Bilibili has quietly become one of the most talked-about video platforms of 2026. With hundreds of millions of monthly active users, deep roots in anime, gaming, and tech culture, and a fresh push into international markets, Bilibili is opening real doors for creators who want to build an audience and turn that audience into income. If you are searching for how to make money on Bilibili in 2026, this guide breaks down every legitimate monetization path, what has changed this year, and how to position yourself for long-term earnings.
Why Bilibili Is Worth Your Attention in 2026
Bilibili is often described as “China’s YouTube,” but that label undersells what makes it unique. The platform blends long-form video, live streaming, a bullet-chat comment culture, and a tightly knit community around niches like anime, gaming, technology, education, and self-improvement content. The platform has around 376 million monthly users, with average watch time exceeding two hours a day.
In 2026, Bilibili made global headlines by expanding beyond Greater China. The company’s international service now covers markets including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia. On the financial side, the platform is growing steadily too — Bilibili reported roughly 8% year-over-year revenue growth in the second quarter of 2026, reaching close to RMB 7.9 billion.
For creators, this growth matters because a healthier platform typically means more advertiser demand, more brand budgets, and more room for creator monetization programs to expand.
Is International Monetization Fully Live Yet?
Before diving into strategy, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Bilibili’s global expansion is genuine, but the monetization infrastructure for creators outside mainland China is still catching up. The removal of sign-up barriers and the push into new markets is confirmed and real, but a fully finalized international monetization system and universal payment gateway are still being built rather than already live.
This means early movers on Bilibili are essentially building an audience ahead of the curve — similar to how early TikTok creators built followings before the platform’s ad and creator fund systems matured. The upside of getting in early is establishing your niche and community before competition increases once full monetization rolls out globally.
Bilibili Apps for IOS Apple: Install & Setup
The 5 Core Ways to Earn Money on Bilibili
Bilibili’s creator economy is structured differently from YouTube or TikTok. Instead of one dominant ad-revenue system, income is spread across several channels. According to creator monetization data compiled in 2026, Bilibili’s earning structure centers on five main streams: the Creator Incentive Program, Fan Charging, Live Gifts, Brand Sponsorships, and affiliate marketing through e-commerce features.
1. Creator Incentive Program
This is Bilibili’s version of a creator fund. Registered creators in good standing who consistently upload original content can qualify for monthly cash bonuses tied to performance metrics such as views, likes, comments, bullet-chat activity, virtual coins, and shares. However, don’t expect this alone to replace a full-time income — the cash incentive has been capped at roughly RMB 2,000 (about $278) per month since March 2024, so it works best as a supplementary income stream rather than a primary one.
2. Fan Charging (Subscriptions and Tips)
Fan Charging lets loyal viewers pay to subscribe to a creator’s channel or tip individual videos directly. This is where community-building really pays off. A smaller, highly engaged audience that trusts you can often out-earn a much larger, passive following. As one creator-economy analysis put it, a deeply engaged small audience can outperform a large disengaged one on Bilibili, which is a meaningful shift from the YouTube model where more views almost always equals more money.
3. Live Streaming and Virtual Gifts
Live streaming unlocks one of Bilibili’s most flexible income sources. During a livestream, viewers can send virtual gifts that convert into real cash for the creator. Livestreaming lets creators interact with their audience in real time instead of relying solely on pre-recorded videos, and strong two-way communities tend to translate into stronger direct audience support. This income stream is uncapped, meaning dedicated streamers with engaged fan bases can scale earnings significantly over time.
4. Brand Sponsorships and Partnerships
For established creators, brand deals are often the biggest earner. Bilibili connects creators with sponsors through its official commercial matching platform, and many top-tier creators generate the majority of their income here rather than through the incentive program. Brand partnerships can become a significant source of income once a creator has built enough authority and audience trust within their niche.
5. Affiliate Marketing and E-Commerce
Bilibili has also built out e-commerce-linked features that let creators earn commissions by promoting products directly to their audience. This mirrors the affiliate-driven monetization models seen on platforms like YouTube and TikTok Shop, and it’s an increasingly important stream as Bilibili deepens its shopping integrations in 2026.
How Much Can Creators Actually Earn?
Numbers vary widely depending on niche, consistency, and audience engagement. Industry data from 2026 suggests total creator earnings — including fan charging, live gifts, and brand deals — typically range from $100 to $500 per month for growing creators, and $500 to $2,000 per month for more established ones. At the platform level, the numbers are far larger: Bilibili paid out about $1.1 billion to creators in 2025, with average creator income growing 21% that year and 24% in the first quarter of 2026.
The takeaway: Bilibili’s creator economy is real, growing fast, and increasingly lucrative — but it rewards patience and niche focus over instant virality.
Which Content Niches Perform Best?
Not all content converts equally well into income on Bilibili. Niches built around specific interests and higher purchase intent tend to monetize better across every revenue stream. Technology, education, self-improvement, gaming, and creative-skills content all show strong monetization potential, while general lifestyle or entertainment content can attract large audiences but tends to convert less efficiently into revenue.
If you’re deciding what to create, lean into a specific, high-intent niche rather than broad entertainment content. Audiences that come to Bilibili for tutorials, gaming breakdowns, or skill-building content are more likely to subscribe, tip, and respond to sponsorships.
Realistic Expectations and Timeline
Bilibili is not a get-rich-quick platform, especially for new international creators. A fair benchmark to keep in mind: most new international creators shouldn’t expect meaningful income within their first three to six months on the platform. Building the kind of engaged, loyal community that drives Fan Charging and live-gift revenue takes consistent uploads, genuine interaction, and time.
It’s also worth noting that eligibility requirements can vary by market and account standing, and Bilibili does not publish one universal follower or view threshold for creator programs — so results and unlock timelines will differ from creator to creator.
Step-by-Step: Getting Started on Bilibili in 2026
- Create and verify your account — sign up, complete profile verification, and review Bilibili’s content guidelines.
- Pick a high-intent niche — technology, gaming, education, or skill-based content tends to monetize best.
- Upload consistently — original, regularly scheduled content builds the watch-time and engagement metrics tied to the Creator Incentive Program.
- Engage through bullet chats and comments — Bilibili’s community culture rewards creators who interact directly with viewers.
- Start live streaming once eligible — this opens the door to virtual gifts, one of the more flexible early income streams.
- Enable Fan Charging — once your account is in good standing, let loyal viewers subscribe or tip.
- Pursue brand partnerships — as your audience grows, apply to Bilibili’s creator-brand matching programs.
- Track policy updates — since the international monetization system is still evolving, stay updated on new features and payout options as they roll out.
Final Thoughts
Bilibili in 2026 represents a genuine opportunity for creators willing to build early in a platform still finalizing its global monetization infrastructure. The five core income streams — Creator Incentive Program, Fan Charging, Live Gifts, Brand Sponsorships, and affiliate marketing — give creators multiple paths to revenue instead of relying on a single ad-based model. Success favors those who pick a focused, high-intent niche, invest in genuine community engagement, and treat the first few months as a foundation-building phase rather than an instant payday. As always, consult a qualified accountant or tax professional in your country before treating international platform income as a primary revenue source.