YouTube has significantly expanded its AI-powered auto-dubbing feature to “hundreds of thousands of channels” within its Partner Program, focusing on knowledge and information content. This innovative tool, which started testing with a small group of creators in June 2023, aims to bridge language barriers and make videos more accessible to global audiences.
The auto-dubbing feature translates and dubs videos based on the original language. For English-language videos, the dubs are available in French, German, Hindi, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian, Japanese, and Portuguese. Conversely, videos created in one of these languages will only receive English dubs.
The process is automated, generating dubbed versions when videos are uploaded. Creators, however, have control over the dubs—they can preview, unpublish, or delete them, ensuring the translated content aligns with their standards.
While the current AI-generated dubs may lack a natural tone, YouTube promises significant enhancements in future updates. The platform is working to make the dubs more authentic, capturing “tone, emotion, and even the ambiance of the surroundings.”
Here’s how it works:
1. Upload your video Just like you normally would! No need to do anything special. YouTube will automatically detect the language of your video and create dubbed versions in other languages.
2. Watch your dubbed videos If you want to see your dubbed videos, you can find them in YouTube Studio in the "Languages" section. Listen to the dubs and see if you're happy with them. If not, no worries! You can unpublish or even delete any dubs you don't like.
3. Not sure if you have it? Head over to YouTube Studio This is your control center for all things YouTube. If it’s available for your channel, you’ll find it under "Advanced Settings". You can always choose to review the dubs before publishing.
YouTube acknowledges the limitations of the technology. “This technology is still pretty new, and it won’t always be perfect,” the company stated, adding that inaccuracies in translation or speaker representation may occur. However, it remains committed to improving the feature.
Initially limited to knowledge-focused channels, YouTube plans to extend AI dubbing to other types of content soon.