China's YouTube Rival Bilibili Is Going Global (semafor.com) 51
Bilibili, often described as China's answer to YouTube, is relaunching its international app and preparing an English-language site as part of a broader push into the U.S., Europe, Japan, and other markets. The company is courting Western creators like MrBest, hiring community and moderation staff globally, and building tools for brand partnerships. Semafor reports: The revamped international app no longer requires identity verification -- meaning users can sign up without having to provide a passport or ID document, which were long required of overseas users on its main Chinese platform, according to what appears to be a newly created account on X marketing the platform to global creators. "Yes bilibili is going global," the account wrote, adding that content-wise, the US and Chinese sites will be the same.
In a document recently shared in a Discord chat for Bilibili creators, the company pitched itself as a place for influencers to make money and connect with "Gen Z Coded, affluent and well-educated" users. A marketplace for international users to connect with brands for sponsored content is "in development," according to the presentation. The deck also showed creators how to post videos on its Chinese website, adding that an English version is "coming soon. We are working hard."
In a document recently shared in a Discord chat for Bilibili creators, the company pitched itself as a place for influencers to make money and connect with "Gen Z Coded, affluent and well-educated" users. A marketplace for international users to connect with brands for sponsored content is "in development," according to the presentation. The deck also showed creators how to post videos on its Chinese website, adding that an English version is "coming soon. We are working hard."
MrBest (Score:5, Funny)
The company is courting Western creators like MrBest,
Not to be confused with Mr Beast...
Cheap clone gonna cheap clone.
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Or they could always get MrWildebeest. [youtube.com]
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I still don't know why that guy is famous or what he even does. I did receive one of his chocolate bars as a gift and it was pretty good.
Re:MrBest (Score:4, Informative)
He is famous for getting really really rich as a streamer -and for not turning into a dickhole once he was rich.
Apparently he is actually doing nice things for people with his money (and making even more money doing so.)
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He is famous for getting really really rich as a streamer -and for not turning into a dickhole once he was rich.
Doesn't make his content any less cringe, though.
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Since apparently I rubbed someone with mod points the wrong way by stating an opinion of MrBeast's content, I'll stick to a factual dispute of the OP's claim regarding MrBeast "not turning into a dickhole once he was rich." His Wikipedia entry has an entire section of controversies that he has been involved in. [wikipedia.org]
Re: MrBest (Score:2)
That's interesting, because the main thing I've heard about him is that he did turn into a dickhole, having a reputation for being extremely cynical in his pursuit of clicks and profit and abusive to his staff.
Re: MrBest (Score:2)
Seems more like he's always been one.
Re:MrBest (Score:4, Informative)
I still don't know why that guy is famous or what he even does. I did receive one of his chocolate bars as a gift and it was pretty good.
MrBeast got famous by making money on YouTube back when Google used to pay decent money for views. It is low-brow "Ow my balls!"-style reality content that mostly appeals to kids. He re-invested his earnings into further promoting his content and his other entrepreneurial endeavors (a partnership with a virtual restaurant concept that resulted in some some fairly mediocre burgers that were actually prepared at Denny's, and those chocolate bars you'd mentioned).
Also, if you think MrBeast's chocolate is "pretty good", you'd be blown away by the German chocolate at Aldi.
Re: MrBest (Score:1)
Generally speaking, the more famouse someone is on youtube (or any other social media), the less it is worthy of knowing about them.
I guess my sponsorblock+adblock would hide most of his content.
Also, what is tiktok?
Re: MrBest (Score:5, Interesting)
It's already been said to death on Reddit so I can't take credit for it, but back in the day when I watched The Fifth Element I absolutely couldn't wrap my head around how the Ruby Rhod character was supposed to be even close to a realistic portrayal of a future entertainer. He was just so obnoxious (and not due to bad acting either, the character's extremely over-the-top flamboyant portrayal was 100% intentional).
Then YouTube happened. Now the film seems oddly prescient, considering that it truly did predate the obnoxious social media influencer personality.
Re: MrBest (Score:2)
There were such people on TV too, if you watched the right (wrong) channels. Often music show hosts. The director wasn't prescient, he just was in touch with a trashy culture which hadn't quite hit mainstream yet.
Re: MrBest (Score:2)
Tiktok is the sound of a time ticking, time when the internet is moving on while you are left behind.
Re: MrBest (Score:1)
Why would they need ID? (Score:2)
They can buy enough info from Meta to put a name to each visitor (and sell the combined data to Amazon for "targeted advertising").
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They want to track of every video you watch?
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I like my presidents to not be pedophiles but you do you I guess.
To be fair, that specific detail is always omitted from presidential campaign platforms, so you never really can be 100% sure.
Re:I think I'd be upset about Chinese propaganda (Score:5, Insightful)
Competition is usually good. YouTube has been rapidly enshittifying, and there isn't really any alternative.
Needs a rebrand (Score:2)
No one is going to visit a website they can't even pronounce let alone spell.
Good! YouTube can use competition (Score:2)
Yes, I know XiWare is likely snoopish, but so is GoogleWare. At least make the jerks compete.
competition ! (Score:5, Insightful)
It's time YouTube gets some actual competition. Maybe it'll force them to revert some of the enshittification it's been going through. The crap is near unusable these days.
Re: competition ! (Score:3)
> a place for influencers to make money and connect with "Gen Z Coded, affluent and well-educated" users. A marketplace for international users to connect with brands for sponsored content
Doesn't sound like they have any intention of being any better or any different than YouTube.
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They don't have to be better. They just have to be competing for the same ad money and users.
With all those kicked off YouTube... (Score:5, Insightful)
... without any or any good justification, this could work. Or not, if Bilibili turns out to be worse. In any case, YT has overstayed its welcome a while ago.
Unavailable? (Score:2)
The Play Store shows it as unavailable for my LineageOS devices. Available on my stock tablets and GrapheneOS devices.
A video player more strict than banking apps. OK, China, that'll help in your infowar.