Sixth Tone
Sixth Tone is a Shanghai-based, privately held digital news platform founded in 2016 that delivers free English-language journalism on contemporary China via its website, newsletter, and social channels, monetized through advertising and sponsored content partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersShanghai, China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Sixth Tone does
Sixth Tone is a Shanghai-headquartered, privately held English-language digital media organization founded in 2016 that publishes news, features, opinion, Q&A interviews, multimedia content, and translated cross-publication pieces about contemporary China. Its core product is the sixthtone.com website, supported by free newsletter distribution and active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WeChat, and RSS. The "Sixth Tone ×" sub-brand curates translations and collaborations with Chinese outlets including The Paper (澎湃新闻), White Night Workshop (白夜匠心), The Beijing News (新京报), Jiefang Daily (解放日报), and Fir Record, extending editorial throughput and topical range without full in-house commissioning.
Underlying technology is a conventional web-based content platform with newsletter infrastructure and social media integration; no proprietary features, AI/ML systems, APIs, or mobile applications are disclosed. The business model is direct-to-consumer content delivery: all editorial content is free to access for readers worldwide, and revenue is generated solely through third-party display advertising on the site and explicit "Sponsored" sections that host branded content from external partners. Advertising sales are reachable via a dedicated [email protected] channel. The company does not disclose pricing, subscriptions, or advertising rates.
Sixth Tone serves international English-speaking readers interested in nuanced coverage of Chinese current affairs, alongside secondary segments of journalists, researchers, policymakers, and analysts (so-called "China watchers") who require in-depth reporting on social, policy, business, technology, and cultural topics. The firm employs between 11 and 50 staff, has no disclosed parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and is incorporated in Shanghai, China (under Shanghai ICP license 沪ICP备14003370号-4).
Sixth Tone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sixth Tone
- Legal name
- Sixth Tone
- Website
- https://sixthtone.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sixth Tone is a Shanghai-based, privately held digital news platform founded in 2016 that delivers free English-language journalism on contemporary China via its website, newsletter, and social channels, monetized through advertising and sponsored content partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sixth Tone industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital News Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)
Keywords
Where Sixth Tone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shanghai
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sixth Tone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: Third-party advertisements displayed on the website generate revenue. The site explicitly mentions third-party advertising partnerships.
- Sponsored Content: Sponsored section featuring branded content from external partners, such as environmental and development content from Huang Pei and Wu Nan.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sixth Tone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sixth Tone operates a digital-first English-language news platform (sixthtone.com) that publishes news reports, in-depth features, commentaries, multimedia content, and Q&A interviews about contemporary China. The outlet targets English-speaking global audiences with content spanning technology, business, policy, social issues, culture, and entertainment. Content is distributed for free to readers via website, newsletter, and social media channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Daily Tones: A daily photo and data storytelling section featuring visual content about current events in China
- Sixth Tone ×
- Q & A
Products and services
- Sixth Tone News Platform Digital news and media platform (sixthtone.com) delivering English-language journalism about contemporary China across multiple content formats including news articles, features, opinion pieces, multimedia content, and Q&A interviews. Free to access for global readers.
- Daily Tones A daily photo and data storytelling sub-brand featuring visual content about current events in China.
- Sixth Tone × (Cross-Publications) Translations and collaborative content section featuring republished and translated articles from external Chinese media partners including The Paper, White Night Workshop, Beijing News, and Jiefang Daily, expanding Sixth Tone's content library with diverse Chinese perspectives.
- Q&A Section In-depth interview section featuring conversations with the minds and makers shaping contemporary China, providing direct access to expert insights and personal narratives.
- News Section Timely news reports covering current events, policy changes, and developments across China including social issues, business, technology, and culture.
- Features Section Long-form, in-depth feature articles providing contextualized coverage of Chinese society, culture, and human interest stories.
- Sponsored Content Section Dedicated section featuring branded content from external partners, including environmental and development content. Revenue-generating section supported by advertising and sponsorship partnerships.
Companies that use Sixth Tone
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sixth Tone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sixth Tone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- The Paper (澎湃新闻)coreThe Paper is a major Chinese news organization that co-publishes content with Sixth Tone through the 'Sixth Tone ×' section. Content originally published in The Paper is translated, edited, and republished on Sixth Tone with permission, expanding reach to English-speaking audiences worldwide.
