Streaming Out Loud

On Kuaishou, a leading live commerce platform in China, some deaf streamers make their living through live commerce. However, they typically stream in sign language, and these silent live streams cause hearing audiences to swipe away, limiting the viewership to the deaf community, with 90% of the audience being deaf viewers.
How can we draw more hearing viewers and help deaf streamers earn more?

Kuaishou teams up with deaf streamer @Jingjing to launch a pilot live commerce stream that is not only legible to the deaf, but also audible to the hearing.
We use cameras to capture every sign language movement the streamer makes. Our technology recognizes and translates these gestures, matches them to a dedicated sign language database, and then converts the signs into text. Her digital avatar then speaks the content aloud in real time.

Finally, the iconic live commerce callout "3, 2, 1-link is live!” echoes in this live stream hosted by the deaf streamer. For this landmark live stream, 20% of all buyers are first-time hearing buyers. Its viewership (700K+) and transaction value (¥53,000) both see a significant surge. Kuaishou is committed to turning more live streams like Jingjing’s into inclusive bridges that connect the deaf community with the wider world.