How to translate YouTube videos with AI

Online videos are some of the most powerful ways to engage and educate— but they often get left behind in localization efforts because they may be seen as too time-consuming or expensive.

Global enterprise teams looking for ways to reach a wider audience can do so by translating their YouTube videos into multiple languages. AI translation can help your team tap into global markets with YouTube’s 2.49 billion users, which is close to half of the global online population.[3]

Localizing YouTube content not only makes your content accessible to a global audience but also helps increase engagement and viewership on the 2nd most visited website in the world.[1]

Smartcat’s Media Agent makes video translation fast, scalable, and accessible for every team. In this article, we’ll go over how you can translate YouTube videos in various languages quickly with optimal results.

• Smartcat’s Media Agent manages video transcription, subtitling, and AI dubbing all in one centralized platform.

• Expand your YouTube channel's reach and overcome language barriers by translating your videos into different languages to localize your content efficiently.

• Translating YouTube videos are simple and straightforward, taking minimal effort and no video editing required. (Discover the how-to guide and steps further down) 

• YouTube is the 2nd largest social media platform[2] and the 2nd most visited website in the world[1].

To get started, you can either download your video from YouTube or use your existing video file saved on your PC. Using Smartcat’s Media Agent, you simply upload your video and it will automatically add subtitles or an AI voice in your desired language.

After reviewing the results in the new language, you can download your video with subtitles and the AI voice dubbing burned right into the video. This all happens automatically and doesn’t require any manual video editing work on separate video editing tools.

Alternatively, you can also download the SRT and VTT files from Smartcat and upload this to YouTube for manual subtitling. In this guide, we break down each of the necessary steps to get your content translated quickly and efficiently to broaden your global audience.

First, you are going to want to export your video files from YouTube.

Video files will usually be in an mp4 or, sometimes, WAV. File. Go to your YouTube channel and then to YouTube Studio and select the video you’d like to download. (As mentioned above, you can also use the same video file saved on your PC for this process.)

Next, in the video screen, click the menu button (three vertical dots) on the top right side of the screen and select Download.

Once the file has been downloaded to your computer, you can open your Smartcat Workspace to begin the video transcription and translation process.

To localize your video content, you may have tried transcribing subtitles, translating them into a foreign language, and passing them to a video editor. This approach can involve many steps and require extensive project management.

An easier alternative is to use Smartcat’s Media Agent. This AI agent translates spoken content in audio and video files into multiple languages. It centralizes and automates video transcription, subtitling, and AI voiceovers, so everything runs in a single platform.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) identifies and extracts text from images or scanned pages. If your video shows text on the screen, OCR can help you retrieve it for AI translation. For spoken audio, though, you’ll rely on speech recognition tools instead of OCR.

All you have to do is upload your video files. Make sure you have your video file ready as explained in step one.

The setup process in the Smartcat platform takes about three to five minutes.

Your Smartcat platform allows you to translate and dub videos or any other file format in addition to translating websites, designs, user interfaces, courses, and much more.

By logging in, you will gain access to your Smartcat workspace. This is where you and your team will be able to manage your Smartcat Agents and content creation and translation workflows.

Smartcat Agents are digital teammates that streamline everyday workflows, helping teams produce and launch content faster, with less manual work and fewer tools. They also earn from your existing content, institutional knowledge, and team edits.

Your workspace also provides an overview of your content projects, linguistic assets, reports, team, etc. You can also add other team members with Smartcat’s unlimited seals model (one account and unlimited users).

When it comes to quality and compliance, Smartcat offers contextual and high-quality AI translation that understands your brand voice, style, and terminology and delivers 85%+ accuracy from the start, which quickly builds up to 95%+ as you use the Smartcat platform more.

Upload your video file and select your file language and languages for translation out of Smartcat’s 280 options. Smartcat’s Media Agent will automatically transcribe and translate  the audio from your video into the preferred language.

This transcription will function as the basis for the translation. Your content can be generated in seconds and is saved securely in your Smartcat account, which is data-protected by SOC-III level security.

