YouTube is expanding access to its multi-language audio option, which will give more creators the opportunity to reach new audiences by translating their content into different languages.
Originally launched back in 2023, YouTube’s multi-language audio option enables creators to add multiple audio tracks to their clips, providing another way to showcase your work to different user groups.
Note that this is different to YouTube’s auto-dubbing option, which enables YouTubers to automatically share their content in different languages, by activating audio translations of their content. That’s also being rolled out to more creators over time, but multi-language audio gives creators the capacity to upload their own alternate audio tracks for their clips.
That gives creators more control over their content presentation, with creators able to choose between human audio translations (either by creating it themselves, or by paying voice translators) or AI tools for this purpose. But either way, the creator is able to choose which option they feel is best.
And thus far, YouTube says that creators are seeing big benefits with this option:
“On average, creators uploading Multi-language Audio tracks to their videos saw over 25% of their watch time come from views in the video’s non-primary language.”
So a quarter of views added, based on expanded accessibility. Not bad, though of course it does add extra workload in creating these alternate audios for your clips.
It could be an interesting consideration, while YouTube also notes that translated videos are not penalized by the algorithm if they’re uploaded behind the original version (YouTube will treat a new language track as a new version of the clip).
So you can take your best performing clips, add in a translation, then potentially expand their reach.
It’s another way to get more views, and make more money from your YouTube content.
Finally, YouTube also notes that it’s also begun a pilot of multi-language thumbnails with a select group of creators.
Another option to boost your appeal with new markets, which, the data shows, could glean significant benefits.
