How much does it cost to dub a YouTube channel into German?
A human German track for one YouTube video costs from $600 as voice-over only (up to 15 minutes, voiced from your German script), from $1,000 with translation and from $1,500 as a publish-ready German video[1]. A weekly schedule of four videos a month adds up to $2,400 to $6,000 at those from-prices before volume pricing, and running the whole German channel starts at $5,000 a month with production included. All prices are net of VAT, and a fixed quote follows within 48 hours after a call.
Updated: October 2026
What are the cost blocks behind a German track?
Every delivery mode runs on the same four-step pipeline[1]. Your price depends on where the handover happens, so the useful question is which steps your team already covers.
- Translation: script adaptation that keeps jokes, idioms and pacing instead of transcribing them.
- Voice recording: the German track, voiced by me in a treated booth and produced in Pro Tools.
- Edit and packaging: a finished edit in DaVinci Resolve, or a clean audio track for YouTube's multi-language audio.
- Upload and channel ops: delivery, scheduling, metadata, audience management and reporting on the German channel.
| Mode | What's included | You receive | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice-over only | Voice recording from your German script, videos up to 15 minutes | A clean German audio track for multi-language audio | $600 / video |
| Translation + VO | Script adaptation plus voice recording | The German voice track | $1,000 / video |
| Full localization | Translation, voice-over and a finished edit | A publish-ready German video | $1,500 / video |
| Channel ops | Production plus delivery, scheduling, metadata, audience management and reporting | The German channel, run end to end | $5,000 / month |
What does one 10-minute video cost?
A 10-minute video sits inside the 15-minute range of the voice-over price, so the from-price depends only on what you already have[1]:
- You have a German script: voice-over only, from $600. You get a clean track to add as a German audio track to the original video.
- You have the English video only: translation plus voice-over, from $1,000. The adaptation makes jokes and idioms land in German instead of translating them word for word.
- You want a ready German upload: full localization, from $1,500 for a publish-ready German video, for example for a separate German channel.
Two revision rounds are always included[1], and you own the script and every audio file[2].
What does a weekly German schedule cost per month?
Channels that publish weekly buy a cadence rather than single videos. Here is the arithmetic for four videos a month:
| Scenario | Mode | Arithmetic | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four German tracks, your scripts | Voice-over only | 4 × $600 | from $2,400 |
| Four German tracks, translated | Translation + VO | 4 × $1,000 | from $4,000 |
| Four publish-ready German videos | Full localization | 4 × $1,500 | from $6,000 |
| The whole German channel, run for you | Channel ops | Retainer, production included | from $5,000 |
Channel operations works differently and starts at $5,000 a month, with production included and not billed per video on top[1]. How many videos a month that covers is part of scoping your channel. Weekly channels run on a fixed delivery schedule, so the German upload keeps pace with the English original[2]. If you wonder how one person handles that volume, the creative operations case study shows how I run a production engine.
What about long videos and back catalogs?
The $600 voice-over price covers videos up to 15 minutes; longer videos scale by length[1]. There's no published per-minute rate, so a 25-minute documentary gets its figure in the quote rather than from a formula.
A large back catalog has its own model. A fixed engagement fee based on the video count can cover the entire catalog, with one German audio track per existing video, and you keep ownership of every track[1]. That suits channels whose older videos keep getting watched.
What's included in the price?
- Two revision rounds, always[1].
- Turnaround: 1 to 2 days per video as standard[2].
- One voice: the narration is mine on every video, from the first upload to the last[2].
- Ownership: the channel, every upload, all scripts and all audio files belong to you. If an engagement ends, handover comes as full written documentation, a handover call, or both[2].
- Payment: net-30 at most, purchase orders possible, all prices net of VAT[2].
- Quote: a fixed price within 48 hours after a free 30-minute call[1].
How does this compare to free auto-dubbing?
YouTube's auto dubbing is built into YouTube Studio and switched on by default for eligible creators, and YouTube's help page names no fee for it[3]. To find out whether German viewers show up at all, that's a fine first step. A paid human track adds things the machine can't promise, namely an adapted script, one consistent voice and a result you can review and change, while YouTube's auto dubs can't be edited[3]. Quality, cost per minute and speed side by side: AI dubbing or a human German voice for YouTube?
Whether $600 pays for itself depends on your views. The data article on German audio tracks models it: at an assumed RPM of $1.50 to $3 per 1,000 views, a $600 track breaks even at roughly 200,000 to 400,000 German-track views[4]. Below that range per video, a sensible order is the free dub first and a human track on your strongest videos. All delivery modes are also on the Localize German homepage.
Frequently asked.
How much does it cost to dub one YouTube video into German?
From $600 for voice-over only (up to 15 minutes, voiced from your German script), from $1,000 with translation and from $1,500 for a publish-ready German video. All prices are net of VAT, and a fixed quote follows within 48 hours after a call.
What does a German version of a weekly channel cost per month?
At the per-video from-prices, four videos a month come to $2,400 for voice-over only, $4,000 with translation or $6,000 for full localization, before volume pricing for a weekly cadence. Running the entire German channel starts at $5,000 a month, production included and not billed per video on top.
Do longer videos cost more?
Yes. The $600 voice-over price covers videos up to 15 minutes, and longer videos scale by length; the exact figure comes with the quote. A large back catalog can be covered by a fixed engagement fee based on the video count.
Who owns the German tracks and scripts?
You own the channel, every upload, all scripts and all audio files. Two revision rounds are always included, and payment terms are net-30 at most.
Do these prices cover games or podcasts?
No, this page covers YouTube only. German game localization runs at elandir.games and podcast translation at podcast-übersetzung.de, each with its own pricing.
What would your channel cost?
The call takes 30 minutes and is free. We look at your videos, your cadence and the delivery mode that fits, and you get a fixed quote within 48 hours.
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Sources.
- [1] localizegerman.com, homepage sections "Pricing", "Process" and "Back catalog" (checked 6 Oct 2026): voice-over only from $600 per video up to 15 minutes, longer videos scale by length; translation + VO from $1,000; full localization from $1,500; channel ops from $5,000 per month, production included and not billed per video on top; all prices net of VAT; fixed quote within 48 hours after a call; four-step pipeline; two revision rounds always included; back catalog by fixed engagement fee based on the video count. localizegerman.com/#pricing ↩
- [2] localizegerman.com, FAQ (checked 6 Oct 2026): voice-over only voices your provided German script; standard turnaround 1 to 2 days per video; fixed delivery schedule for weekly cadence; volume pricing for weekly cadence; the client owns the channel, uploads, scripts and audio files; payment terms net-30 at most, purchase orders possible. localizegerman.com/#faq ↩
- [3] YouTube Help, "Use automatic dubbing" (checked 6 Oct 2026): enabled by default for eligible creators; automatic dubs cannot be edited; no fee named on the page. support.google.com ↩
- [4] Moritz Seipke, "Is a German audio track worth it for your YouTube channel? The data" (12 Jun 2026, updated 26 Sep 2026): break-even model for a $600 track at an assumed RPM of $1.50 to $3, with all primary sources. localizegerman.com/insights ↩