The company explained that the rollout will take place gradually over the coming weeks.
The feature initially began as a limited experiment in 2023 with a number of prominent creators such as MrBeast and chef Jamie Oliver, who at first relied on external dubbing services before YouTube introduced its own automated dubbing tool powered by Google’s Gemini AI model.
This dubbing stands out for its ability to realistically mimic the original voice’s tone and emotions.
YouTube data indicated that creators who used the dubbing feature saw significant growth in views, with non-original language views accounting for more than 25% of total watch time. In the case of Jamie Oliver’s channel, using dubbing tripled the view count.
Since last June, YouTube has also been testing translated thumbnails, enabling creators to customize the text displayed on thumbnails in different languages to match global audience preferences. This boosts engagement and makes content more appealing to users without language barriers.
The new feature is expected to open the door for smaller creators to reach audiences previously beyond their scope, especially in emerging markets that seek diverse content in their local languages.
Many creators have welcomed the feature, stressing that it will help them overcome language barriers and reach multicultural audiences without having to create separate channels for each language or re-record videos in different languages.
The option to listen to videos in a preferred language gives users a smoother, more personalized experience and makes them more engaged with content that was previously limited to a narrow linguistic scope.
This feature gives YouTube an advantage over other platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and may widen the gap, as those platforms have not yet reached the same level of smart dubbing or automated voice translation support.
Despite the widespread praise, some experts raise concerns about the accuracy of AI in conveying cultural meanings and local expressions, warning that certain details or the original tone of speech might be lost.