Once the translation is done, you can review the results in the Smartcat Subtitle Editor. There, you can make adjustments to the source text and translations in a side-by-side view of the original language and various new translations.

You also have a panel to view the video in real-time with the corresponding subtitles.

You can invite collaborators into the platform to edit the video subtitles for you. There is no limit on the number of collaborators you want to add to your projects, as Smartcat doesn’t charge for additional user seats. Many companies have in-house subject matter experts who can easily review the subtitles right in the workspace.

You can also hire professional reviewers within the Smartcat platform via Smartcat Marketplace — one of the world’s largest networks of vetted experts (500,000+). They can review your translated content for accuracy. The AI sourcing tool will match your content, language, and project needs with reviewer profiles, giving you a vetted list of experts suitable for your project.

The Smartcat Media Agent can also apply an AI voiceover to your video. You can choose from 30+ different voice options in many different languages and dialects. The AI voice will read the AI-generated subtitles. You can also preview all of the voices before applying it across your video. If you change your mind, you can also switch to another voice at any point.

By editing the subtitles, you will also change what the AI voice over is saying.

Once you're satisfied with the translated subtitles and AI voiceover, you can select export with burned-in subtitles and the videos will download with the subtitles and AI voiceover aligned perfectly.

You can also download the SRT or VTT subtitle files if necessary.

Now you can upload your ready-to-go video with translated subtitles and AI voice over back to your YouTube channel.

Make sure to add the appropriate language tags and descriptions to improve discoverability. Once your upload is complete, you can share your new video link and create different playlists per language or a whole new YouTube channel dedicated to a specific target group.

If you want to upload new translated subtitles to an existing YouTube video, this is also possible with the SRT or VTT file that you can easily download from Smartcat. However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the most intuitive way of doing it as the YouTube editor offers a limited, minimal user interface with which to work.

We recommend only uploading a video on YouTube when you already have the subtitles ready to avoid having to add them later. That way you can create local versions of videos for each demographic.

If you already have a video on YouTube and you need to add subtitles, here’s the process broken down:

• First, go to the subtitles section for the video in question.

• Select “Add language”. Choose your language for the intended subtitle translation.

• Then, click “Add” under subtitles. After that, you’ll want to click “Upload file,” followed by “With timing.” Here you can choose a VTT or SRT file.

You’ll then see the subtitles in an editor that allows you to go through them. You will need to double-check that they align. You can choose to edit the subtitles in two different ways: “Edit as subtitles” or “Edit as text.”

Once you’re done, click Publish to have them added. When someone watches your video, they’ll always see the subtitles in their native language if available.

Babbel has created seven different YouTube channels that allow them to target those who are interested in the different languages that the platform offers. For example, you’ll find English, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese.

Babbel uses AI subtitle translation to increase the speed of their YouTube video production.

Here’s an example of the same video that has subtitles in different languages on their German and French channels:

While you have two options for editing subtitles for YouTube videos, there are key differences to be aware of:

1. Smartcat’s Editor offers a more updated, user-optimal interface and a fully transparent overview of your subtitles.

2. Smartcat’s Media Agent picks up on language inconsistencies that YouTube doesn’t, such as spelling and grammar mistakes.

3. You can collaborate with your team and vetted linguists to ensure high-quality translations in the Smartcat Workplace.

4. Smartcat allows you to leverage first-class AI translation to get your subtitles extracted and translated in seconds, all with your brand voice and terms synced.

5. Your content is saved in your data-secure central Smartcat platform of multilingual content.

Smartcat’s Media Agent removes repetitive tasks and streamlines everyday workflows, helping teams produce and launch content faster, with less manual work and fewer tools.

1. Some of the benefits of this platform include:

Automatically localize media content without reshoots or external vendors while reducing cost and turnaround time for global media production.

AI agents automate complex or custom content workflows— trained on your brand, rules, and review process. Deliver consistent, on-brand video experiences in every market.

