Introduction: The Video Platform That Is Challenging YouTube Globally

In August 2026, a platform that most people outside of China had never heard of quietly relaunched its international app and started reaching out to Western creators. That platform is Bilibili, and if you follow digital media, you will want to understand it.

Bilibili is a Chinese video-sharing and live-streaming platform headquartered in Shanghai, founded in June 2009. It started as a niche community for anime, comics, and gaming, and has grown into one of China's most influential digital platforms with 376 million monthly active users. It is publicly traded on both Nasdaq under the ticker BILI and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In August 2026, Bilibili relaunched its international Android app with full video access and, critically, removed the identity verification requirement that previously blocked most international signups.

The platform is best described as a hybrid of YouTube, Twitch, and Reddit, built around long-form video, live streaming, gaming communities, and a uniquely interactive feature called Danmu, or bullet chat, where comments scroll across the video in real time. More than 60 percent of its content now comes from non-anime categories including technology, education, lifestyle, and science.

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The History of Bilibili: From Anime Hub to Global Platform

Bilibili was launched on June 26, 2009, by Xu Yi, inspired by Japanese video platforms like Niconico and the intense community culture of anime fandom. The name Bilibili comes from the character Misaka Mikoto from the anime A Certain Scientific Railgun, whose nickname in the Chinese fan community was Bilibili.

For its first several years, the platform focused almost entirely on anime, comics, and gaming content, commonly abbreviated as ACG. It built a reputation as the destination for Chinese fans of Japanese animation, original donghua productions, and gaming culture. The community was tightly knit, passionate, and highly engaged.

The platform gradually expanded its content categories through the mid-2010s and accelerated its diversification after its 2018 Nasdaq IPO. By 2025, Bilibili had attracted 117.3 million daily active users, driven by content spanning technology, education, lifestyle, food, travel, music, and creator storytelling alongside its original ACG base.

In 2026, the platform made its most significant strategic move outside China: a deliberate global expansion targeting Western creators and audiences, with a relaunched international app, creator outreach campaigns, and active hiring of international staff including an AI content moderation role based in Singapore.

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How Bilibili Works: Core Features and Platform Mechanics

Understanding how Bilibili works requires understanding its key features, which differ meaningfully from Western video platforms.

Danmu: The Bullet Comment System

The most distinctive feature of Bilibili is Danmu, the Chinese term for bullet chat. Danmu allows users to post comments that fly across the video screen in real time, layered over the content as it plays. Comments appear at the moment in the video they were posted, creating a sense of collective viewing even for content watched months or years after it was uploaded.

This feature is what separates Bilibili from YouTube or Netflix in terms of the viewing experience. Watching a popular video on Bilibili during key moments feels genuinely interactive, with hundreds of viewer reactions scrolling across the screen simultaneously. The platform has refined its Danmu system to include comment filtering, colour coding, and interactive triggers within the content itself. This real-time interaction layer is central to why Bilibili users report stronger community belonging than users of Western platforms.

Content Categories

Bilibili organises its content into defined zones. These include anime and donghua, which remain core to the platform identity; gaming, which is one of the highest-engagement zones; technology and knowledge, which has grown significantly with educational creator content; lifestyle and vlog content; music and creative arts; science and documentary; and live streaming, which spans gaming, entertainment, and direct creator-fan interaction.

The platform positions itself as a video community rather than just a streaming app. This distinction matters: content discovery is driven as much by community recommendation, shared playlists, and creator following as by algorithmic recommendation.

Creator Ecosystem and Monetisation

Bilibili's creator programme allows content creators to earn through advertising revenue, virtual gifting during live streams, paid subscriptions from fans, and brand partnerships. The platform charges no upfront fees and takes a revenue share from advertising and virtual gift income.

For international creators in 2026, Bilibili is actively promising revenue-sharing, virtual gifting, and a creator marketplace. The details of these structures have not been fully finalised, but the platform is explicitly recruiting YouTubers and international video creators to build multilingual content libraries on its platform. Creator tools include video upload, chapters, subtitles, community posts, and interaction analytics.

Membership and Premium Content

Bilibili offers a paid membership called Bilibili Premium, referred to as a big membership by its community. Premium members gain access to licensed anime content, early access to new series, ad-free viewing, exclusive content, and a enhanced Danmu customisation. The membership cost is significantly lower than Western streaming services, targeting Bilibili's core Gen Z and millennial audience.

AI and Recommendation

Bilibili uses machine learning algorithms to drive content discovery across its app and website. The recommendation system analyses viewing history, Danmu interaction patterns, creator following, and search behaviour to surface relevant content across the platform's zones. As part of its international expansion, Bilibili is building an AI content moderation system for its global operations, evidenced by its hiring of an AI moderation specialist based in Singapore.

How to Create a Bilibili Account: Step-by-Step Guide

Bilibili relaunched its international app in August 2026, removing the previous passport verification requirement for non-Chinese users. The signup process is now accessible to users globally.

