Dubbing your video into another language is a great way to invite more viewers. There are several options available, from producing a dub track on your own to employing a voice actor or even testing out an AI voice generator.

There are plenty of good reasons for dubbing your videos into another language, you just need to find an option that works for your budget, skills, and resources.

How Dubbing Works

Dubbing has long been used in the film and television industry to replace the dialogue in the original audio with a different language.

These days, some video hosting platforms like YouTube let you upload your own dub track as well. In addition to the original audio track, this gives your audience the option to switch to a dub track if they prefer to listen to the video in a different language.

The great thing is you won't need a lot of extra equipment to record a dub track. A microphone, an audio/video editor, and a quiet place to record are about all you need to record a dub track. If you regularly create videos then you likely already have these things.

You will need to create a translation of the original audio and have it written down in front of you. In the audio editor, play the video back in small chunks, and record the translated language to match the original placement of dialogue. The aim is to align the audio of the new language with the original timing of the video.

Why You Should Dub Your Video in Another Language

Why do people dub their content in a different language? Well, sometimes it's to replace an accent that might be hard to decipher for the intended audience, such as replacing the voices of a British sitcom with American voice actors.

Other times, it's to make content in a foreign language accessible to a broader audience. Think of the countless number of Japanese animated films that are dubbed into English, Portuguese, German, and many other languages.

There are lots of good reasons why you might want to offer dub tracks. YouTube's multi-language dubbing feature makes videos more accessible, for example. And it's a fantastic way to attract a broader audience to your channel.

Some creators are known to have more than one channel just to house their content in a different language. But uploading a second audio track for the same video simplifies this process. It also means you can view the analytics for your video in one place.

When comparing dubbing to subtitles, it's clear that some people just prefer to listen in a different language instead of reading captions. A good dub keeps you fully focused on the visuals, while subtitles can be distracting.

Unlike subtitles though, which is easy to implement thanks to Google Translate, Dubbed audio can't automatically be generated. Luckily, it's far from difficult to produce your own dub tracks. Here are a few ways you can do it.

1. Produce Your Own Dub Track

If you speak a second or even a third language, then naturally you can begin by dubbing your videos yourself. The benefits include knowing exactly what kind of tone and energy you want to give to your video. By doing this task in-house, you also get to complete it on your own production schedule.

When your video has been edited, you can start the dubbing process by creating a transcript of the dialogue, then translating that into a second language. Set up your microphone next, and play the video in sections while recording the translated script.

The aim is to align the new language track with the original, matching the movement of the mouth whenever possible. Being the sole creator, editor, and recording person definitely makes the dubbing process more intuitive.

Like looking in a mirror, you know exactly how you pronounce a word and when you naturally pause in a sentence. By the end, you will have two audio tracks that line up with your video. One in the original language, and one in your second language of choice.

2. Employ a Voice Actor

The highest quality option for producing a dub track is to hire a voice actor. As you might discover soon enough on your own, voice acting can be really tricky to nail.

Beyond getting the timing right, a voice actor is experienced at conveying the right emotion. They know how to work with a director—in this case you—to make sure that your version closely matches the purpose of the original dialogue.

Getting the dub right is even more important when it comes to a language that you don't speak. Look for a native speaker that will be comfortable pronouncing the language and making it sound natural.

Of course, quality voice acting comes with the highest price—expect the fees to start from $100—and can be calculated per minute of recorded audio. You can find voice actors via talent marketplaces like Voices or Voice Crafters.

Even though it's not the most budget-friendly option, employing a voice actor does have its upsides. For a start, you have access to freelance voice actors from around the world in all languages, accents, and dialects. Plus, they can get the job done remotely, saving you both time and effort.

3. Record a Family Member or Friend

If you aren't bilingual you may need to ask for help. When looking for some voice actors, don't overlook your network of family, friends, or extended community. They might have the language skills you are after.

Asking someone who is local also means you can get them into your recording space and work with them in person. A little direction can go a long way toward capturing a high-quality performance. You can convey to them exactly what the mood of your video is, and get the tone just right, down to individual sentences.

While the most viewed YouTubers of all time might have a production budget to hire voice actors, many people don't. In this case, asking a friend for help might be a better option for your budget.

4. Use an AI Voice Generator

AI text-to-speech tools offer an alternative way of creating a dub track. Compared to hiring someone, this can be a cheaper option.

But while the process is largely automated, it isn't necessarily the easiest option. You still need to get a translation of your script, and while Google Translate is a free option, we all know it isn't perfect. Following that, you can give the translated audio to the AI voice generator.

Once the audio has been generated, you can stop there, flaws and all. But if you're looking for the best possible version, a tool like LOVO AI has the option to fine-tune the audio in various ways. You can specify the emotion you want, for example, and add pauses in the speech where you think it's needed.

Another thing to consider is that many AI tools are marketed in English, and it's not clear how these tools deal with different languages. The entire process can be quite involved, which is why hiring a voice actor can be much simpler. At the end of the day, recreating the nuances of human speech is not an easy task, even for AI.

That aside, AI voice generators can cost less than $50 per month to use. So while the process isn't foolproof, it does cost significantly less than paying a voice actor. It's worth keeping an eye on this technology because we will likely see vast improvements to AI voice generators in the near future.

Broaden Your Audience With Dubbed Videos

Getting your videos out there and watched by people across the world is made more possible with dubbing, a process where you replace the original dialogue with another language.

Doing it yourself is definitely achievable, especially if you are bilingual or know a friend or family member who is. If not, then you can explore the option of hiring a voice actor, or trying out an AI voice generator.

With more video hosting platforms offering the ability to add a second audio track, posting your videos in another language will become much more common.