Short answer: Bilibili (哔哩哔哩, known as "B站") is China's leading long-form video platform and Gen Z community — think a mix of YouTube and a fandom hub, with a passionate young, educated user base. It started around anime, comics and gaming (ACG) culture and grew into a broad home for tech, education, lifestyle and knowledge content.
Where Bilibili came from
Bilibili launched in 2009 as a niche site for anime and gaming fans. Its defining feature — danmu (弹幕), or "bullet comments" that scroll across the video in real time — created a shared, communal way of watching that built fierce loyalty. It has since matured into one of China's most influential platforms for young people.
How big is Bilibili?
- Hundreds of millions of monthly active users, skewing young (Gen Z) and educated
- Known for unusually high engagement and long watch times — closer to YouTube sessions than short-video snacking
- A stronghold for tech, education, science, gaming and knowledge content
What makes Bilibili different
- Long-form, not short-form. Where Douyin is short and fast, Bilibili rewards depth — tutorials, reviews, explainers, and series.
- Creators are called "UP主" (UP hosts). They're the heart of the platform, much like YouTubers.
- Danmu culture. Live scrolling comments make watching feel communal and are part of the appeal.
- A discerning audience. Bilibili users are famously allergic to lazy advertising; content has to earn attention.
Should brands care about Bilibili?
For most consumer SMBs, Bilibili is a considered channel, not a first move. But it's genuinely valuable if your audience is young, tech-literate, or education-minded — for example, universities, edtech, gaming, consumer tech, and study-abroad services. Its long-form format lets you demonstrate real expertise in a way short video can't. We cover the decision in detail in Bilibili for SMBs — when it's worth it.
The diaspora angle
Bilibili has a devoted following among Chinese international students and young Chinese-speaking communities abroad, who use it for entertainment, learning and staying connected to Chinese-language content. If your business targets Chinese students or young professionals in your market, Bilibili can reach them where few Western brands bother to look — and it's part of what we build through our Bilibili marketing service.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bilibili used for? Long-form video across anime, gaming, tech, education and lifestyle — plus a strong community built around real-time "danmu" comments.
Is Bilibili like YouTube? In format, yes — long-form video and subscriber-driven creators — but with a younger, more community-driven Chinese audience and its signature bullet-comment culture.
What does "B站" mean? It's the common Chinese nickname for Bilibili — "B site."
Who uses Bilibili? Predominantly Gen Z and young millennials in China, plus Chinese students and young diaspora communities abroad.
Wondering if Bilibili fits your audience of young or student Chinese-speaking customers? Book a free strategy audit and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth your budget.