This Chinese system has generated millions in revenue for streaming platforms, and now the U.S. is at the tipping point. Chinese pop singer Hua Chenyu once made $17,000 in five hours, and he wasn’t even famous yet. In 2014, Hua posted a single on Chinese microblogging site Weibo and charged 2 yuan (30 cents) per download. He also allowed tips. The 23,000 payments made within those five hours included an average tip of 2.5 yuan each. In China, Hua wasn’t breaking fresh ground with his financial model. Tipping video producers, podcasters and musicians online for their work has been the norm since 2013, when online payments really took off there. Tencent Music’s three streaming apps — QQ Music, KuGou and Kuwo — and its karaoke app WeSing, allow fans to tip artists any amount through the apps. Writers can be tipped for their stories through WeChat and podcasters for their episodes on Ximalaya, China’s biggest spoken-word audio platform. Now, digital tipping is beginning to catch on in the U.S., with Americans who are used to tipping bartenders, baristas and hairstylists loosening their purse strings for other services and creative professionals. | 