YouTube has expanded automatic dubbing capabilities for hundreds of thousands of channels in its Partner Program, focusing initially on knowledge and educational content creators. 

The feature allows videos to be automatically dubbed into multiple languages without requiring additional work from content creators.

For English-language videos, the system provides dubbing in French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

The implementation process maintains YouTube’s standard upload workflow, with the platform automatically detecting video language and generating dubbed versions. Creators can access and manage dubbed content through YouTube Studio’s Languages section, with options to review, unpublish, or delete dubbed versions before release.

“It’s now easier than ever to connect with creators and content from all over the world even if you don’t speak the language,” YouTube wrote in a blog post. “Whether you want to learn to cook authentic gratin from a French chef, sew traditional clothes from an Indian seamstress, or scout spooky spots to visit in another country, auto dubbing makes that content more accessible.”

YouTube has partnered with Google DeepMind and Google Translate on the technology, acknowledging current limitations while working on improvements. The company plans to introduce “Expressive Speech” capabilities to replicate creator tone, emotion, and ambient sound in dubbed versions.

For viewers, the platform adds an “auto-dubbed” label to identify videos using the feature. The system includes a track selector for accessing original language versions and remembers user language preferences for future viewing.

The rollout targets channels focused on knowledge and information sharing, with plans to expand to other content categories. Creators can check their eligibility for the feature in YouTube Studio’s Advanced Settings.

GLITCH’s recent success with the “Amazing Digital Circus” cartoon pilot on the platform, which features 20 audio tracks, shows the power of audio translation. Since its release in October 2023, the video has garnered over 360k views.