YOUTUBE TRANSLATOR
AI translator for YouTube videos
Translate any YouTube video, live stream, or Short into 30+ languages, with the original and the translation together in the player. MeeLang translates the video's captions sentence by sentence, and listens to the audio when there are no captions.
Free to start · Videos, live streams & Shorts · No credit card required
THE QUICK ANSWER
What is a YouTube translator?
A YouTube translator turns what is said in a video into subtitles in your language. YouTube's built-in auto-translate only works when a video already has captions, shows one language at a time, and is often missing on live streams. MeeLang adds a translator to the YouTube player with two modes: caption translation, which translates the video's own captions as complete sentences, and live voice translation, which translates the audio of live streams and videos without captions.
Open a video, live stream, or Short in Chrome and choose the language you want to read. MeeLang uses the captions when the video has them and switches to live voice translation when it doesn't. The original and the translation appear together inside the player, even in fullscreen, and a bilingual transcript is saved in your browser.
HOW IT WORKS
How to translate YouTube videos in real time
Install MeeLang for Chrome
Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store. You can start without signing in or adding a card.
Open a video, live stream, or Short
Play it on youtube.com in Chrome. A MeeLang button appears in the player controls, next to CC.
Choose your subtitle language
Pick the language you want to read. MeeLang translates the captions if the video has them, and switches to live voice translation for live streams and videos without captions.
WHAT YOU SEE ON THE VIDEO
Live translated subtitles while the video plays
The original speech and its translation stay together, so you can check the meaning without pausing the video.
오늘 새로운 기능 세 가지를 소개하겠습니다.
ENToday we're introducing three new features.
TWO TRANSLATION MODES
Translate YouTube subtitles or live speech
MeeLang picks the right mode for each video automatically, and you can switch with one click in the player.
BILINGUAL SUBTITLES
Bilingual subtitles for learning languages on YouTube
YouTube shows one caption language at a time. MeeLang shows the original and the translation together as bilingual subtitles (also called dual subtitles), and lets you set them up the way you study.
Original and translation together
Show both lines, or the translation only. Put the translation above or below the original.
LAYOUTWord-by-word highlighting
As the video plays, each word of the original line lights up the moment it is spoken, so you can follow the speech word by word. It works on videos with YouTube's auto-generated captions; pick the highlight color or turn it off.
FOLLOW ALONGCaption list with click-to-replay
Scroll through every line of the video, search by word or timestamp, and click a line to play from that moment.
REVIEWCopy, download, and keep a transcript
Copy the subtitles or download them as a text file. A bilingual transcript is saved in your browser to search or export later.
TRANSCRIPTUSE CASES
YouTube live stream translation and more
Use translated subtitles whenever a video or live stream is in a language you don't speak, including videos with no captions of their own.
Live streams and events
Follow product launches, conferences, sports commentary, and breaking news as they stream, not hours later.
LIVE STREAMS
Lectures, courses, and tutorials
Learn from university lectures, technical talks, and how-to videos published in a language you don't speak.
LEARNING
Podcasts and interviews
Understand long-form interviews and video podcasts, and keep a searchable transcript in both languages.
PODCASTS
Learning a language
Learn from real videos in the language you're studying: see the original and your translation together, follow each word as it's spoken, and click any line to hear it again.
LANGUAGE LEARNINGAT A GLANCE
MeeLang for YouTube: key facts
| Works on | Videos, live streams, premieres, and Shorts on youtube.com, in Google Chrome on desktop |
|---|---|
| Translation modes | Caption translation for videos with captions; live voice translation for live streams and videos without captions |
| Caption sources | Creator-uploaded and YouTube auto-generated captions. If a video has several tracks, MeeLang uses the one you pick in YouTube's CC menu |
| Languages | Translates into 30+ languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic, and Russian |
| Subtitle display | Original and translation together, or translation only; word-by-word highlighting on auto-generated captions; inside the player, in fullscreen and on Shorts; paused while ads play |
| Transcript | Bilingual transcript saved in your browser, not on MeeLang's servers; search, copy, download as text, or export |
| Price | Free: 30 live voice translation minutes a month after signing in with Google. Pro: $9.99 a month for 600 minutes. Caption translation is in beta and free to use |
| Not supported | The YouTube mobile apps, and YouTube videos embedded on other websites |
COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS
YouTube auto-translate vs. MeeLang
Both can put a video in your language. The practical difference is whether the video already has captions, whether it is live, and whether you want both languages on screen.
