The Truth About BiliBili: Should You Really Switch From YouTube?
Over the past few weeks, a wave of social media posts has told creators to abandon YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook for BiliBili, a Chinese video platform suddenly being marketed as the next big earning opportunity. Some of that excitement is grounded in something real. Bilibili genuinely did relaunch its international app in August 2026, and it genuinely is courting creators outside China. But the version of the story spreading on social media — instant global access, easy money, no catch — does not match what Bilibili has actually confirmed. Here is what is fact, what is exaggerated, and what creators in regions like Pakistan and India should actually do.
What Is BiliBili, Really?
Bilibili is not a new app. It was founded in Shanghai in 2009 and has grown into one of China's largest video platforms, built originally around anime, comics, and gaming (ACG) culture before expanding into general entertainment, livestreaming, and education. The company is publicly traded on both the Nasdaq under the ticker BILI and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under 9626. Sony Group Corporation holds a reported stake of roughly 5.22 percent in the company.
On its home turf, Bilibili is a serious operation. The platform reported more than 376 million monthly active users and 115.2 million daily active users during the first quarter of 2026, with users spending an average of about 119 minutes per day on the app. Its advertising revenue grew 30 percent year-on-year to roughly $375 million in that same quarter. This is a real, well-funded competitor to YouTube — just one that has, until recently, operated almost entirely inside China and a handful of nearby markets.
What Changed in August 2026 — and Why the Video's Claims Are Already Dated
This is the part that matters most for fact-checking the viral claims. For years, Bilibili's international footprint was limited. Its app store listing described the service as being for Southeast Asian regions, offering licensed anime and user-generated content there, while non-SEA regions could only access voice chat and community post features — no full video platform.
That changed on August 19, 2026, when Bilibili relaunched its international Android app with a substantially wider scope. Bilibili was technically already accessible outside China, but the update represents an explicit strategy to get international viewers watching and posting on the platform. The most significant change is the removal of the identity verification requirement — previously, users had to sign up with a passport or other ID document even when posting from overseas, and that is no longer required. Going forward, the app will mix global and Chinese content together rather than keeping them separate.
Alongside the app relaunch, Bilibili disclosed plans to launch an English-language website and staff up in key markets including Japan, the United States, and Europe, according to job listings and marketing materials shared with creators. The company is recruiting community managers in Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul, and Tokyo, and is building AI-powered content moderation systems with roles based in Singapore. High-profile creators have already taken notice — most notably MrBeast, who has been publishing to the platform since 2024.
So the framing in the viral video — that Bilibili "has not launched globally" — is only true if we're talking about the version of Bilibili that existed before August 19, 2026. The app itself has, in a real sense, gone global. What has not happened yet is an equally global, confirmed monetization system.
Is BiliBili Available in Pakistan or India?
This is where the caution in the original video still holds up reasonably well, even after the August relaunch.
India: India, one of the world's largest online video markets, is conspicuously absent from Bilibili's list of hiring cities — a detail widely read as an acknowledgment of the regulatory friction Chinese apps face there. As of August 21, 2026, India is not listed among the countries Bilibili itself identifies as established international markets.
Pakistan: The picture is similarly unresolved. User reports on Pakistani tech forums in late August 2026 indicate the international app is not consistently listed on the Pakistani Google Play Store, with some users needing to look for the app directly through Bilibili's website instead. The bilibili.com/bilibili.tv website itself has also been reported as intermittently inaccessible from Pakistan without a VPN.
Neither country appears in Bilibili's confirmed rollout list, its overseas hiring plan, or its announced monetization pilot. That does not mean access is impossible — determined users can often still create accounts — but it does mean there is no official local infrastructure supporting creators in these markets yet.
Can You Actually Earn Money on BiliBili From Pakistan or India?
This is the single most important question for creators, and the honest answer is: not reliably, and not yet in an official capacity.
A figure of roughly $0.70 per 1,000 views has circulated widely online as Bilibili's creator payout rate. At that rate, one million views would theoretically translate to about $700 before taxes or other deductions — which is exactly the kind of number that spreads fast on social media. But this figure needs serious qualification.
Bilibili has not officially confirmed a fixed global payout rate, and its published monetization information indicates that actual earnings depend on factors such as audience location, advertiser demand, content category, and other adjustments. It also remains unclear whether Bilibili's new international monetization program will even follow the same rules as its existing domestic Chinese program.
On the Chinese side, Bilibili's Creator Incentive Program does have documented structure: the company currently caps its base creator incentive at 2,000 yuan per month, or roughly $280, though advertising revenue sharing sits outside that cap. Payouts are not calculated on views alone — engagement, valid watch activity, audience response, and content type all factor in. Whether this same structure — or something entirely different — applies to a creator uploading from Lahore or Lucknow has not been confirmed by Bilibili.
| Monetization Factor | Confirmed by Bilibili? | What This Means for South Asian Creators |
|---|---|---|
| $0.70 per 1,000 views figure | No — unofficial, sourced from social posts | Treat as a rumor, not a guaranteed rate |
| Domestic Chinese cash incentive cap (~$280/month) | Yes, for the Chinese program | May not apply to the international program at all |
| Passport/ID requirement to upload | Removed as of Aug 19, 2026 | Signing up is easier, but ≠ monetization eligibility |
| Official payment rails for Pakistan/India | Not confirmed | No clear path to withdraw earnings locally yet |
| Local audience for Urdu/Hindi content | N/A | Audience remains overwhelmingly Chinese-speaking |
The Audience Problem Nobody Talks About
Even setting monetization aside, there's a more basic issue: audience fit. Bilibili's user base, while enormous, is still overwhelmingly Chinese-speaking and culturally rooted in anime, gaming, and ACG communities. Content in Urdu or Hindi aimed at a Pakistani or Indian audience has little organic path to discovery on a platform whose recommendation systems and community are built around a very different user base and language. Uploading content there right now is closer to shouting into an empty room than reaching a new market — unless the content itself (anime commentary, gaming, or China-facing niches) genuinely fits Bilibili's core audience.
