Electrify Video Partners, a YouTube platform investor, has announced a collaboration with artificial intelligence (AI) dubbing firm Papercup to translate the content of Veritasium, YouTube's most popular science and engineering channel, into Brazilian Portuguese.

This move is aimed at expanding Veritasium's existing base of 14.5 million subscribers by providing dubbed content for global reach and higher audience engagement.

Veritasium, known for its fun, scientific content, will be dubbed into Brazilian Portuguese using a blend of machine-learning tools and human translation provided by Papercup. This first-of-its-kind opportunity for Brazilian viewers will undoubtedly enhance engagement on the channel.

Ian Shepherd, CEO of Electrify Video Partners, said: "Our partnership will enable us to meet the vast global demand for Veritasium content."

"It's crucial for such a well-known channel, that the dubbed versions of our popular content match the quality expectations of our new audiences; that is ultimately why we're working with Papercup. We're really excited to see the channel grow."

Papercup, a UK-based start-up, is recognised for its innovative combination of machine learning and human translators to create realistic synthetic voices with the original speaker's intonation. The company's AI voices are constructed using data from real voice actors that carry all the natural expressions and warmth of human speech.

This year, Papercup won the Media and Entertainment category of the reputed Europa awards, recognising the exemplary services it has provided to notable establishments like TV Chef Jamie Oliver, Bloomberg, Fremantle, and Fuse Media.

Papercup will be translating both new and existing videos, ensuring audiences' constant supply of content in their native language. The dubbed content will appear on the Veritasium channel using YouTube's multi-language audio tool.

Jesse Shemen, CEO of Papercup, emphasised the anticipation for YouTube's multi-language audio feature by video owners aiming to expand their brands globally. He said, "As a recommended YouTube dubbing provider, we're excited to help partners like Electrify unlock global audiences rapidly and offer them the quality dubbing their content and its viewers deserve."

According to data, Papercup's dubbed videos have reached over one billion people in non-English speaking territories. Studies reveal that dubbed content is the optimal translation form needed for information retention. In a comparison between subtitled and dubbed versions of foreign language educational videos, researchers found that viewers retained 70% of information from dubbed videos compared to 50% for subtitled versions.

YouTube Product Manager Ritz Campbell acknowledged the high global demand for content created in other languages and hailed Papercup's successful track record with high-profile clients.

Ritz Campbell said, "There is huge global demand for YouTube content originally created in other languages, which is why we launched our multi-language audio feature. Papercup has already seen success with high-profile clients, so their knowledge of the space will benefit channels looking to reach new audiences."