Local online busking app launched

Virtual busking is no longer a far-fetched concept.

Local homegrown app BeLive, which was launched on Friday, now allows people to perform online.

The online platform even lets streamers receive virtual gifts - such as flowers, teddy bears and even mansions - from their fans in real time.

These virtual gifts, which are purchased with real-life money, also accords the streamer with a substantial cut.

BeLive is a Singapore start-up founded to bring content creation through live streaming to the forefront of next-generation social media in South-east Asia.

Live streaming has been trending, with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch all offering such services.

Live-streaming is estimated to become a US$5 billion (S$7b) industry in China by the end of this year, half the size of the country's booming mobile-gaming market, according to Credit Suisse.