Youtube Translate Speak

YouTube Translate & Speak — Watch Any Video in Your Language

Ever wished you could understand every YouTube video, no matter what language it's in? This extension translates captions into 90+ languages on the fly — right on the video player. No copy-pasting, no switching tabs, no interruptions.

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✦ WHAT IT DOES
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🌍 Instant Caption Translation
Pick your language, hit translate, and watch subtitles appear in real time as the video plays. Supports 90+ languages out of the box.

🔤 Side-by-Side Bilingual View
See both the original and translated text at the same time — ideal for picking up new vocabulary or following along in two languages.

🔊 Read Aloud
Have the translated text spoken to you using your browser's built-in voices. Helpful for pronunciation practice or hands-free viewing.

🎙️ No Captions? No Problem.
Some videos simply don't have subtitles. With Soniox speech recognition, the extension listens to the tab audio and generates captions from scratch — in real time.

🎨 Make It Yours
Customize everything: font, text size, colors, background opacity, and text stroke. Your subtitles, your style.

📥 Download as SRT
Export both original and translated captions as SRT files (zipped together). Great for video editing, studying, or offline use.

⚡ Set It and Forget It
Translations are cached locally per video. Come back anytime — no need to re-translate.

🔄 Smooth Navigation
Built to handle YouTube's single-page app behavior. Switch between videos without refreshing — everything keeps working.

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✦ GETTING STARTED
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1. Go to any YouTube video
2. Click the translate icon on the player (or open the extension popup)
3. Choose your language → press ▶ Translate
4. That's it — bilingual subtitles appear instantly

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✦ FREE vs. PREMIUM FEATURES
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Everything below works right after installation — zero setup:

✅ Caption translation (Google Translate, free)
✅ Bilingual overlay on the player
✅ Voice readout via browser TTS
✅ Style customization
✅ SRT export
✅ Local caching

Want even better quality? You can optionally bring your own API keys:

🔑 Google Cloud Translation — more accurate and stable for long sessions or technical content
🔑 Google Cloud TTS (Chirp3-HD) — natural, human-like voices that sound far better than default browser speech
🔑 Soniox STT — the only way to get captions on videos that have none at all

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✦ FAQ
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❓ Do I need an API key?
Nope. Install it and go. The free Google Translate engine handles translation, and your browser's voices handle speech. Nothing else required.

❓ Then what are API keys for?
They're optional upgrades:
• Google Cloud Translation → better accuracy, especially for nuanced or technical language
• Google Cloud TTS → premium Chirp3-HD voices that sound remarkably natural
• Soniox → generates live captions from audio when a video has no existing subtitles

❓ Will API keys cost me money?
Each service offers a generous free tier. Google Cloud gives you 500,000 translated characters per month at no charge. You'd only pay if you go beyond those limits.

❓ Is my API key secure?
Absolutely. Keys stay in your browser's local storage and are sent only to the official service endpoints (Google Cloud, Soniox). They never pass through any third-party server.

❓ What if a video has no subtitles at all?
You'll need a Soniox API key for that. The extension captures the tab's audio stream and converts speech to text on the fly. Without it, the extension relies on YouTube's existing captions.

❓ Is this useful for language learning?
Very much so. The bilingual display lets you compare original and translated text line by line. Pair that with voice readout for pronunciation, and you've got a solid immersion tool using real-world content.

❓ Does it work on Shorts or embedded players?
It's built for standard YouTube watch pages (youtube.com/watch). Shorts and embeds may have limited support.

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✦ WHY THESE PERMISSIONS?
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• youtube.com access — to read captions and render the overlay on the player
• Tab audio capture — only used when Soniox STT is active, to generate captions from audio
• Storage — to keep your preferences, cached translations, and API keys locally

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💬 Questions, bugs, or ideas? Drop a review or reach out via the support page — every bit of feedback helps shape future updates.