- White Night Workshop (白夜匠心)minorWhite Night Workshop contributes content to Sixth Tone's 'Sixth Tone ×' section, featuring investigative and documentary pieces on Chinese social issues, including mental health and cultural phenomena.
- The Beijing News (新京报)minorThe Beijing News collaborates with Sixth Tone through the 'Sixth Tone ×' section, providing translated content about Chinese cultural and environmental topics.
- Our WaterflagshipOur Water is a cultural exchange project between Shanghai and London. Sixth Tone announces and covers this initiative, representing a flagship cultural exchange initiative that aligns with Sixth Tone's mission to present diverse perspectives on China.
- Fir RecordminorFir Record contributes documentary and cultural content to Sixth Tone's collaborative section, covering topics including film and sports.
- Jiefang Daily (解放日报)minorJiefang Daily partners with Sixth Tone through the 'Sixth Tone ×' section, contributing cultural preservation and historical content.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sixth Tone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- South China Morning Post (SCMP): Hong Kong-headquartered English-language news outlet covering China and broader Asia, also built around advertising and subscription monetization. Most direct comparable to Sixth Tone in audience, language, and editorial focus on contemporary China.
- The China Project (formerly SupChina): US-based English-language digital publication dedicated to news, business, culture, and policy coverage of China. Closely mirrors Sixth Tone's positioning as a fresh, English-language voice on China outside state media narratives.
- Caixin Global: English-language news service from Caixin Media focused on Chinese business, finance, and policy. Comparable as a Beijing-rooted outlet bringing Chinese reporting to English audiences, with similar advertising/subscription hybrid model.
- The Diplomat: Asia-Pacific affairs online magazine covering politics, security, and society in the region. Comparable as a digital-first English publication with editorial depth and a niche international-audience focus similar to Sixth Tone's.
Broad incumbents
- China Daily: State-affiliated English-language newspaper covering China with global distribution. Larger, established publisher in the same category as Sixth Tone, though with very different editorial stance and ownership.
- Reuters Asia: Global wire service with significant English-language China bureau operations. Comparable as an English source for international China news consumers and advertisers, though serving a far broader news mandate.
- Bloomberg China: Bloomberg's English-language Asia/China coverage targeting international business readers. Comparable audience overlap with Sixth Tone's English-speaking China-watcher segment, with significantly larger editorial scale.
- Quartz: Global digital news publication with substantial China and Asia business coverage, ad-supported. Comparable business model (digital-first, ad/sponsored content, English, international audience) and similar scale at its independent phase.
Emerging players
- Rest of World: Digital publication covering technology and society outside Western contexts, including substantial China coverage. Comparable as a digital-first, English-language outlet producing long-form journalism for internationally curious readers.
- China Digital Times (CDT): Translation-focused digital outlet aggregating and translating Chinese internet and news content for English readers. Highly comparable to Sixth Tone's translation-partnership editorial model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sixth Tone social profiles
Digital presenceSixth Tone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sixth Tone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sixth Tone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sixth Tone M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sixth Tone
What does Sixth Tone do?
Sixth Tone operates a digital-first English-language news platform (sixthtone.com) that publishes news reports, in-depth features, commentaries, multimedia content, and Q&A interviews about contemporary China. The outlet targets English-speaking global audiences with content spanning technology, business, policy, social issues, culture, and entertainment. Content is distributed for free to readers via website, newsletter, and social media channels.
Is Sixth Tone a public or private company?
Sixth Tone is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sixth Tone founded?
Sixth Tone was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sixth Tone based?
Sixth Tone is headquartered in Shanghai, China, in the Asia region.
How does Sixth Tone make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are sponsored Content.
Who are Sixth Tone's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are South China Morning Post (SCMP), The China Project (formerly SupChina), Caixin Global and The Diplomat. Broad incumbents are China Daily, Reuters Asia, Bloomberg China and Quartz. Emerging players are Rest of World and China Digital Times (CDT).
Does Sixth Tone have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sixth Tone.
What industry is Sixth Tone in?
Sixth Tone's product category is Digital News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAA, National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of MPAJAEAO, News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.