Step 1: Download the App or Visit the Website

Download the Bilibili app from the Google Play Store on Android. As of August 2026, iOS availability is expected soon but has not been confirmed with a specific release date. Alternatively, visit bilibili.com in any browser on desktop or mobile.

Step 2: Tap Sign Up

On the app's welcome screen, tap Sign Up. You will see the option to register with a phone number or email address. International users should select the email option if they do not have a Chinese mobile number, though a phone number from most countries is accepted.

Step 3: Enter Your Email or Phone Number

Type your email address or mobile phone number into the registration field. If using a phone number, select your country code from the dropdown list before entering the number. Tap Send Code to receive a verification code.

Step 4: Verify Your Account

Enter the verification code sent to your email or phone. This code is typically six digits and expires within a few minutes. If you do not receive the code, check your spam folder or tap Resend Code.

Step 5: Set Your Password

Create a password that meets Bilibili's requirements: at least eight characters, including at least one letter and one number. Confirm the password by typing it a second time in the confirmation field.

Step 6: Choose a Username

Select a display name for your account. This is the name other users will see in comments, live streams, and on your profile page. You can change this later in your account settings if needed.

Step 7: Select Your Interests

Bilibili presents a screen asking you to select content interests. Choose the categories that match what you want to watch: anime, gaming, technology, lifestyle, music, education, or others. These selections help the recommendation algorithm show you relevant content immediately.

Step 8: Complete Your Profile

Add a profile picture and a short bio in your account settings. A complete profile helps other users know who you are in comment sections and live stream chats. You can also follow creators whose content you want to see regularly in your feed.

Engaging With Content as a New User

Once your account is set up, you can immediately watch videos, use Danmu to post comments during videos, follow creators, and participate in the community. To post your own videos, you will need to verify your creator status through the Creator Centre, which involves accepting the platform's content guidelines.

Bilibili's Global Expansion and What It Means in 2026

Bilibili's August 2026 global relaunch is the platform's most significant move outside China in its 17-year history. The company has removed identity verification, relaunched the Android app with full international access, and is actively courting Western creators through an outreach campaign described in Semafor's reporting.

For technology and marketing professionals, the expansion represents a real opportunity, particularly for reaching audiences in Southeast Asia where Bilibili already has strong penetration in Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Bilibili's creator pitch materials describe the platform's audience as Gen Z coded, affluent, and well-educated, which is the demographic that many global brands are most actively trying to reach.

Bilibili positions its content recommendation system and personalisation tools as central to its international appeal. The platform is building AI moderation for its global operations rather than relying on manual review at the speed required for a platform of this scale. Content creators considering the platform should note that some video content is shared between the Chinese and international versions of the platform, and the moderation rules for international content are still being defined.

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Bilibili, Technology Education, and the Next Generation of Users

Bilibili has become a significant destination for technology education in China, with creators publishing courses on coding, AI, data science, robotics, and programming to millions of young viewers. This educational dimension of the platform aligns with a broader global trend: young people learning technology skills through video rather than traditional classroom settings.

The World Tech Olympiad (WTO) is a global technology competition for students from Class 2 to Class 12. Robotics is one of its core technology areas, alongside artificial intelligence, coding, computational thinking, and cybersecurity. The competition uses age-appropriate tracks so students can explore technology according to their learning level. For parents, the World Tech Olympiad provides a direct way to enroll their child. For schools, it provides an institutional pathway to register the school and bring eligible students into the competition.

Platforms like Bilibili are part of the ecosystem where the next generation of technology practitioners first encounters the concepts they will later apply professionally. Understanding how these platforms distribute technical education at scale is relevant for anyone working in education technology, digital marketing, or content strategy.

What Bilibili Means for Marketers and Business Professionals

For brands and marketers, Bilibili represents a distinct opportunity from WeChat, Weibo, or Douyin. The platform's user base is younger, more educated, and more deeply engaged with creator content than most Chinese platforms. Bilibili users spend significantly more time per session than users on short-video platforms, which makes the platform well-suited for longer brand storytelling, product education, and creator partnership campaigns.

Advertising formats include in-video pre-rolls, mid-rolls, branded content partnerships, and sponsored creator videos. The platform's brand ecosystem is particularly strong for technology products, gaming peripherals, consumer electronics, and lifestyle brands with strong visual identity.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is Bilibili?

Bilibili is a Chinese video-sharing and live-streaming platform founded in Shanghai in 2009. It has 376 million monthly active users and is best known for anime, gaming content, and its distinctive bullet chat feature called Danmu. In August 2026, it relaunched its international app and began expanding globally.

Is Bilibili the YouTube of China?

Bilibili is often described as the YouTube of China, but it is more accurately a hybrid of YouTube, Twitch, and Reddit. It combines long-form video, live streaming, gaming communities, and social interaction, with a strong community culture built around interactive bullet comments rather than a pure video library.

Who Founded Bilibili and When?

Bilibili was founded by Xu Yi and launched on June 26, 2009. The name comes from the nickname of a character from the anime A Certain Scientific Railgun in the Chinese fan community.

