YouTube is expanding its multi-language audio feature globally, giving millions of creators the ability to upload dubbed tracks in multiple languages. The platform is also piloting localized thumbnails, aiming to make content more accessible and personalized for global audiences.
According to Ritz Campbell, Product Manager at YouTube, creators in the U.S. can now upload videos that are instantly accessible to viewers in countries such as India, Brazil, and Korea in their native languages. Creators who added multi-language audio tracks saw over 25% of their total watch time come from non-primary language views. This highlights how dubbing opens the door to new global audiences.
The feature first launched two years ago in a limited pilot, where select creators experimented with multilingual dubs. Since then, YouTube has reported significant growth:
- Jamie Oliver’s channel saw a 3x increase in views after adopting multi-language audio.
- MrBeast and Mark Rober use the tool to reach worldwide audiences, with Rober uploading dubs in 30+ languages per video, ensuring accessibility from Seoul to São Paulo.
- Chef Nick DiGiovanni shared that multi-language audio helped him connect with fans in Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, and more, driving meaningful global engagement.
In addition to audio, YouTube is also testing localized thumbnails. This feature will allow creators to display language-specific thumbnails based on a viewer’s chosen language, further tailoring the experience to international audiences.
YouTube confirmed that the multi-language audio rollout will expand to millions of creators worldwide over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, localized thumbnails remain in pilot testing and could be introduced more widely depending on creator and viewer feedback.
