// SAVE GUIDE / NICONICO
How to save Niconico videos as MP4
Stillo is a browser tool: paste the link to a public Niconico (nicovideo.jp) video, check the title and thumbnail, then save it as MP4 or MP3. Use it for your own videos or videos you have permission to save, up to 10 minutes long.
01Download in three steps
- Open the video on Niconico and copy its URL from the address bar. It looks like
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12345678:/watch/followed by a number starting with “sm”, “so” or “nm”. - Paste it on the Stillo home page. The video title, length and thumbnail appear, so you can check it is the right video.
- Choose Best available, 1080p or 720p (or MP3 for audio only). Select “Start download”, keep the page open while the file is prepared, then save it from your browser.
02Which URLs work
Use the page of a single video in the form nicovideo.jp/watch/sm number (numbers starting with so or nm also work). These URLs do not work as they are:
nico.msshort links. Open the linked video and copy thenicovideo.jp/watch/…URL instead.- Mylist, user and series pages
- Live broadcast pages (
live.nicovideo.jp)
03When a Niconico video can’t be saved
- Videos that need a login or are members-only: Stillo handles public videos that can be retrieved without logging in.
- Paid videos and channel videos: depending on how they are distributed, they may not be retrievable.
- Region-restricted or deleted videos: they can’t be retrieved from our server.
- Videos longer than 10 minutes: the current limit is 10 minutes.
04Comments are not saved
Only the video and its audio are saved. The scrolling comments that Niconico is known for are not part of the saved file.
05What we measured
On September 30, 2026, a public video of about 5 minutes was ready as a 240p MP4 in about 9 seconds. With Best available, the file keeps the resolution of the original video (240p for this one). The detailed results are on the test results page (Japanese).
06Quality and length
MP4 can be saved as Best available, 1080p or 720p. Best available saves the highest quality Stillo can retrieve from the original video on Niconico (up to 1080p). 1080p and 720p work only when the video has a picture of exactly that height. If it does not, Stillo shows “The selected format is unavailable. Try another quality.” In that case, choose Best available. Stillo cannot make the picture sharper than the original. It handles single videos up to 10 minutes; playlists and series cannot be saved in one go.
07FAQ
Q. Are comments saved?
A. No. Only video and audio are saved; the comment overlay is not included in the file.
Q. Why is the quality low?
A. Best available keeps the resolution of the original video. The video we tested was 240p. Stillo cannot raise the quality above the original.
Q. What file format do I get?
A. MP4 for video, or MP3 if you choose audio only. The file name is based on the video title.
Q. Do I need an account?
A. No. Stillo is free to use.
Q. How many videos can I save at once?
A. One video is processed at a time. Add the next one after the current download finishes.
08Check the thumbnail before you save
After you paste a link, Stillo shows the video title, length and thumbnail before anything is downloaded. This helps you avoid a wrong URL or saving the wrong video.
09Price
Stillo is free. Optional support goes to server costs and development; it does not change features or quality.