China's microdrama licence thresholds are delegated and still unpublished
The Measures leave the three licence tiers to be set by the State Council's broadcasting department. No figure has been issued, and three separate tier systems are now in circulation.
What this basis means: Regulatory filing, government body, court or industry association.
The thresholds separating China's first, second and third licence tiers (一类/二类/三类) have not been published. The Measures delegate them expressly: the classification standards are to be formulated by the State Council's broadcasting and television department (分类标准由国务院广播电视主管部门制定).
Because no threshold has been issued, any yuan figure currently described as the licence threshold is drawn from a different instrument. Three sets of tiers circulate and only one is the licence regime.
The licence tiers themselves take effect on 1 September with thresholds unissued. The filing (备案) review tiers have applied since 1 January 2026 and set key titles at ¥3m and above, ordinary titles at ¥1m to ¥3m. The AI management guidance (管理提示) calibration has applied since 1 July 2026 and sets key titles at ¥800k and above, ordinary titles at ¥300k to ¥800k and others below ¥300k.
The AI calibration adjusts the filing tiers. Neither is the licensing regime.
Tracked instrument China, NRTA Order No. 16 — Measures for the Administration of Micro Short Drama Development (微短剧发展管理办法)
Sources
- 《微短剧发展管理办法》 NRTA