Lost in (auto)translation? A creator’s guide to YouTube’s AI dubbing tool

YouTube is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence to help creators expand their global footprint, with AI-generated dubbing, powered by its Aloud technology, emerging as a key feature. This tool aims to dismantle language barriers, offering a seemingly straightforward path to international audiences. But for creators, understanding its current capabilities and limitations is crucial for effective use. 

For many in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), this AI dubbing tool marks a big change. The traditionally high expense and time commitment associated with professional dubbing services often created a substantial hurdle, particularly for channels with smaller budgets. YouTube's offering, free to eligible creators, allows for an initial exploration of content performance in new language markets without a significant financial outlay. This effectively democratises the first steps of a global content strategy. However, the rollout to all monetised channels, despite acknowledged imperfections in the technology, suggests the platform is also using its large creator base to gather extensive data and feedback, aiming to refine the Aloud technology through real-world application.  

What is YouTube's AI dubbing (Aloud)? the nuts and bolts

The AI dubbing technology, known as Aloud, originated from Google's Area 120 incubator and is now integrated directly into YouTube. It is available at no cost to all creators in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), meaning those who can monetise their content have access.  

Currently, the feature supports automatic dubbing of English-language videos into eight other languages: Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Hindi, Indonesian, and Japanese. It also supports dubbing from these languages into English. The selection of these initial languages is not arbitrary; they represent regions with large global online populations and significant growth potential for content consumption, aligning with YouTube's interest in expanding viewership. While the feature is monetarily free, creators should be aware that the primary 'cost' involves the current limitations in quality and the potential impact on brand perception if dubbed content is published without careful review.  

Getting started

Enabling and managing YouTube's AI-generated dubs can be done through YouTube Studio. The platform offers both channel-wide default settings and controls for individual videos.

By default, once enabled channel-wide, automatic dubbing is turned on for new uploads, and dubs for non-experimental languages will be published automatically. This encourages broader adoption and allows YouTube to gather more data. However, it also means creators must be proactive in using the review settings or managing dubs on a per-video basis if they have concerns about the quality of the automated output.  

The upside: Why bother with AI dubs?

The most immediate and practical benefit of YouTube's AI dubbing is its function as a 'no-cost, low-effort way to find out if a new audience cares about your content'. This allows creators to test the waters in different language markets without significant upfront investment. Beyond market testing, multilingual content offers broader advantages, such as tapping into the billions of potential viewers who do not speak English as their primary language and improving search engine optimisation (SEO) and discoverability in local search results. Videos with multiple audio tracks can also perform better in YouTube's search and recommendation algorithms, potentially leading to higher engagement and increased revenue opportunities.  

Strategically, the data provided by AI dubbing can inform future investment in professional localisation. By tracking metrics like views, watch time, and subscriber growth from dubbed versions in specific regions, creators can move from guessing which languages to invest in to making data-backed decisions. Furthermore, while captions enhance accessibility, dubbing provides an alternative for audiences who prefer listening, consume content while multitasking, or have difficulty with text-based translations, thereby broadening a video's accessibility.  

The reality check: Current limitations and creator concerns

Despite the potential, the current state of YouTube's AI dubbing has drawn considerable criticism from creators. Common complaints include 'horrendous auto-dubbing' and general annoyance with the feature's output. YouTube itself acknowledges the technology is 'not perfect' and that the tone and emotion of the original audio are not yet transferred effectively. This results in voices that can sound robotic and unnatural.  

Accuracy is another significant concern, particularly for technical or nuanced content where errors can be misleading. The system may also struggle with jargon, accents, idioms, and cultural humor. Currently, language support is limited to eight languages to and from English, and creators cannot choose or customise the AI-generated voices. 

The suitability of the current AI dubbing quality largely depends on the type of content. It might be adequate for simple, informational videos but could be detrimental for content that relies heavily on personality, emotional delivery, or precise technical language. The vocal feedback from the creator community is a significant factor that will likely push YouTube to prioritise enhancements in voice naturalness, accuracy, and overall control.  

Smart strategy: Using AI dubbing to test new markets

The most effective use of YouTube's AI dubbing in its current form is for low-risk market testing. Creators can activate the feature and monitor analytics to gauge interest from new regions. Key metrics to track include:  

• Retention rates for dubbed language versions.

• Subscriber growth in new geographical areas.

• Genuine engagement, such as comments and likes from viewers in these new markets, rather than just an increase in traffic.  

This approach allows the AI dubs to function as a 'minimum viable product' for globalisation. If these basic dubbed versions generate positive signals, it validates potential interest in that language market, justifying further investment in higher-quality localisation efforts.

Best practices for making AI dubs work for you

To maximise the utility of the current AI dubbing tool, creators should consider several best practices. First, ensure the original video has clean, clear audio. The quality of the AI-generated dub is heavily dependent on the source audio, as background noise or unclear speech can lead to errors in transcription and translation. Using tools to remove background noise from the original track is advisable.  

Second, utilise the 'manually review dubs before publishing' option. YouTube recommends that creators, or someone fluent in the target language, review the dubs. Even if not fluent, creators can perform basic checks for obvious audio issues or distracting lip-sync problems. Monitoring initial viewer comments on dubbed videos can also provide valuable feedback on quality.  

Third, adapt content strategies to account for translation limitations. Avoid complex idioms or culturally specific references that may not translate well via AI. The principle of 'garbage in, garbage out' applies; high-quality original audio and content thoughtfully prepared for a global audience will yield better results.  

Beyond auto-dub: When to invest in professional localisation

If the data from AI dub testing indicates significant viewer interest in a particular language, demonstrated by strong views, subscriber growth, and good retention, it signals that it may be time to invest in more professional localisation. Real localisation takes more than just automated dubbing, it involves choosing appropriate voices, ensuring cultural relevance through human review, and actively promoting the dubbed content. This can also extend to translating video titles, descriptions, and creating localised thumbnails to improve discoverability and appeal. High-quality human dubbing or advanced AI solutions with human oversight can provide the emotional depth and cultural nuance that current automated systems often lack.  

What's next for YouTube's AI dubbing?

The technology behind AI dubbing is rapidly advancing, and YouTube is actively working on improvements. The platform is already piloting capabilities to better transfer the original speaker's tone, intonation, and even ambient sounds to the dubbed audio, aiming for a more natural-sounding experience. Some experts and YouTube executives envision a future where AI dubbing quality becomes nearly indistinguishable from human efforts, with one YouTube VP predicting that, within five years, all videos could potentially be automatically dubbed into every spoken language. While these long-term ambitions are promising, creators should base their current strategies on the tool's existing capabilities.  

A tool for testing, not yet a total solution

YouTube's AI-generated dubbing feature, Aloud, offers creators a valuable and free entry point for exploring global audiences and testing new language markets. It helps creators with an accessible way to experiment with international reach, with data that can inform more significant localisation investments.  

However, it is crucial for creators to approach this tool with a clear understanding of its current limitations regarding voice quality, accuracy, and emotional nuance. For now, AI dubbing is best used as a strategic testing mechanism rather than a comprehensive global solution. When positive market signals emerge from these tests, creators should be prepared to invest in higher-quality human-led or hybrid AI localisation to truly connect with new audiences worldwide.