In a hurry? The free Bilibili video downloader takes a pasted URL and returns the HD MP4 — no command line. This guide is the deep version: multi-part videos (分P), whole-channel downloads, danmaku subtitles and VIP-content cookies.

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.

Download a Bilibili video by URL (the short version)

Every method below starts the same way: copy the video’s link and hand it to a downloader. Bilibili URLs come in three shapes, and all of them work:

  • Web URLs — https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1xx411c7mD (the BV... id is the video)
  • Short share links — https://b23.tv/xxxxxx, what the mobile app copies; they redirect to the BV URL
  • International — https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/... (Bilibili’s overseas site)

Paste any of these into the Bilibili downloader or the commands below — the BV id resolves the same everywhere.

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. Get ViralMint from viralmint.net
  2. Launch the app — the browser UI opens automatically at http://localhost:16888
  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. Get the desktop app from viralmint.net
  2. Register a free account to unlock the AI features (pay-as-you-go, no subscription)
  3. Paste any Bilibili URL in the chat
  4. Get the video + transcript + AI insights

Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Downloads and Whisper transcription run locally on your machine; AI analysis is metered against your prepaid balance. The open-source variant on GitHub is AGPL-3.0 and BYOK if you’d rather supply your own API keys.