What This Means for Creators: Practical Advice
Do not abandon YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok for a platform that has not confirmed monetization access in your region. That advice from the original video remains sound even after Bilibili's expansion news. What has changed is that experimenting is now easier than it used to be, since account creation no longer requires ID verification for most international users.
How to Create a BiliBili Account
- Since the app's availability on regional app stores is inconsistent, visit www.bilibili.com or bilibili.tv directly from your mobile browser.
- Use your browser's built-in translation tool if the interface doesn't default to English.
- Register using a phone number to receive an OTP verification code, or use one of the supported social sign-in options where available.
If the site is difficult to reach from your location, that is a known, reported issue in some regions and not necessarily a sign that something is wrong with your account or device.
BiliBili vs YouTube: A Side-by-Side Look
| Factor | YouTube | BiliBili (International) |
|---|---|---|
| Global reach | Available in virtually every country | Recently expanded, but rollout is uneven; South Asia not yet prioritized |
| Monetization clarity | Well-documented revenue share (55% of ad revenue for long-form) | Domestic program documented; international rules unconfirmed |
| Audience for Urdu/Hindi content | Large, established | Minimal at this stage |
| Sign-up barrier | Low | Lowered recently (no more passport requirement) |
| Platform maturity for creators | Nearly two decades of tooling and support | New to non-Chinese creators; support still developing |
Advantages of Trying BiliBili
- Access to a massive, highly engaged Chinese-speaking audience if your content fits anime, gaming, or ACG niches.
- Early-mover advantage — usernames and niches are far less saturated than on YouTube right now.
- Unique features like real-time "danmu" scrolling comments that create a different kind of community engagement.
- Signing up no longer requires submitting a passport, making experimentation lower-friction than before.
Limitations and Risks
- No confirmed monetization program or local payment rails for Pakistan or India.
- The widely cited $0.70-per-1,000-views figure is unverified and should not factor into anyone's income planning.
- Minimal existing audience for content in languages other than Chinese, particularly outside anime/gaming/tech niches.
- The iOS app was not yet available as of the most recent reporting, limiting reach to Android users.
- As with any platform still finalizing its overseas policies, terms around content, data handling, and moderation could change with little notice.
Final Verdict
Don't fall for the "instant riches" framing making the rounds on social media — but don't dismiss Bilibili entirely either. The truth sits in between what the viral posts claim and what the original cautionary video argued. Bilibili's international relaunch in August 2026 is real and meaningful; the platform has genuinely lowered the barrier to signing up and posting. What has not happened is an official, confirmed monetization pathway for creators in Pakistan, India, or most of South Asia. Until Bilibili publishes clear terms for these markets, keep your primary focus on platforms with established, transparent payout systems, and treat a Bilibili account as a low-cost experiment rather than a plan B income source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BiliBili officially launched in Pakistan or India?
Not officially. As of late August 2026, neither country appears on Bilibili's list of established international markets or its overseas hiring priorities, and app store availability in Pakistan has been inconsistent.
Can I actually make money on BiliBili right now?
There is no confirmed, official monetization program for creators in Pakistan or India. The commonly cited $0.70-per-1,000-views figure is an unverified estimate, not a published Bilibili policy.
Do I need a passport to sign up for BiliBili?
No, as of the August 19, 2026 international app relaunch, Bilibili removed the identity-document requirement that previously applied to overseas users creating and uploading content.
Should I stop uploading to YouTube and move to BiliBili?
No. Creators are advised to keep YouTube, Facebook, or other established platforms as their primary channel and treat BiliBili as an experimental, secondary project for now.
What kind of content performs best on BiliBili?
Anime, gaming, technology, and ACG (anime/comics/games) content tend to fit the platform's existing audience best, since that culture is core to Bilibili's identity.
Is the BiliBili app available on iPhone?
An iOS version was described as "coming soon" following the August 2026 Android relaunch, but had not been confirmed as live in the most recent reporting.
How do I sign up if the app isn't on my country's app store?
You can register through a mobile browser at www.bilibili.com or bilibili.tv, using your browser's translation tool if needed, and verify your account with a phone number OTP.
Sources & Further Reading
- Semafor — China's YouTube, Bilibili, plans global expansion, English-language site
- Engadget — Chinese video platform Bilibili is going global
- ProPakistani — China's Bilibili Goes Global to Challenge YouTube, Reportedly Pays $0.70 Per 1,000 Views
- Yahoo Tech — Bilibili: The YouTube Challenger From China Is Finally Going Global
- eMarketters — What Is Bilibili App? Is It Available in India & Better Than YouTube?
- Apple App Store — BiliBili -HD Anime, Videos (official listing)
- Wikipedia — Bilibili
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