Feature now available for knowledge-focused creators, with plans to expand to more content types
YouTube has significantly expanded its AI-powered auto-dubbing feature, making it available to “hundreds of thousands of channels” in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) that produce knowledge and information-based content. The platform announced plans to extend the feature to other content types in the near future.
How Auto-Dubbing Works
The auto-dubbing feature translates the spoken language of a video into additional languages, depending on the original language used.
- Videos in English are translated and dubbed into French, German, Hindi, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian, Japanese, and Portuguese.
- Videos originally in any of these languages will only be dubbed into English.
For eligible channels, the process is automated upon upload. Creators have the option to preview the dubbed versions before publishing and can unpublish or delete them if needed, as outlined in YouTube’s support documentation.
Current Limitations
While the technology is promising, YouTube acknowledges that the AI-generated dubs aren’t yet flawless. Current dubs may lack natural tone and emotion, but the company aims to improve these aspects in future updates.
“Later updates will enhance the dubs’ ability to emulate tone, emotion, and even the ambiance of the surroundings,” YouTube stated.
YouTube also cautioned that translations may sometimes be inaccurate or fail to fully represent the original speaker’s intent. Despite these limitations, the company remains committed to refining the technology for better results.
Initial Rollout and Future Plans
YouTube began testing the feature in June 2023 with a smaller group of creators. Following its success, the company is now rolling it out on a larger scale to channels that focus on educational and informational content.
