How Ximalaya turned audio content into Spring Festival gifts on Xiaohongshu

Across the Spring Festival and 年货节 (New Year Shopping Festival) period, Ximalaya presented its VIP membership, audiobooks and audio dramas under “电子年货” (digital New Year goods) and “精神食粮年货” (New Year goods for the mind). The videos placed listening inside three situations: traveling with parents, exchanging gifts with close friends and spending the holiday alone. Instead of leading with catalogue features, the stories used separation from family, holiday boredom and the difficulty of choosing a thoughtful gift as openings, then introduced audio as company or a gift. This gave a non-physical product a place in familiar New Year rituals.

The work addressed young urban women seeking companionship or a gift for parents or friends, including those unable to return home. Peer-style recommendations and warm, healing narratives carried the gifting and self-care angles. Mid-tier emotion and lifestyle creators led with scenario-based vlogs, while smaller creators added spoken gift recommendations. Posting moved from an initial burst into sustained activity. There was no discount, countdown or explicit conversion prompt.