Can SVD download Niconico Premium-only videos?

Yes — if you have a Premium account. SVD uses cookies from your installed browser to authenticate. Your credentials never leave your machine.

Does SVD work with Niconico Live (生放送)?

For ongoing live streams, SVD can record the HLS feed until you stop it or the stream ends. For archived timeshift playback, SVD downloads directly.

Are commentary (コメント) overlays downloaded?

No — by default SVD downloads only the video and audio tracks. Niconico comments (danmaku-style overlay text) are a separate feature and are not included in the MP4.

Does SVD support 4K or high-bitrate Niconico video?

Yes, for videos where the creator has uploaded in high resolution. SVD lists every rendition the server exposes.

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How to Download Niconico (ニコニコ動画) Videos

Save any Niconico video — including Premium-only, members-only, timeshift, and live broadcasts — locally to Mac or Windows. SVD authenticates with your existing Niconico login via browser cookies.

TL;DR. Install SVD, sign in to Niconico in your browser (if needed), copy the video URL, click download. The video stays on your machine.

What SVD can save from Niconico

✅ Regular videos on nicovideo.jp/watch/sm...
✅ Premium-only and members-only videos (with a Premium account)
✅ Timeshift recordings of live broadcasts
✅ Live streams (生放送) — recorded in real time
❌ Commentary overlays (コメント / danmaku) — video + audio only

Download in 4 steps

Install SVD

Grab the Mac or Windows build from the home page.

Sign in (if needed)

For Premium or members-only videos, sign in to Niconico in Chrome, Edge, or Safari. SVD reads the auth cookie locally.

Copy the URL

Copy the Niconico URL — e.g., nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12345678. SVD auto-detects clipboard URLs.

Pick quality & download

SVD lists every available rendition. Click download and SVD fetches segments and remuxes to a single MP4.

Ready to try it?

Free 7-day trial. No account on our end. Your videos stay local.

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Premium-only videos and live timeshift

Niconico frequently gates higher-resolution or full-length content behind a Premium (プレミアム会員) account. For such videos:

Sign in to Niconico in your browser
Verify the video plays at the quality you want while signed in
Copy the URL and paste into SVD
SVD reads your browser cookies locally (nothing leaves your machine) and authenticates

Note: timeshift availability depends on the broadcast settings — if you can't play it as timeshift in the browser, SVD can't download it either.

Frequently asked questions

Can SVD download Premium-only videos?

Yes, with a Premium account. SVD uses your browser cookies locally — no credentials are uploaded.

Does SVD work with Niconico Live?

Yes. For ongoing streams it records in real time. For timeshift playback it downloads directly.

Are comments (コメント) downloaded?

No — SVD saves only video + audio. The danmaku-style overlay is a separate feature.

Does SVD support high-bitrate or 4K?

Yes, whenever Niconico exposes those renditions for the video.

Is it legal to save Niconico videos?

Personal-use saving is broadly accepted in many jurisdictions but varies. Always respect creator rights and Niconico's ToS. Redistribution is separate.

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