Not Sure Which Languages to Choose?
Creators on YouTube are constantly searching for ways to expand their reach and revenue. Posting more content has long been the standard tactic, but it’s time-intensive and often leaves content inaccessible due to language barriers.
One strategy that’s gaining traction is dubbing: translating existing content into multiple languages so it is accessible and resonates with viewers worldwide. FutCrunch, the football and FIFA-focused YouTube channel led by Santiago Vázquez, is a standout example of how localization can unlock massive growth.
I recently spoke with Moises Valor, FutCrunch’s Chief Operating Officer, to learn more about why the team decided to invest in dubbing, how they scaled to 19 languages, the advice they have for creators looking to go global, and how Air Media-Tech has helped them.
How FutCrunch Got Started With Dubbing
FutCrunch’s foray into dubbing came from two key reasons. First, the team noticed the success of MrBeast’s channels in other languages, with Spanish being his biggest-performing one. Second, Santiago received a direct message encouraging him to start a Spanish-language channel.
At the time, FutCrunch only produced content in English. “It was easier, more economical, and viable for many reasons,” Valor explains. But they decided to test a smaller Spanish channel, releasing about six videos. One video in particular, $1 versus $10,000 Champions League Seat, hit a million views in Spanish. That single video eventually contributed a significant lift to the main FutCrunch channel. Today, the English version of that video has over 37 million views.
“So we were lucky enough to see there was an appetite for this in other markets,” Valor adds. FutCrunch decided to invest more, but integrate multiple languages under its main channel for simplicity.
Scaling to 19 Languages
Today, FutCrunch offers content in 19 languages, including German, Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Thai. But expanding to this number didn’t happen overnight. Over the course of two years, the team was strategic with how it expanded beyond Spanish.
“First, we started with three to four languages apart from Spanish. Once we proved that they worked and were viable, we moved into the next three, and so on,” Valor explains.
When it comes to evaluating viability, he says it’s simple: “Make sure it’s giving back the money we spent on dubbing.”
He continues:
"Obviously, there’s not a specific way to track it, but you can get a sense. For example, in Germany, most people speak German. You can look at your ad revenue by country, which helps. It’s not exact because people in Austria and Switzerland also speak German, but you start getting a hang of it that way. And as long as you’re making your money back, you should be able to reinvest in adding more languages — that’s our theory."
Advice Before Creators Start Dubbing
While dubbing offers plenty of benefits, Valor advises creators to be strategic when deciding to go down that path. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula.
“I think creators need to at least dominate their niche to some extent first,” he says, in addition to having “a good income stream that allows you to then explore other markets.”
“At the end of the day, it’s a cost, right? So you don’t want to be too early on.”
Creators should also research similar channels in other languages to see if there’s demand for their content. For FutCrunch, in addition to seeing MrBeast’s success, Santiago’s direct messages, Spanish made sense due to the popularity of football in Spanish-speaking markets like Latin America, Mexico, and Spain—a “no-brainer” because of the audience they could reach.
Regardless of the language, quality matters above all. Valor says:
“I’d rather have three well-dubbed languages performing really well than 25 languages done poorly.”
He adds that low-quality dubbing can backfire—it can turn off viewers, reduce retention and watch time, and even hurt a channel’s performance, as the algorithm may stop promoting the content—the exact opposite of what dubbing is meant to achieve.
Because there are nuances with different languages and cultures, Valor also recommends getting feedback from a native speaker whenever possible. Even technically accurate dubbing can feel unnatural if cultural nuances aren’t considered. For example, some Hindi speakers mix English words into sentences; understanding nuances like this can make dubbing more natural.
How AIR Media-Tech Has Helped
Having a reliable tech and service partner is crucial. Valor highlights FutCrunch’s relationship with AIR Media-Tech:
“There are a lot of dubbing companies out there,” he tells me. “But what made me solidify AIR and keep them until this day is how they work. They’re very responsible, very efficient, and they don’t waste your time going in circles. They truly put the customer first.”
Valor emphasizes that AIR Media-Tech’s “customer-first approach” has been pivotal, along with its longevity, especially as many new dubbing companies and solutions continue to emerge.
“They’re not as old as YouTube, but they’ve been in this space for 15 years, so they have a big reputation behind them. That’s really unique because this is a new space for most people. Many companies are popping up, but AIR has a long history across different areas.”
AIR launched multi-audio tracks in 19 languages for FutCrunch. Valor also noted that the AIR team can launch fully localized channels and cover the costs, basically investing in channels on a revenue-share model.
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Looking Ahead
When it comes to the future, Valor is intrigued by AI and voice cloning:
“I’m very interested to see what happens with AI and voice cloning and the backfire it may have with creators. I do believe there could be a sweet spot where the creator’s voice can be accurately replicated into many languages, because you want the creator to be recognizable everywhere. Obviously, when you have different actors portrayed in the voice, it can be a little hard.”
He envisions a hybrid approach between AI and humans:
“Maybe a hybrid role, where you still use the human voice to represent emotions, which is the hardest for AI to replicate, but also have the ability to sound like Santiago, the creator.”
For more on how you can get started with AIR Translation Labs, check out here.
