Chrome and Edge extension · Updated 2026-10-13
Dub YouTube videos even when captions are missing
No captions? EarDub can still dub it. On YouTube, X, Bilibili and Gumroad, EarDub recognizes the speech in the video itself and plays an AI voice in your language, in step with the speaker. It's a Chrome and Edge extension, and dubbing videos without captions is included in the Basic and Pro plans; captioned videos work on every plan, including Free.
Desktop Chrome and Edge · 75 languages · 300+ voices
Does the YouTube video really have no captions?
Check the CC button first, because a video with captions can be dubbed on every plan. Many videos that look caption-less have auto-generated ones.
- Captions: the CC button works, or Settings → Subtitles/CC lists a language, including “English (auto-generated)”. EarDub dubs the video from those captions, on the free plan too (30 minutes a day).
- No captions: the CC button is greyed out or the list is empty. EarDub dubs it from its speech on Basic and Pro. On the free plan, EarDub says so in the player and offers the upgrade.
- Text in the picture, such as burned-in subtitles or slide titles, isn't captions. EarDub dubs what is said, not what is written on screen.
How to dub a video without captions with EarDub
Three steps, and nothing to upload or download.
- 1
Open the video and allow the site if asked
YouTube works right away. On X, Bilibili and Gumroad, click the EarDub icon the first time and allow EarDub on that site once.
- 2
Pick your language and a voice in the EarDub menu
Choose one of 75 dubbing languages and a voice. Leave the video's language on Auto-detect, or set it yourself.
- 3
Press the EarDub button in the player (or Shift+D)
EarDub recognizes the speech in the audio the player has already loaded, joins it into full sentences, translates them and reads them in the voice you picked while the video plays.
Why the voice starts with the speaker, not a sentence later
EarDub works from audio the player has already loaded, so each sentence is ready before it is spoken.
A tool that translates by listening to the video as it plays can only start a sentence after the speaker has said it, so its voice trails the picture by a second or two, sometimes by a whole sentence. A video player loads the audio well ahead of where you are watching. EarDub recognizes that audio ahead of you, translates the sentence and has it ready, so the dubbed voice starts when the speaker starts.
| Listens to the audio as it plays | Uses audio the player has already loaded (EarDub) | |
|---|---|---|
| When the voice starts | After the speaker finishes a sentence | When the speaker starts it |
| Videos without captions | Yes | Yes, on YouTube, X, Bilibili and Gumroad |
| Live streams | Often yes | No |
Pause the video and the dub pauses. Jump to another point and the dub picks up from there: the first sentence after a jump, like the first one of the video, takes a few seconds to prepare.
Which sites can dub a video without captions?
YouTube, X, Bilibili and Gumroad, on desktop. Everywhere else EarDub needs the video's captions.
| Site | Videos with captions | Videos without captions |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | All plans, including Free | Basic and Pro |
| X | All plans, including Free | Basic and Pro |
| Bilibili | All plans, including Free | Basic and Pro |
| Gumroad | All plans, including Free | Basic and Pro |
| Udemy | All plans, including Free | Not supported |
| Coursera | All plans, including Free | Not supported |
| Other sites ("Dub this video") | All plans, including Free | Not supported |
On Bilibili, sign in so EarDub can read a video's subtitles (the uploader's or Bilibili's AI ones). Desktop Chrome and Edge. On Android (Vivaldi), YouTube videos with captions only. Live streams, some copy-protected videos and some embedded players aren't supported.
- YouTube: uploaded videos without captions. See the YouTube video translator for everything else EarDub does on YouTube.
- X: videos in posts and your timeline, not live broadcasts or Spaces. Translate X videos
- Bilibili: regular videos; bangumi, paid courses and other copy-protected content may not be dubbed. Bilibili translator
- Gumroad: video courses and products you have bought, which rarely come with captions.
- Udemy, Coursera and other sites: videos with captions only; auto-generated captions are fine.
Is dubbing a video without subtitles free?
No: videos without captions are dubbed on the Basic and Pro plans. Videos with captions can be dubbed for free.
- Free: videos with captions, 30 minutes a day, no credit card.
- Basic, $9.99 a month: 60 hours of dubbing a month, videos without captions included.
