“Is there any app I can use to translate YouTube videos from Spanish to English? Captions not available for some. Thank you”
– A Reddit User from r/Spanish
Have you ever found the perfect YouTube video, only to discover it’s in another language and has no subtitles or captions (CC)? Millions of viewers and creators run into this problem every day. Whether it's a foreign tutorial, interview, or documentary, understanding YouTube videos that lack English subtitles is a major challenge.
However, the traditional translation process involves extracting the audio, transcribing it, translating the text, and then manually syncing everything. While this method can work, it's often slow, complicated, and expensive.
Fortunately, in 2025, powerful AI video translators like VMEG AI now allow you to translate YouTube videos without needing existing captions. Even better, you can automatically dub the voice in English, complete with lip-sync and voice cloning.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to translate YouTube videos that don’t have English subtitles, compare the best tools available, and explain why VMEG is the most complete solution on the market.
What to Do if a YouTube Video Doesn't Have English Subtitles?
Translating a YouTube video without subtitles typically involves transcribing the spoken content and translating it into another language (such as English), then generating subtitles or voiceovers. Below are the basic principles and specific steps for translating YouTube videos that lack subtitles:
Step 1. Audio extraction from video: Extracting clear audio is simple if the speech is isolated and clear. However, background noise or music can complicate the process and may require additional processing.
Step 2. Transcription: Automated transcription often needs manual review to ensure accuracy.
Step 3. Translation and proofreading: Translating and refining the transcript usually takes more than 1 day.
Sept 4. Text-to-Speech: Automated text-to-speech (TTS) tools can generate audio quickly but often lack emotional nuance. Many creators prefer professional voice actors, which can take 2–5 days and cost between $10 and $200 for a 3-minute video.
Step 5. Editing and synchronization: Finally, aligning the new audio or subtitles with the video—ensuring every word is perfectly timed—typically takes 1–3 days.
Basic Principles of Translating a YouTube Video to English Without CC
- Accuracy First: Ensure that the transcription and translation faithfully represent the original meaning, avoiding any misinterpretation.
- Synchronization: Subtitles or voiceovers must align with the visuals and the rhythm of the original speech.
- Readability: The translated language should be natural, fluent, and conform to the conventions of the target language.
- Cultural Adaptation: Adjust expressions appropriately to make the content more relatable to the cultural background of the target audience.
- Copyright Compliance: Make sure you have the necessary rights to translate and republish the video.
Why YouTube's Built-in Translation Isn’t Enough
YouTube does have an auto-translate feature, but it only works when:
- The video has captions or subtitles (either auto-generated or manually added)
- The creator has enabled translation settings
If the video doesn’t have closed captions (CC), YouTube won’t offer translation. That’s a huge problem for viewers of vlogs, tutorials, gaming videos, interviews, or regional content where the creator didn’t upload subtitles. That’s where external AI translation tools come in.
How to Translate a YouTube Video to English Without CC
AI-based video translator tools can analyze the audio track, transcribe the speech, translate it to the target language, and even create a voiceover, without needing existing captions. And some platforms like VMEG AI even offer lip-sync, voice cloning, and multi-speaker detection, making the experience seamless and human-like.
How to translate a YouTube video to English using VMEG AI
Step 1: Upload your video to VMEG Video Translator
Go to the VMEG AI Video Translator landing page to upload a video. The platform will fetch the video and analyze its audio.
Step 2: Choose Output Language
Sign in to your account and go to the VMEG dashboard. Here, you can set the target language to English (or any language you need), select the number of speakers, and choose your voice style. When everything is configured, click the submit button, and VMEG auto-generates the transcript. This may take 1-2 minutes. Please be patient.
Step 3: Review the Transcript
Once the translation process is complete, you can preview the results, edit the translated text, adjust the voice's speed, volume, and tone, and switch speakers until you're satisfied. Finally, export and download the video or subtitle file.
Step 4: Export and Use
Download the translated and dubbed video or embed it on your site/social media.
Key features of VMEG AI:
- Multilingual Video Translation: Supports translation of videos into over 170 languages and accents, including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, and more, ensuring clear messaging and natural tone.
- Automatic Speech Recognition and Transcription: Automatically transcribes spoken content in videos, identifies multiple speakers, and filters out background music and noise to focus on human voices.
