One Video, Two Languages: AI Dubbing for Quebec Brands

Every brand in Quebec faces the same choice: shoot the video twice, or shoot it once and settle for subtitles in the other language. AI dubbing changes that math. One film can now ship with a French track and an English track, the same voice in both, and lips that follow the new words. The hard part has moved. It now sits in the law, the accent and the details.

What the law asks

The Office québécois de la langue française sums up the rule in one line: public signs and commercial advertising must be in French. Another language can appear alongside, as long as French is markedly predominant, which the Office translates as text that looks at least twice as large. Under Bill 96, new rules that took effect on June 1, 2025 tightened how trademarks on signage must make room for French.

Video follows the same logic. The Office’s guide on social media states that commercial posts about products or services for the Quebec market must be in French, videos included. When a post also runs in another language, the French version must be at least equivalent.

“At least equivalent” is the phrase to remember. A polished English film with a French version that sounds like an afterthought sits on the wrong side of it.

What the audience expects

The census explains why the French version can never be the lesser one. In 2021, French was the first official language spoken by 84.1% of Quebecers, and English by 14.9%. Bilingualism is high by Canadian standards, at 46.4%, which still means more than half of Quebecers cannot hold a conversation in both languages.

Who you are talking to in Quebec

Share of Quebec’s population, 2021 Census

Who you are talking to in Quebec

Measure	Share of population
French first official language spoken	84.1%
English-French bilingual	46.4%
English first official language spoken	14.9%

English matters too. A Quebec brand selling to Toronto, Calgary or Boston needs an English version that does not sound translated. Two audiences, two first impressions, and both deserve to feel like the original.

What AI dubbing changes

Classic dubbing means recasting the voice, booking studio time and living with lips that do not match. AI dubbing can keep one voice across both languages and adjust mouth movement to fit the new words. For a founder speaking to camera, the difference is striking: she can address Montreal and Toronto in her own voice.

That voice belongs to her. Article 36 of the Civil Code of Québec lists using a person’s voice for purposes other than the legitimate information of the public as an invasion of privacy. Quebec’s performers have been loud about it: in 2023, the Union des artistes called for a moratorium on AI voice synthesis tools and, ultimately, a law to protect local artists. Written consent, a defined use and a defined term are the minimum. More on consent for synthetic presenters.

Where synthetic voices still slip

The accent. A French voice that sounds like Paris lands differently in Longueuil. Ask for Québécois French explicitly, and have a Quebecer listen before anyone signs off.

Length. French often needs more words than English to say the same thing. A script timed for 30 seconds in English can overflow in French. Write both scripts from day one, and time the edit on the longer one.

Names and numbers. Street names, prices, product names and local expressions are exactly where a synthetic voice stumbles and a local never hesitates. Budget a pronunciation pass.

Text on screen. A perfect dub with English titles on screen is still an English video. Supers, end cards and captions need their French version too, with French at least as prominent.

How to plan a bilingual video

Treat French as the reference version, since both Quebec law and most of your Quebec audience point there. Write both scripts before production. Keep on-screen text on separate layers so it can switch languages. Book a native review for each version. The dubbing itself is the easy part now. The care around it is what makes both versions feel like the original.