setting. A place, an object, a value, rather than a slogan in a line of dialogue.
This is the logic behind the branded series the studio offers, and behind its own series, “Toujours” (one episode of 60 to 90 seconds every Friday, with an audience vote at the end).
What are the limits of the format?
- The genre's codes don't suit every brand. Hidden billionaires and spectacular revenge plots are a poor fit for a bank or a medical practice.
- The schedule is demanding. A series that stops at the third episode leaves a bad impression.
- App figures don't transfer. They measure purchases inside apps, not the audience of a free series on a brand account.
- Labels matter. An AI-generated series must say so when regulation or the platform requires it. See the rights and disclosures guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a microdrama?
A fiction series shot vertically for the phone, split into very short episodes, often 90 seconds to two minutes long, that end on a cliffhanger. A series can run to dozens of episodes.
Is ReelShort free?
Partly. According to NPR, the first episodes are usually free, then the rest is unlocked with coins or a pass. Check the prices shown in your country's app store before paying.
Who is behind DramaBox?
DramaBox was developed by Dianzhong Technology, a Beijing company, and is operated by its subsidiary StoryMatrix, based in Singapore. The app was launched in April 2023.
Does a branded series have to be paid, like a microdrama?
No. A branded series is usually released for free on the brand's own accounts. It borrows the format's levers (short episodes, cliffhangers, recurring characters), not the pay-per-episode model.
Can a vertical series be produced with AI?
Yes. Ryze AI Studios produces its own AI-generated vertical series, « Toujours », and offers the same format to brands. Holywater, the publisher of My Drama, also runs a line of series made with generative AI.
Read next
Sources
- Sensor Tower, « State of Short Drama Apps 2025 » (July 2025), estimates of App Store and Google Play in-app purchases: sensortower.com.
- CNBC, « How China's $7 billion micro drama industry is taking on the U.S. entertainment industry », 22 July 2025, citing the China Netcasting Services Association and Sensor Tower: republished by NBC New York.
- TIME, « ReelShort », TIME100 Companies 2024, 30 May 2024: time.com.
- NPR, « Told one minute at a time, micro dramas are soap operas designed to fit in your hand », March 2025: republished by KQED.
- Caixin Global, « Micro Drama Platforms Knock Down Paywalls as Viewers Lose Interest », 22 August 2025: caixinglobal.com.
- Wikipedia, « DramaBox » article (publisher, subsidiary and launch date, with its sources), accessed 30 October 2026: en.wikipedia.org.
- The Walt Disney Company, « Disney Accelerator Companies 2025 »: thewaltdisneycompany.com.
- C21Media, « Fox Entertainment acquires equity stake in vertical video firm Holywater », October 2025: c21media.net.
- Search Engine Journal, « YouTube Reports 200 Billion Daily Views For Shorts Format », 18 June 2025: searchenginejournal.com.
Last updated: 30 October 2026