YouTube launches AI dubbing in Spanish, Japanese, Hindi and Korean

YouTube has launched multilingual dubbing for creators after nearly two years of testing, offering both manual upload options and AI-generated dubs powered by Google Gemini in languages including Spanish, Japanese, Hindi, and Korean. The rollout addresses the growing demand for global content accessibility while positioning YouTube to compete with similar features from Meta, Microsoft, and other platforms introducing AI dubbing capabilities.

What you should know: Creators can now choose between uploading their own professionally created dubs or using YouTube’s automated AI dubbing system.

• YouTube warns that AI-generated dubs may struggle with tone and local idioms, making human-created versions preferable for creators with sufficient resources.
• The feature rollout will happen over the coming weeks, with support for additional languages planned over time.

Early adoption results: High-profile creators like MrBeast and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver have already tested the tools with promising engagement metrics.

• Up to 25% of viewers on test channels opted for non-English dubs during the trial period.
• YouTube reports the features were “well adopted” among participating creators.

Additional features: YouTube is also testing multilingual thumbnails that automatically translate video titles into users’ preferred languages.

• For example, Spanish-speaking users in Mexico would see Spanish text overlays on English-language thumbnails.
• This feature works alongside the dubbing tools to create a more localized viewing experience.

Competitive landscape: YouTube’s launch follows similar moves across the tech industry as platforms race to break down language barriers.

• Google announced at its I/O event in May that automated AI dubs for Google Meet would begin beta testing later in 2025.
• Microsoft’s Teams platform introduced comparable tools in November 2024, while Meta rolled out AI-dubbing for Instagram Reels in August.
• The technology behind these features is becoming increasingly standardized across major platforms.

Why this matters: The global rollout reflects YouTube’s strategy to help creators expand their international reach without the traditional barriers of language and localization costs, potentially opening new revenue streams for content creators while strengthening YouTube’s position in international markets.