Is Bilibili Available Outside China?

Yes. Bilibili is accessible globally through its website at bilibili.com and through its Android app, which was relaunched internationally in August 2026. Some licensed anime and copyrighted content remains geoblocked outside certain regions. iOS availability is expected soon but has not been confirmed with a specific date.

How Many Users Does Bilibili Have?

Bilibili has 376 million monthly active users as of August 2026. The platform had 117.3 million daily active users based on 2025 financial results, reflecting its highly engaged user base relative to its total registered user count.

What Is Danmu on Bilibili?

Danmu, meaning bullet chat, is Bilibili's signature interactive feature. It allows users to post comments that scroll across the video screen in real time at the moment in the video they were posted. This creates a collective viewing experience where thousands of viewer reactions appear simultaneously, creating a sense of community even for videos watched long after they were uploaded.

What Kind of Content Is on Bilibili?

Bilibili hosts a wide range of content. Anime and donghua remain core, alongside gaming, live streaming, technology and science education, lifestyle and vlogs, music, art, food, travel, and creator storytelling. More than 60 percent of content now comes from non-anime categories, reflecting the platform's significant diversification since its early years.

Does Bilibili Have Live Streaming?

Yes. Live streaming is a major feature of Bilibili, used for gaming broadcasts, entertainment, educational sessions, and direct creator-fan interaction. Viewers can send virtual gifts to live streamers as a form of support and engagement, which is one of the platform's primary revenue streams for creators.

What Is Bilibili Premium Membership?

Bilibili Premium, called the big membership by its community, is a paid subscription that provides access to licensed anime content, ad-free viewing, early access to new series, exclusive content, and enhanced Danmu customisation. The membership is priced significantly lower than Western streaming services.

Does Bilibili Use Algorithms for Content Recommendation?

Yes. Bilibili uses machine learning algorithms to personalise content recommendations based on viewing history, Danmu interaction, creator following, and search behaviour. The platform is also developing AI content moderation for its international operations, evidenced by active hiring for AI moderation roles as part of its 2026 global expansion.

How Do I Create a Bilibili Account Internationally?

Download the Bilibili Android app from the Google Play Store or visit bilibili.com. Tap Sign Up, enter your email or phone number, verify with a code sent to you, set a password, choose a username, select content interests, and complete your profile. International users no longer need to provide passport or government ID.

Do I Need a Chinese Phone Number to Sign Up for Bilibili?

No. Since the August 2026 international relaunch, users can sign up with an international phone number or an email address. The previous requirement for a Chinese phone number for international users has been removed.

Do I Need to Verify My Identity to Use Bilibili Internationally?

No. The international relaunch removed the identity verification requirement that previously required a passport or national ID from non-Chinese users. You now only need an email address or phone number to create an account.

Can I Watch Bilibili Without an Account?

Yes. You can browse and watch most video content on bilibili.com without creating an account. An account is required to post Danmu comments, follow creators, access premium content, and participate in community features.

How Do I Upload Videos to Bilibili as a Creator?

After creating your account, visit the Creator Centre on the platform. Accept the content guidelines and community standards, fill out your creator profile, and then use the upload tool to submit videos. Videos are reviewed before publication. Creators should review the current content guidelines carefully, as rules for international content are being established as part of the 2026 expansion.

Is Bilibili Suitable for International Brand Marketing?

Yes, particularly for brands targeting Gen Z and millennial audiences in China, Southeast Asia, and increasingly globally. Bilibili's audience is characterised as educated, affluent, and highly engaged with creator content. Technology products, gaming brands, lifestyle products, and consumer electronics perform particularly well on the platform.

How Does Advertising Work on Bilibili?

Bilibili offers several advertising formats including pre-roll video ads, mid-roll ads, branded content partnerships, and sponsored creator videos. Brands can also partner directly with Bilibili creators through the creator marketplace. Advertising accounts are managed through the Bilibili advertising platform, which requires a business account and registration process.

What Data Privacy and Security Concerns Exist for International Users?

As with any platform originating in China, data privacy questions are relevant for international users and businesses. Content is shared between the Chinese and international versions of the platform. Bilibili has not yet publicly detailed its data handling architecture for international users beyond what is available in the international app's privacy policy. Users and businesses should review the current privacy policy before creating accounts or sharing sensitive content.

Is Bilibili a Threat to YouTube Globally?

Bilibili's global expansion positions it as a potential competitor for YouTube in specific content categories, particularly anime, gaming, and technology education. However, the platform is building from a much smaller international base, its creator monetisation structures are not yet finalised, and it faces the regulatory questions that accompany any Chinese platform expanding in Western markets. The expansion is better understood as opening a new channel rather than directly displacing established platforms in the short term.

Where Is Bilibili Strongest Outside China?

Bilibili has the strongest international presence in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, where anime and gaming content culture has strong overlap with Bilibili's core content areas. The August 2026 global relaunch is designed to extend this presence to Europe, North America, and other markets.