No English-language channel gets views exclusively from English-speaking countries. Often, viewers from places like Brazil, France, or Germany watch your channel because they understand English. Now imagine the possibilities if you add subtitles for them—or even dub your videos. You could double your viewership and significantly boost your income. Here’s why creators should prioritize translating their videos for non-English-speaking countries and how strategies like video localization and dubbing can drive success.
The Case for Video Translation and Localization
English may be considered the primary language of YouTube, but it’s far from being universal. In fact, over 75% of YouTube users worldwide still prefer to watch content in their native language. This massive audience presents a huge opportunity for creators who try to go global.
So why should you consider translating and localizing your content? Well, because by translating your YouTube videos, you can:
Target Millions of Non-English Speaking YouTube Users
Your channel might already appeal to the wide audience of English speakers dotted all over the world. But what about those millions of potential viewers who know little to no English? Countries like Spain, Brazil, France, and so many others have people that might be very interested in the content you are creating. Imagine a creator producing content about coding tutorials. English-speaking developers in the U.S. already have endless options, but a developer in Turkey or Argentina? Their choices shrink drastically without localized content. By translating videos into local languages, you’re not just expanding your audience—you’re often becoming the go-to expert in an underserved market.
Sure, creating a separate localized and fully dubbed channel for each region, can increase your engagement by a lot. However, you don’t have to go all out if you aren’t ready yet. You could try to begin with implementing subtitles in various languages or even localize your metadata and we could help you do that!
Make More Ad Revenue on Existing Videos
Non-English-speaking countries often have high ad competition, which leads to higher CPMs for translated content. That in itself could lead to a significant boost in monetization potential and revenue.
You won’t rely on a single market anymore. A video that is not as popular on the English-speaking side of YouTube, could perform a lot better on the Spanish-speaking side, which could potentially increase the revenue from a video. And diversifying your streams of income is always a good thing.
Our recent findings…
If getting more revenue is generally your goal, making separate localized channels might just do the trick. Even then, if you see that one of the localized channels launched is underperforming, take out the audio track from it and add it to the main channel. Translated audio tracks recently started outperforming original ones.
If you aren’t sure on how to do it, we can do it for you!
Breaking Big Through the Growth Plateau
When you’ve been creating for years, growth often feels like squeezing water from a stone. You’ve optimized your thumbnails, nailed your upload schedule, and built a solid audience—but how do you go beyond incremental gains? Translating your videos isn’t just a clever tactic; it’s a long-term growth strategy that extends the value of your existing content without overextending yourself.
A travel vlogger we worked with had a library of over 200 videos showcasing destinations around the world. Most of their audience was English-speaking, but analytics showed consistent interest from French and Spanish viewers. By subtitling their top 50 videos in these languages, they unlocked a 20% boost in monthly views—without filming a single new video. The key? Reinvesting in what they already had.
Compete Where Others Don’t
While the competition for English-speaking viewers is fierce, the battle for attention in other languages can be significantly less saturated. This doesn’t mean you’re compromising; it means you’re being strategic.
For instance, educational creators in English often find a highly competitive environment. However, translating that same content into Arabic might position you as one of the few in that niche, helping you dominate the space early.
Use Localization to Improve Production Efficiency
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to serve global audiences. Translating existing content is far more resource-efficient than creating entirely new videos for new audiences.
- Translating the top 20% of your videos (those that account for 80% of your views) can produce outsized returns compared to creating new content for the same markets.
- A creator might spend $100 subtitling videos in three languages but gain a 10x return in revenue from the resulting traffic surge.
Unlock Global Partnerships
As you grow your audience internationally, you naturally expand your appeal to brands targeting global markets. But here’s the twist: you don’t need to wait for them to come to you. Proactively positioning yourself as a creator with multilingual content can open doors that were previously out of reach.
Say you’re a fitness creator with a growing audience in Germany. By translating your workout tutorials into German, you can just add a pin.top link (a free tool to paid partnerships) to your account and showcase to brands what value you can give them on a German market.
The real power here isn’t just in reaching new audiences—it’s in positioning yourself as a global creator.
Expand Evergreen Content’s Lifespan
Your best-performing videos don’t have an expiration date. Localization gives them renewed relevance. A creator in the DIY niche can turn an old video on “Building a Minimalist Desk” into a sensation in Japan, simply by translating the title, subtitles, and description. The video, which had been plateauing for years, could gain traction in a market with a strong minimalist culture.
Ready to get ahead of your competition? Localize and translate your content with AIR Media-Tech today!
Practical Steps to Get Video Translations Right
Translation isn’t a slapdash process, and mistakes can alienate audiences instead of engaging them. Here’s how to execute like a pro:
- Start with Subtitles: Tools like YouTube’s Subtitle Editor or services like Rev and Amara make it easy to create high-quality translations. Subtitles are the least intrusive way to localize your content, and they’re cost-effective.
- Go Deep with Dubbing: If you’re targeting a specific market heavily, consider investing in dubbing. Hiring voice actors who speak the local language fluently can make your videos feel native and personal.
- Focus on Context: Avoid direct, word-for-word translations. What’s funny or relatable in English might fall flat or confuse viewers in other languages. Work with translators who understand the nuances of your niche.
- Iterate and Optimize: Launch with subtitles or translations for your top-performing videos. Monitor engagement metrics like watch time, audience retention, and shares. Double down where you see spikes.
The Long Game
Translating your YouTube videos isn’t an easy “get rich quick” strategy. It’s a way to future-proof your channel while increasing the work you’ve already done. By opening your content to non-English-speaking audiences, you’re not just growing your viewership—you’re building a channel that can thrive globally, regardless of trends or algorithm changes.
Translation and localization aren’t just tools—they’re investments in your channel’s future. The sooner you start, the more you’ll benefit.
Ready to take your channel global? Drop us a message and we will be right with you!
