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How to Dub Online Courses for Global Sales: Complete Guide
When I launched my first online course three years ago, I made a mistake that cost me tens of thousands of euros in missed sales: I only published it in Italian. The course did fine, sure - a few hundred sales per year, enough to cover expenses. But I was ignoring 98% of the global market. A year ago I decided to dub it into English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The result? Sales quadrupled. Not because the course had improved, but simply because more people could understand it. If you have an online course and haven't localized it yet, you're literally leaving money on the table. In this guide, I'll show you how to change that. 🚀 The Global E-Learning Market in 2026 First, let's talk numbers. The e-learning market is worth over 400 billion dollars in 2026, with annual growth of 14%. But here's the interesting data: only 25% of this market is in English. The remaining 75% is distributed among Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, and other languages.Important: The Spanish-language e-learning market grows 20% annually, Portuguese 25%. These markets are hungry for quality content and competition is much lower than in English.Most trainers instinctively target English when they decide to expand. It's not wrong, but it's not optimal either. The English-speaking market is saturated with content, while markets like Latin America or Brazil are hungry for quality training and have much less competition. 💡 Why Dubbing Beats Subtitles You might think: "Can't I just add subtitles?" Technically yes, but you'd lose most potential sales. Here's why: Content retention: Studies show that students watching videos in their native language have 40% higher retention compared to those reading subtitles. For an online course, this translates to better reviews, fewer refund requests, and more word-of-mouth. Value perception: A professionally dubbed course is perceived as premium. Subtitles, however accurate, communicate "budget adaptation." Accessibility: Many people consume courses while multitasking - while cooking, exercising, or driving. With dubbing, they can listen. With subtitles, they can't. Completion rates: Dubbed courses have 30-50% higher completion rates. Students who complete the course leave positive reviews, buy other courses, and recommend you.📝 How to Prepare Your Course for Dubbing Not all courses lend themselves equally well to dubbing. Here's how to prepare yours for optimal results. Analyze the Content Before starting, audit your course: Universal vs. local content: Identify sections that work universally and those too specific to your country. A digital marketing course is highly universal. A course on Italian taxation is not. Cultural references: Look for examples, metaphors, or references that might not work in other countries. Currency and measurements: If you talk about euros, consider whether it makes sense to convert or maintain. For business courses, it often makes sense to use dollars for the global market.Pro Tip: Create an "international" version of the course by eliminating or replacing overly local references. This version becomes the base for all translations.Prepare Source Files To get the best result from AI dubbing: Separate audio: If possible, export audio tracks separately from background music. Dubbing quality will be superior. Updated script: Make sure you have the updated transcript for each lesson. It will be useful for verifying the translation. Support materials: Slides, PDFs, and workbooks will need to be translated separately. Consider using tools like DeepL for texts. 💰 The Numbers: How Much It Costs and Returns Let's do the concrete math for a typical course. Example: 10-Hour Course Dubbing costs with NovaDub:10 hours = 600 minutes With Business plan (€149/month for 200 minutes): 3 months of plan = €447 per language For 3 languages (EN, ES, PT): ~€1,350 totalTraditional costs (for comparison):Professional voice actor: €150-300/hour 10 hours × €200 × 3 languages = €6,000 Plus script translation, editing, etc. = €8,000-10,000 totalSavings with AI: 85-90% Potential ROI Suppose your course costs €297 and sells 200 copies/year in Italian:Annual revenue: €59,400With three additional languages (assuming lower initial sales):English: 150 copies × €297 = €44,550 Spanish: 100 copies × €297 = €29,700 Portuguese: 80 copies × €297 = €23,760 New total revenue: €157,410 (+165%)Investment of ~€1,350 for a potential increase of ~€98,000 in annual revenue. The ROI is over 70x.Note: These numbers are conservative. Many trainers see even better results, especially in niches with little coverage in target markets.📊 Which Languages to Choose for Your Course The choice of languages depends on your niche. Here's a guide:Niche Priority Languages NotesBusiness/Marketing EN, ES, PT Very active marketsTech/Programming EN, ES, PT, DE Germans pay premiumPersonal growth ES, PT, EN Latam very receptiveFitness/Health EN, ES, PT, DE Mature global marketCreativity/Design EN, ES, FR France strong in designPersonal finance EN, DE, PT Attention to local regulationsThe Special Case of Brazilian Portuguese Brazil deserves special mention. It's the fifth largest e-learning market in the world, but has very few quality contents in Portuguese. Most courses are poorly translated from English or locally produced with low production values. A quality European course dubbed in Brazilian Portuguese can dominate entire niches. I've seen Italian courses become bestsellers on Hotmart (Brazil's main platform) simply because they were better than any local alternative. 🛠️ The Step-by-Step Process Phase 1: Preparation (1-2 days)Export all course videos in MP4 format Create an international version of scripts if necessary Prepare a list of lessons with duration of each Sign up on NovaDub and choose the appropriate planPhase 2: Dubbing (depends on length)Upload videos one at a time or in batch Select target language Activate voice cloning if you want to maintain your voice Wait for processing (about 1 minute per minute of video) Download and verify each dubbed videoPhase 3: Quality Control (1-2 days per language)Watch each dubbed lesson verifying audio is synchronized Check technical terms specific to your niche Verify numbers and data are correct Ask for feedback from a native speaker if possibleWarning: Don't skip quality control. A translation error at a key point can compromise the entire lesson. Better to invest a few hours in review than receive refund requests.Phase 4: Localization of Support Materials (2-3 days)Translate slides and PDFs using DeepL or professional translator Adapt any templates (Excel, Notion, etc.) Create localized landing pages for each market Prepare email sequences in the target languagePhase 5: Publishing and Marketing (ongoing)Choose platforms for each market (Teachable global, Hotmart for Brazil, Domestika for Spain/Latam) Optimize SEO for keywords in target language Launch localized ad campaigns Collect testimonials in the new language⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid Mistake 1: Translating Everything Literally Literal translation doesn't work for courses. Idiomatic phrases, cultural examples, and even humor must be adapted, not translated. NovaDub's AI handles this well, but always do a check. Mistake 2: Ignoring Price Differences Purchasing power varies enormously. A €297 course may be premium in Italy but prohibitive in Brazil. Consider differentiated pricing by market. Mistake 3: Launching Without Local Presence Dubbing the course isn't enough. You need minimal presence in the market: social page in the language, customer support that responds in the language, local testimonials. Mistake 4: Underestimating Customer Support If you sell in Spanish, you must be able to respond in Spanish. Consider automatic translation tools for emails or collaborate with a bilingual VA. ✅ Pre-Launch Checklist All videos dubbed and verified Support materials translated Localized landing page Pricing appropriate for market Payment system accepts local currency Automated emails translated FAQ in target language Customer support plan🎯 Conclusion Dubbing your online course is no longer a risky investment reserved for those with large budgets. With AI, the cost has dropped 90% and timelines have been reduced from weeks to days. If you have a course that works in your language, the odds that it will work in other markets are very high. The only difference is the language - and that problem can now be solved in a few hours. The global e-learning market continues to grow at impressive rates. Trainers who localize their courses now will build dominant positions in still-uncompetitive markets. Those who wait will find increasing competition. Try NovaDub free with 2 minutes of dubbing included. Test the quality with a lesson from your course and see the potential for yourself.Want personalized advice for dubbing your course? Write to us at [email protected] - we're happy to help you plan international expansion.