YouTube is making it easier than ever to enjoy content from around the world with its new auto-dubbing feature. Announced on Tuesday, this AI-powered tool allows creators to translate their videos into multiple languages

Initially tested with a limited group, the feature is now available to hundreds of thousands of channels focused on informational content, such as cooking tutorials or DIY projects.

How auto dubbing works

The process is seamless. Creators simply upload videos as they normally would, and YouTube detects the original language before generating dubbed versions in nine supported languages: English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. For example, an English video will be dubbed into the other eight languages and vice versa.

The dubbed videos can be reviewed by creators in YouTube Studio, where they can decide to publish, unpublish, or delete them. Viewers can switch between the original and dubbed tracks using the track selector, with an “auto-dubbed” label clearly identifying these videos.

In its early stages

YouTube admits the technology is still in its early stages and may not always produce perfect results. “We’re working hard to make it as accurate as possible,” the company shared in a blog post. “There might be times when the translation isn’t quite right or the dubbed voice doesn’t accurately reflect the original speaker.”

To improve the tool, YouTube is collaborating with Google DeepMind and Google Translate to introduce “Expressive Speech,” a feature aimed at mimicking a creator’s tone, emotions and the ambiance of their surroundings.

Breaking language barriers

This feature builds on YouTube’s broader mission to break down language barriers. A project called “Aloud” from Google’s Area 120 incubator laid the foundation for this innovation.

For viewers, this means easier access to content from different cultures and creators worldwide. As one YouTube fan put it, “This opens up new opportunities for learning, entertainment, and connection.”

Image courtesy: YouTube