- Pro, $19.99 a month: no limit on dubbing time (fair use), videos without captions included.
Why paid? Recognizing speech costs more to run than reading captions, so it's part of Basic and Pro. Compare the plans
What languages can the video be in?
The video can be in any widely spoken language, and you can hear it in any of 75. EarDub detects the language spoken in the video, or you can set it in the EarDub menu if detection picks the wrong one. Dubbing languages include English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi and Arabic, with 300+ voices.
What happens to the video's audio?
It is used for speech recognition and isn't stored. You don't upload the video file: while you dub a video without captions, its audio is sent in short pieces to EarDub's servers to be turned into text. The video's title is sent too, so the translation understands what the video is about. Details are in the privacy policy.
When can't a video without captions be dubbed?
- Live streams and X Spaces.
- Copy-protected video, such as Bilibili bangumi, some paid courses, Netflix or Prime Video.
- Some embedded players, such as Vimeo videos embedded on other websites.
- Phones and tablets: videos without captions are desktop only for now.
- Conversations: everyone in the video shares the one voice you picked.
- Loud background music, heavy accents or people talking over each other can cause recognition mistakes.
Dubbing videos without subtitles: FAQ
Can I dub a YouTube video that has no subtitles?
Yes. On desktop Chrome and Edge, EarDub recognizes the speech in a YouTube video without captions, translates it and reads it aloud in your language while the video plays. It also works on X, Bilibili and Gumroad. Dubbing videos without captions is part of the Basic and Pro plans; captioned videos can be dubbed on the free plan too.
How do I know if a YouTube video has captions?
Look at the CC button in the player. If you can pick a language under Settings → Subtitles/CC, including "English (auto-generated)", the video has captions, and EarDub dubs it on every plan. If the CC button is greyed out or the list is empty, it has none. Text burned into the picture doesn't count as captions.
Which sites support dubbing videos without captions?
YouTube (desktop), X, Bilibili and Gumroad. On Udemy, Coursera and other sites, EarDub needs the video's captions; auto-generated captions work. On Bilibili, a video with subtitles (shown to signed-in viewers) is dubbed from them on every plan.
Is dubbing videos without captions free?
No. The free plan dubs videos that have captions, 30 minutes a day. Videos without captions need Basic ($9.99 a month, 60 hours of dubbing) or Pro ($19.99 a month, unlimited under fair use), because recognizing speech costs more to run than reading captions.
Does it work on live streams?
No. EarDub prepares each sentence from audio the player has already loaded ahead of what you are watching, and a live stream has nothing loaded ahead. Live streams and X Spaces aren't supported; recorded videos, including past streams that are now regular videos, are.
What languages can the video be in?
The video can be in any widely spoken language; EarDub detects it, or you can set it in the EarDub menu. You can hear it in any of 75 dubbing languages, with 300+ voices.
Is the audio of the video stored?
No. While you dub a video without captions, its audio is sent in short pieces to EarDub's servers for speech recognition and isn't stored. You don't upload or download the video file.
Can I dub a video without subtitles on my phone?
Not yet. Dubbing videos without captions works in desktop Chrome and Edge. On Android, EarDub runs in the Vivaldi browser for YouTube videos that have captions; iPhone and iPad aren't supported.
Is EarDub real time?
Yes, and it stays in sync with the picture. Some tools translate by listening to the video as it plays, so their voice can only start after the speaker has finished: it always trails the picture by a second or two, most of all on videos without captions. EarDub prepares each sentence before it is said, from the captions' timing or, when there are none, by recognizing the audio the player has already loaded ahead of you. Each dubbed sentence starts when the speaker starts. And unlike dubbing tools for creators, there is nothing to upload and nothing to wait for: the dub starts within seconds and keeps generating just ahead of where you are watching, and it follows you when you pause or skip.
More answers are in thehelp guideand on the pricing page.
Hear the video, captions or not
Install EarDub for Chrome or Edge, open a video and press the EarDub button. Captioned videos are free to dub; videos without captions come with Basic and Pro.
Also available for Microsoft Edge
Page updated 2026-10-13. EarDub is an independent product and is not affiliated with YouTube, Google, X Corp., Bilibili or Gumroad.