| Feature | YouTube auto-translate | MeeLang |
|---|---|---|
| Videos with captions | Yes | Yes, with caption translation |
| Videos without captions | No | Yes, with live voice translation |
| Live streams | Often unavailable | Yes, with live voice translation |
| Original and translation together | No, one language at a time | Yes, or translation only |
| How it translates | Line by line, as the captions are split | Whole sentences, so translations read naturally |
| Bilingual transcript | No | Yes, saved in your browser |
| Where it works | Built into YouTube | youtube.com in Chrome on desktop |
| Price | Free | Free plan; Pro $9.99 a month |
COMMON QUESTIONS
YouTube translation FAQ
Can YouTube translate videos in real time?
Partly. YouTube's auto-translate turns an existing caption track into another language, one language at a time, and it is often unavailable on live streams. MeeLang translates a video's captions as complete sentences when it has them, and translates the audio in real time when it doesn't, including on live streams.
How do I translate a YouTube video into English?
Install the MeeLang Chrome extension, open the video on youtube.com, and choose English (or any of 30+ languages) as the language you want to read. MeeLang translates the video's captions if it has them, or its audio if it doesn't, and shows the subtitles inside the player.
How do I watch YouTube with bilingual or dual subtitles?
YouTube itself shows one caption language at a time. With MeeLang, each original line and its translation appear together in the player. You can put the translation above or below the original, or show the translation only.
Can I translate YouTube videos without subtitles?
Yes. When a video has no captions, MeeLang switches to live voice translation: it listens to the audio, detects the spoken language, and shows translated subtitles as the video plays.
How does YouTube live stream translation work?
Open the live stream in Chrome and pick your language. Caption translation isn't available on live videos, so MeeLang switches to live voice translation automatically and translates speech as it happens. You can follow a launch event, a lecture, or a match while it is still live.
Why doesn't YouTube show the auto-translate option?
Auto-translate only appears when a video already has a caption track. It is usually missing when the creator hasn't added captions, when auto-generated captions aren't available for the spoken language or aren't ready yet, or when the video is live. MeeLang's live voice translation doesn't need a caption track.
How is MeeLang's caption translation different from YouTube auto-translate?
YouTube's automatic captions often split a sentence into pieces, and translating piece by piece can scramble the meaning. MeeLang translates whole sentences, so the subtitles read naturally. It also shows the original next to the translation.
Does MeeLang work with YouTube Shorts?
Yes. MeeLang works on regular videos, live streams, premieres, and Shorts on youtube.com in Chrome, with its button in the Shorts player controls.
Can I download the translated subtitles?
Yes. Open the caption list to copy the subtitles or download them as a text file. MeeLang also saves a bilingual transcript in your browser, where you can search, export, or delete it.
Does it work in the YouTube mobile app?
No. MeeLang is a Chrome extension for desktop, so it works on youtube.com in Chrome on your computer. It also doesn't translate YouTube videos embedded on other websites.
Is MeeLang free for YouTube?
Yes. You can start translating without signing in, and caption translation is free while in beta. Sign in with Google for free live voice translation minutes every month, with no payment details required. If you need more, the Pro plan adds more minutes, shared across YouTube and every supported meeting platform.
Is my viewing data private?
Your transcripts are saved in your own browser, not on MeeLang's servers, and you can delete them at any time. The captions or speech you translate are sent to MeeLang's translation service to be translated.
YouTube live stream translation and more
Use translated subtitles whenever a video or live stream is in a language you don't speak, including videos with no captions of their own.
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