- High-Quality AI Voiceovers and Voice Cloning: Offers over 7,000 AI-generated voices, with options to adjust speech speed, tone, and emotion (e.g., happy, angry, calm), and supports voice cloning for more natural dubbing.
- Advanced Lip-Sync Technology: Uses next-generation lip-sync technology to accurately match translated speech with the speaker’s lip movements, enhancing realism and viewer experience.
- Subtitle Generation and Editing: Automatically generates subtitles and provides an advanced editor for users to modify translated text, re-dub, or switch speakers - at no extra cost.
Don't hesitate—try VMEG now to translate a YouTube video to English without cc or subtitles!
Best Translators for YouTube Videos That Don't Have English Subtitles
When you want to translate a YouTube video but there are no existing subtitles (CC), not all tools are up to the task. Most rely on subtitle files to work, but the platforms below can translate directly from audio, making them ideal for content like interviews, podcasts, and vlogs with no captions.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the top AI-powered video translation tools that support direct audio transcription and dubbing without needing subtitles:
Tool | Languages | Voice Dubbing | Voice Cloning | Lip-Sync | Auto Speaker ID | Auto Speaker ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VMEG AI | 170+ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (7,000+ voices, supports all major global languages) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (limited credits) |
Vozo AI | ~60 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Basic | ✅ Yes | ✅ |
ElevenLabs | 29 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (high-quality voice library) | ✅ Good | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited |
BlipCut | 130+ | ✅ Yes | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
VEED.io | 100+ | ❌ Subtitles only | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
CapCut | 20+ | ❌ Subtitles only | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
RecCloud | ~70 | ✅ Basic | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Why AI Dubbing Is Better Than Subtitles (Sometimes)
Subtitles vs AI dubbing: Subtitles have long been the go-to method for making videos accessible across languages, but they’re not always the best solution. In many situations, AI dubbing can significantly improve viewer experience, engagement, and reach. Here’s why:
- Makes content more immersive
- Keeps eyes on the video (not reading)
- Reaches audiences with literacy or accessibility needs
- It is perfect for younger viewers and mobile users
AI voice dubbing used to be expensive. Not anymore. VMEG’s free plan lets you get started at no cost.
FAQs on Transcribing a YouTube Video without CC
Q1.Can I transcribe a YouTube video that doesn’t have captions?
A1: Yes, you can manually transcribe it by listening and typing, or use tools like speech-to-text software or AI transcription services, such as VMEG, which can process, transcribe, translate, and dub it.
Q2.Do I need subtitles to translate a YouTube video?
A2: No. VMEG works without existing subtitles or closed captions. It uses the audio directly.
Q3. Can I clone my own voice in another language?
A3: Yes, absolutely. VMEG supports custom voice cloning, allowing you to preserve your own voice’s tone, pitch, and rhythm across multiple languages. After submitting a short voice training sample, you can use your cloned voice to dub content into Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, or any other supported language, making your translated videos feel more personal and authentic.
Q4. How accurate are AI transcription tools?
A4:
- VMEG uses advanced AI trained on millions of multilingual samples. Accuracy is typically over 99%.
- Whisper AI & Otter.ai (~90-95% accuracy for clear audio).
- YouTube auto-captions vary (~60-90% depending on audio quality).
- Background noise, accents, or multiple speakers can reduce accuracy.
Q5. Can I transcribe a YouTube video in a different language?
A5: Yes! Tools like VMEG support multilingual transcription. You can translate videos into over 170 languages and accents as you need.
Final Thoughts: Translate YouTube Videos the Smart Way
In 2025, you no longer need subtitles or CC to enjoy content from around the world. Whether you're a viewer trying to understand a video in Korean, Spanish, or Russian, or a content creator looking to reach new markets, AI-powered tools like VMEG AI are the future of global video accessibility.
With automatic transcription, language translation, voice dubbing, lip-sync, and speaker detection: all packed into a clean browser-based platform—VMEG is the best translator for YouTube videos that don’t have English subtitles.
Start for free, try a few videos, and watch your content go global.
VMEG AI Video Translator
Translate and dub videos into 170+ languages using 7,000+ natural-sounding voices, voice cloning, and accurate technology.
The VMEG Team
Behind VMEG stands a passionate team of creatives, engineers, and language lovers. At the crossroads of AI and storytelling, they craft tools that bridge languages and cultures.