New AI tool from D-ID allows creators to translate video content into multiple languages
New AI tool from D-ID allows creators to translate video content into multiple languages
People are 52% more likely to share video content than any other type of content and in 2024, 89% of consumers confirmed they want to see more videos from brands.
Businesses looking to expand their digital footprint and budding content creators seeking to reach audiences worldwide can now use generative AI to tailor their videos in different languages. Video Translate is a new tool from Israeli startup D-ID that allows users to upload videos which are then automatically translated into multiple languages, cloning the speaker's voice and adapting their lip movements from a single upload.
"As video content becomes increasingly central to digital communication, the importance of engaging with a multilingual audience has never been more significant," said Gil Perry, co-founder and CEO of D-ID. "D-ID Video Translate is a game-changer for anyone who wants to create engaging and accessible video content for a global audience without incurring significant costs, redefining how we communicate around the world."
Video has quickly become a dominant form of modern communication, with everyone from large enterprises to young independent content creators using it to get their messages out. According to Vidico, 91% of businesses “post videos, highlighting their critical role in engaging audiences and driving business growth”, and 68% of marketers who have yet to embrace video intend to start in 2024. According to HubSpot, people are 52% more likely to share video content than any other type of content and in 2024, 89% of consumers confirmed they want to see more videos from brands.
Its tool allows English videos to be translated into French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and more, totaling 30 options altogether. D-ID has joined other companies like Wav2lip, which offers a dubbing and lip sync AI library, and other AI translation tools like ElevenLabs, Descript, Veed, Camb.ai, Speechify, Captions.ai, and Akool. It also lets you create videos using AI avatars that can speak several languages similar to companies like Deepbrain AI, HeyGen, and more.
CTech was invited to experiment with the platform and see its full potential. We recorded a 30-second clip with the following dialogue: “Hi folks, James Spiro here. I’m speaking to you in an entirely different language than you’re hearing right now. I’m speaking in English, but using D-ID’s Video Translator tool, I can speak to you in French, Spanish, Arabic, and many other languages. It uses Generative AI to transform what I'm saying and present it to different businesses and content creators all around the world. It’s very cool.” [see below]
The video was uploaded to its system where I could translate it into up to three languages from the full list. I selected Arabic, French, and German, as well as a second video which was translated into Greek, Russian, and Spanish - strangely there was no Hebrew option, which would have helped me with this story for our Calcalist cousins. After the upload, I patiently waited roughly five minutes before the videos were ready (my access limited translations to 30 seconds, but the tool is available for videos between 10 seconds and 5 minutes).
I’m told by two recipients of my Greek and Arabic videos that the translation tool is “90% there” in terms of accent, accuracy, and convincement. Readers who speak French are invited to judge the video for themselves.
The company offers the tool at a stacked price, starting at free and rising to $108 per month, where access is expanded and watermarks are removed. It also offers “Premium and Standard Presenters” who are digitally available to recite scripts if no human actors are available. For those looking to invest in something that would help them expand their message reach, for work, pleasure, or otherwise, would be strongly recommended to use a tool like this to do so.
Overall, Video Translator is a fun development toward a future where creators want to publish videos, users want to consume them, and accounts want to extend their message reach. It doesn’t quite look perfect - lip-syncing isn’t perfect, and people who know my voice have challenged how much it sounds like me - but it is a convincing start to next-gen video distribution.
Video Translate is available through its D-ID Studio or API and users can sign up for a one-month free trial or request a demo. To date, D-ID has produced more than 180 million videos by more than 280,000 developers. The company was founded in 2017 and this year named Calcalist’s 13th most promising startup for its technology that helps with “the humanization of bots.” It has raised a total of $48 million from Pitango, OurCrowd, Macquarie, Maverick, AXA Ventures, and Y Combinator.
