Step by step
- Translate the script. A professional translator is best for anything published. Machine translation is fine for drafts and internal material, as long as a fluent speaker reviews it.
- Write it for the ear in the new language too: numbers spelled out, abbreviations expanded, names respelled where needed. Each language page has tips.
- Add it as a new script in the same project, such as
Episode 1 (Spanish). The cast is shared, so the original voices are there already. - Add voices for the new language. Language is a setting on each voice, not on the script, so a voice set to Spanish speaks Spanish everywhere. To keep the English version working, add a second voice per character, for example
Mara ES, with its Language set to Spanish. - Paste the translation with the new voices' names, like
Mara ES: ¿Quién anda ahí?. - Generate, review and save as usual.
Which sample to use
| Sample | Result | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| The original, in the first language | Sounds like the same person, with some of their accent carried over | Recognizable characters, a creator's own voice, drafts |
| The same person, recorded in the new language | The same person with their own accent in that language | Bilingual performers |
| A native speaker of the new language | The most natural accent | Final localized versions |
When the sample and the voice's language differ, try lowering guidance strength in Fine-tune, even to 0. It loosens how closely the take follows the sample, which can reduce how much of the original accent comes through.
Timing
Translations rarely take the same time to say as the original. Text translated from English into languages such as Spanish, French or German often comes out noticeably longer, while some languages come out shorter. For audio that has to fit picture or a fixed slot:
- Ask the translator for a version that fits the original's length, not only its meaning.
- Keep line breaks in the same places as the original, so each translated line matches its file and its shot.
- Check timing early with a few lines, before the whole script is generated.
Review by native speakers
Every take is checked with speech recognition in the voice's language, which catches skipped words, but only a fluent listener catches a wrong stress, an unnatural phrase or a name read in the wrong language. Share the project with a reviewer so they can listen and leave notes in the comments.
Consent covers languages too
If the voice belongs to someone else, make sure their permission covers other languages: hearing yourself speak a language you don't know can surprise people. The consent template has a line for it, and audiences should be told the voice is AI-generated.