Extend the reach of onboarding videos, product explainers, and campaigns. With support for over 280 languages, Smartcat allows you to reach a global audience.

Collaborate with linguists and your in-house team on subject matter or local experts directly through the platform, ensuring the highest translation quality.

Customize translations within one platform to match your unique content and style.

Smartcat is the ultimate solution for global enterprises who want to maintain consistent brand communication across different languages.

Expondo, an eCommerce giant, overcame its administrative nightmares with Smartcat's centralized platform, ensuring uniformity in terminology. Stanley Black & Decker achieved substantial cost savings, enabling more translations.

Smartcat's Media Agent offers speed, quality, consistency, and scalability, making it the ideal choice for global enterprises seeking effective, efficient, and consistent multilingual communication.

Smartcat’s AI-powered platform transforms the entire content lifecycle by automating creation, translation, localization, and publishing. Unlike traditional tools, Smartcat’s expert-enabled AI Agents eliminate handoffs and delays by working in parallel, delivering ready-to-launch content in every language from day one.

• AI Agents that learn your brand voice, terminology, and compliance rules through human-in-the-loop workflows

• Real-time collaboration across teams, SMEs, linguists, and vendors—with no user limits

• AI-sourced talent from a 500,000+ expert Marketplace for high-quality, fast support

• 30+ integrations with tools you already use and support for 80+ content formats

• Built for scale, replacing fragmented systems with one enterprise-ready platform

• Faster time-to-market, reduced costs, and consistent content across all markets

Expanding your YouTube channel's reach by translating your videos into multiple languages is a smart strategy in today's globalized world. Smartcat’s Media Agent simplifies the process, making it more accessible and efficient than ever before.

By following the step-by-step guide provided in this article, you can leverage the power of Smartcat to connect with a diverse and international audience, ultimately boosting your content's popularity and impact.

You can begin by either downloading your video from YouTube or using one already saved on your computer. Next, open Smartcat and upload your video. Smartcat’s Media Agent automatically generates subtitles or an AI voiceover in your chosen language.

After reviewing the translated content, you can download the final version with burned-in subtitles and AI dubbing, eliminating the need for manual video editing. If preferred, you can also export subtitle files (SRT or VTT) for manual use on platforms like YouTube. The entire process is streamlined and user-friendly.

Open up Smartcat and upload your video file and select your file language and languages for translation out of Smartcat’s 280 options. Smartcat’s Media Agent will automatically transcribe and translate the audio from your video into the preferred language. You can also download the original language of your video in subtitle formats (vtt, srt).

To translate your video content, use Smartcat’s Media Agent. This AI agent translates spoken content in audio and video files into multiple languages. It centralizes and automates video transcription, subtitling, and AI voiceovers, so everything runs in a single platform.

To get started, you can either download your video from YouTube or use your existing video file saved on your PC. Using Smartcat’s Media Agent, you simply upload your video and it can automatically add English subtitles or an AI voice in English.

Smartcat is a third-party AI video translator that YouTubers can use to auto-translate their video content. Smartcat allows you to upload a video, choose its original language, and select from over 280 languages for translation. The Smartcat Media Agent automatically transcribes the audio and uses that transcription as the foundation for accurate translation. You can then review and refine translations using the Subtitle Editor, which displays the original and translated subtitles side-by-side.

Collaboration is seamless, as you can invite unlimited teammates at no extra cost. You also have the option to add AI voiceovers with 30+ voice and dialect choices, preview them, and switch voices anytime. Once finalized, the video can be exported with burned-in subtitles and voiceover, ready for platforms like YouTube.

1. “Top Websites in the World - May 2025 Most Visited & Popular Rankings.” Semrush, May 2025, www.semrush.com/website/top/.

2. Dixon, Stacy Jo. “Biggest Social Media Platforms by Users 2025.” Statista, 26 Mar. 2025, www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/.

3. “YouTube Stats: How Many People Use YouTube in 2024?” Backlinko, 14 Apr. 2025, backlinko.com/youtube-users.