You can download a YouTube video with a translation if the video has more than one audio track. More and more channels publish videos dubbed into several languages: some record the dub themselves, for others YouTube generates an automatic voice-over. In the player you switch the language in the settings, but when you download, you usually get the original. Skachok shows every track a video has and lets you pick the one you need, and the file is assembled with that track already in it. Below we look at where these translations come from, how to select one, which plans include the feature, and how it differs from the live voice-over translation some browsers offer.
Why YouTube videos have several audio tracks
Since 2023 YouTube has allowed creators to upload multiple audio tracks in different languages for a single video. Large channels do exactly that: popular-science and educational channels and vloggers with audiences in the millions hire a dubbing studio and attach the voice-over to the video. The viewer picks a language in the player settings, and by default YouTube turns on the track that matches the interface language.
Automatic dubbing came later: YouTube itself translates the speech and voices it with a synthesized voice. Such tracks are labeled as automatic, their quality is below a studio dub, but for a lecture or a review it is good enough.
One important detail: all of these tracks are stored on YouTube as separate audio streams, in the same way video and sound are kept apart in the DASH format. That is why a file with a translation can only be assembled on a server, by muxing the video stream with the audio track you want. This is exactly what Skachok does.
How this differs from live browser translation
There is a popular way to watch foreign videos in your own language: the real-time voice-over translation built into Yandex Browser (a browser widely used in Russia). It works on the fly: the browser recognizes the speech, translates it and voices it over the original while you watch. Convenient, but it is not part of the video. That translation never makes it into the downloaded file, and you will not hear it in another player or on your phone.
Skachok works differently: it takes a track that already exists on YouTube and embeds it into the file. The result is an ordinary MP4 that plays anywhere, translation included. The flip side is that Skachok does not translate anything itself. If the video has a single track, there is nothing to choose from.
How to tell whether a video has a translation
The easiest way is to paste the link into Skachok. If the video has two or more tracks, an "Audio track" block with a button per language appears in the card below the "Video" and "Audio" blocks. The track marked "original" comes first, followed by the rest: English, Russian, Spanish, whatever the creator uploaded or YouTube generated.
If the block is missing, the video has only one track. You can also check on YouTube itself: open the player settings (the gear icon) and look for an "Audio track" item. In the mobile app the same item lives in the "More" menu under the video, and in the description of multilingual videos creators often list the available languages in plain text.
Skachok hides audio description tracks (narration of what is happening on screen for blind viewers): they duplicate the original language and are not a translation.
Which plans include translated tracks
The original track is always free, just like a regular download. Alternative tracks are a paid feature:
- Pro ($3.99/mo; 249 ₽ in Russia) — 3 downloads with a translation per day;
- Max ($5.99/mo; 399 ₽ in Russia) — 100 downloads with a translation per day.
On Free and Lite the other-language buttons are shown with a lock and lead to the pricing page. A new account gets 2 days of Pro for free, no card required, so you can download up to 3 translated videos a day and decide whether you need the feature permanently. All conditions are on the pricing page.
The counter of remaining translations is shown right in the "Audio track" block: "2/3 left today". The limit resets every day. If a download with a translation fails because of the platform, the attempt is not deducted.
Step by step: download a YouTube video with a dub in your language
- Copy the video link and paste it on the YouTube page in Skachok or on the home page. Click "Find".
- In the card, locate the "Audio track" block and click the language you need, for example "English". The button lights up.
- Pick the quality in the "Video" block. For translated downloads the same options are available as for regular downloads on your plan: up to 1440p on Pro, up to 4K on Max (translations are only available on these plans).
- Click "Download". The server downloads the video stream and the selected track, muxes them and delivers an MP4. You will see a progress bar, and the download starts automatically when it finishes.
Pay attention to step three: video quality and track language are independent settings. You can download 4K with an English dub or 480p with a Spanish one.
Audio only with a translation
A track can also be downloaded without the video. Choose the language in the "Audio track" block, then the format in the "Audio" block: MP3 or M4A. It is a handy way to listen to lectures and podcasts in your language on the go without wasting space on the picture.
A download with a translation is always assembled on the server, even for 720p and MP3, which are normally served directly. This adds a few seconds of waiting. Which audio format to choose is covered in the article about downloading YouTube music to MP3.
What ends up in the file
The finished MP4 contains a single audio track: the one you selected. The original is not added to the file, so you cannot switch languages in the player later. If you need both versions, download the video twice: once with the original (free) and once with the translation.
We try to deliver video in the H.264 codec with AAC audio so the file opens in any player, including the ones built into phones and TVs. For 1440p and 4K this is not always possible, because YouTube stores those resolutions in VP9 or AV1. More on that in the article about downloading in 1080p and 4K.
The feature works together with SponsorBlock: you can select an English track and cut out sponsor segments at the same time. Both settings are applied to the same build.
FAQ
Does Skachok translate videos itself?
No. The service only uses tracks that already exist on YouTube: those uploaded by the creator or generated by YouTube's automatic dubbing. If the video has a single track, the "Audio track" block does not appear.
The video has a dub on YouTube, but the card does not show it. Why?
Check whether you are watching the video with a browser's live voice-over translation: it is generated on the fly and is not part of the video. If the track is definitely listed in the YouTube player settings but missing from the card, write to us on the support page and attach the video link.
How much does a download with a translation cost?
There is no separate charge: the feature is included in the Pro (3 translations a day) and Max (100 a day) plans. The original track is free on any plan. New accounts get 2 days of Pro without a card.
Can I download an MP3 with a translation?
Yes. Select the language in the "Audio track" block, then MP3 in the "Audio" block. Such a download also counts toward the daily translation limit.
Will the file contain both the original and the translation?
No, the MP4 has one track, the one you selected. For two versions download the video twice: the original does not use up the translation limit.