Understand translation hours and AI credits
What gets counted, what does not, which balance is spent first, and how AI credits differ from hours.
What is counted
Time is counted by audio duration while DubTab is running. Captions and dubbing share the same balance — running one without the other does not cost less, because the same audio is being transcribed and translated either way.
- Pausing is free. While paused, no audio is sent and no minutes are spent.
- Stopping ends the session and files it in your history. That is the difference between Pause and Stop.
- Time spent disconnected is not charged, because nothing is being translated.
It pauses itself when nobody is talking
If a stretch goes by with no speech, DubTab pauses on its own, so a tab or an app you forgot about does not quietly drain your balance. You get a countdown first and can cancel it, and you choose how long the silence has to be.
Which balance is spent first
Your plan's monthly minutes are spent first. Extra lifetime hours are only touched once those run out, so buying extra hours mid-month never wastes what you already paid for.
Monthly minutes reset on a fixed date tied to your plan, not on the first of the month. DubTab shows that date directly — the account panel lists your plan, your next billing date and your minutes reset date side by side, so you never have to work it out.
AI credits are a different thing
| Translation hours | AI credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Spent on | Live captions and dubbing | Summaries, mind maps, Ask AI |
| Counted by | Audio duration while running | Per generation |
| Free plan | 15 minutes, one time | 3, one time |
Running out of one does not affect the other. See Use AI summaries and Ask AI.
Common questions
Do my hours run while the video is paused?
Pausing DubTab stops the meter: no audio is sent and no minutes are spent. Pausing the video is not the same thing — DubTab is still running and still counting until it notices the silence and pauses itself, which takes as long as you set. If you are stepping away, pause DubTab rather than only the player.
Does using captions without dubbing cost less?
No. Captions and dubbing draw on the same balance, because the audio has to be transcribed and translated in both cases. Switching the voice off changes what you hear, not what is counted.
When do my monthly minutes reset?
On a fixed date tied to your plan, not on the first of the month. The account panel in the extension and the desktop app shows your minutes reset date next to your next billing date, so check it there. Extra lifetime hours never expire and are only spent after the monthly allowance is gone.