Bilibili (B站) is China’s largest video platform with over 300 million monthly active users. It’s a goldmine of content — from anime and gaming to tech tutorials and lifestyle vlogs. But downloading Bilibili videos isn’t straightforward.

This guide covers the best free methods to download Bilibili videos in 2026.

Why Download Bilibili Videos?

  • Cross-platform content research — Study what trends on Bilibili before they spread globally
  • Language learning — Save Chinese-language content for study
  • Content inspiration — Bilibili creators are known for high production value
  • Offline viewing — Watch without buffering issues
  • Creator analysis — Study editing styles and content formats unique to the Chinese market

Method 1: ViralMint (Download + AI Analysis)

ViralMint supports downloading from virtually any video platform, including Bilibili. It uses yt-dlp under the hood, which has robust Bilibili support.

Download Bilibili Videos with ViralMint

  1. Download ViralMint from viralmint.net
  2. Run python run.py
  3. Paste a Bilibili URL: “Download this: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BVxxxxx”
  4. ViralMint downloads, transcribes, and analyzes the video

What Makes ViralMint Special for Bilibili

  • Automatic transcription — Whisper AI transcribes Chinese audio locally
  • AI analysis — Get insights on hooks, structure, and viral elements
  • Multi-language support — Works with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and 90+ languages
  • No login required — Downloads public videos without a Bilibili account

Method 2: yt-dlp (Command Line)

yt-dlp has excellent Bilibili support with multiple format options.

Install and Download

# Install yt-dlp
pip install yt-dlp

# Download a Bilibili video
yt-dlp "https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1xx411c7mD"

# Download best quality
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio" "BILIBILI_URL"

# Download with Chinese subtitles
yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-lang zh-Hans "BILIBILI_URL"

# Download audio only
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 "BILIBILI_URL"

Download Multi-Part Videos (分P)

Bilibili videos often have multiple parts (分P). yt-dlp handles this:

# Download all parts
yt-dlp "https://www.bilibili.com/video/BVxxxxx"

# Download specific part
yt-dlp --playlist-items 3 "https://www.bilibili.com/video/BVxxxxx"

# Download parts 1-5
yt-dlp --playlist-start 1 --playlist-end 5 "BILIBILI_URL"

Download Entire User’s Videos

# Download all videos from a Bilibili user
yt-dlp "https://space.bilibili.com/USER_ID/video"

# Download latest 10 videos
yt-dlp --playlist-end 10 "https://space.bilibili.com/USER_ID/video"

Using Cookies for Premium Content

Some Bilibili content requires a logged-in account (大会员 VIP content):

# Export cookies from your browser
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome "BILIBILI_URL"

# Or use a cookies file
yt-dlp --cookies cookies.txt "BILIBILI_URL"

Bilibili Video Formats

Bilibili serves videos in several quality levels:

QualityResolutionRequires Login
360P640x360No
480P854x480No
720P1280x720No
1080P1920x1080Free account
1080P+1920x1080 (high bitrate)VIP
4K3840x2160VIP

For research and analysis purposes, 720P or 1080P is usually sufficient.

BV vs AV Numbers

Bilibili uses two ID systems:

  • BV numbers (newer): BV1xx411c7mD — the standard format since 2020
  • AV numbers (legacy): av170001 — older format, still works

Both formats work with yt-dlp and ViralMint. Just paste the full URL.

Download from Other Chinese Platforms

ViralMint and yt-dlp also support downloading from:

  • Douyin (抖音) — Chinese TikTok, short-form content
  • Youku (优酷) — Chinese video platform
  • iQiyi (爱奇艺) — Streaming platform
  • Weibo (微博) — Social media video posts
  • Xiaohongshu (小红书) — Lifestyle content platform

This makes ViralMint a powerful tool for cross-platform content research across both Western and Chinese social media.

Tips for Reliable Bilibili Downloads

  1. Use cookies for content above 480P — a free Bilibili account unlocks 1080P
  2. Add delays between downloads — --sleep-interval 3 prevents rate limiting
  3. Check video availability — some content is region-locked to China (use the --geo-bypass flag)
  4. Download subtitles — Bilibili has excellent community-contributed subtitles

Getting Started with ViralMint

ViralMint makes Bilibili downloads easy — paste a URL, get a downloaded video with AI analysis. No command line knowledge needed.

  1. Download from viralmint.net (free, open source)
  2. Run with python run.py
  3. Paste any Bilibili URL in the chat
  4. Get the video + transcript + AI insights

Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Everything runs locally on your machine.