Category: Translation Services

Important Things to Know about Audio Localisation

What is audio localisation?

Audio localisation is the most effective way of selling a product to international customers. It is when audio multimedia is modified to suit a target audience who speaks another dialect or language.

Audio localisation content today is the preferred content by customers seeking information about services and products they may wish to purchase as they find it easy to engage with than just using text descriptions.   Many businesses are using audio localisation as the best way to market their products as it reaps the best returns for the money invested in marketing materials.

Language barriers

Fixing language barriers and enabling effective communication between a business and its clients is no easy task. However, audio localization appears to break down language barriers when audio localisation includes a good translation.

Consumers prefer to hear audio content

Because the human brain learns through audio representations consumers are being swayed to buy products if they see them being marketed using engaging audio content. Businesses have been quick to catch on to this and are increasingly luring customers by investing in more and more translated and localised audio content.

Audio localisation is now the new norm

People appear to be attracted more to something that they can see and hear. This type of communication is the most effective method for engaging consumers. Therefore, businesses are shifting from using traditional marketing materials to using modern marketing materials used in social media and virtual space so audio localisation is being used in the marketplace more than ever before.

Which industries need audio localisation?

Almost all industries benefit more from using audio localisation as their collective aim is to attract as many customers as possible.

Understanding more about audio localisation

According to both marketers and professionals, audio localisation should be used concurrently with the creation of original content. 

Ways used to implement a successful audio localisation strategy

Audio localisation may only be used effectively if experienced professionals are allocated the responsibility of creating it. So any organization planning on penetrating a consumer market using audio localisation will require experienced professionals to meet the needs of their localisation projects.

Understanding the way culture dominates the marketplace

Culture plays a crucial role when analysing consumer purchasing behaviour so when attempting to use localisation the marketers need to understand the nuances that culture inputs into consumer behaviour. Translations will not be accepted if cultural perspectives are not considered in the localisation process. They play a crucial role in formulating consumers’ purchasing behavior. 

Audio translations need to be both precise and error-free

Translations need to be perfect, particularly audio localisation, and the consumer must not be ignored when adapting translations to match consumer preferences. Errors would stop consumers from making buying decisions until the errors have been corrected.

 Representing a brand’s image

Representing a brand’s image is most important in audio localisation as an audio translation is close to the consumer, so any messages which are forwarded to the consumer make a big impact so making any mistakes would ultimately lead to adverse consequences. Therefore, it is vital that businesses are well-prepared before airing their audio translations.

Conclusion

If you are planning on penetrating the global market go for audio localisation as soon as you can because your business will reap the benefits quicker than you could ever imagine. It is considered to be the most persuasive marketing tactic that attracts buyers to purchase a product. If you don’t implement it now a competitor will be out there taking your market share. You should start to seek the best translators to perform your audio localisation.

Why Email Marketing Needs Translating?

The main aim of having an email marketing strategy is:

  • for a better understanding of your customer;
  • to improve customer engagement;
  • to increase customer loyalty;
  • to save money; 
  • to boost sales.

One of the hardest challenges today of running a business is developing the most effective marketing strategy so that you can compete successfully with competitors. According to current statistics from many leading brands, email marketing provides the highest marketing returns on investment (ROI) than any other known marketing channel.

When you translate your email marketing, you will open the door to starting a conversation with potential international customers. Your international customers will appreciate your efforts to communicate with them in their own language.

Building a loyal customer base is the main target of a professional marketer, but simply putting your emails through Google translate isn’t sufficient you will need to hire professional translators so that your email content looks and sounds natural. Trained professional translators don’t just translate text but they will also adapt the translated language so that it considers the socio-cultural differences in each of the countries you wish to target with your email marketing campaign. Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels available. 

Boosting sales

A translated email marketing campaign will boost your sales, and increase your returns. If you have just a few subscribers on your email mailing list who aren’t able to speak any English but are eager to purchase if they are able to understand more then this is a good reason to get your email marketing campaign translated as soon as possible. 

Increases your global market

If you want your products and services to be known internationally you should be able to connect with your customers in their languages. There is no better way of doing this than translating your email marketing materials.

More precise information for foreign clients

Another important reason why your email marketing needs translation is so that you can convey information much more clearly to your foreign clients. People who do not speak English as a native language are likely to skip over your email or delete it, instead of exerting the effort to understand complex words that are not easy for them to understand.

On the other hand, if you have the content of your email translated into the language that your clients speak comfortably, then you can communicate with them much more effectively and they will be able to understand your message better. Ultimately, they will be able to better appreciate what you are saying about your products or services, and they will be more likely to make a purchase.

How to translate marketing emails

There are many methods of automatically translating emails such as Google Translate. But as this is not yet considered to be the most effective and accurate way of translating a professional email translator should be sought to translate marketing emails. You will only get your business embedded in the international market if your marketing emails are accurately translated. Accuracy is what consumers prefer and mistakes are unacceptable.

Conclusion

Don’t miss out on the market potential of emails and begin translating your email content as soon as you can. Just look out for the best translators who have been successful in engaging clients with their state-of-the-art and effective email translations. Professional translations of emails may help you connect to potential consumers. Customers prefer to see products promoted in their native language so multilingual email marketing can be the most effective way to reach out to potential customers. 

 

What are the Benefits of Subtitles and Subtitle Translation?

Videos, whether they are documentaries, dramas, or other genres of films are popular forms of entertainment around the world. Of course, they mix audio content with video content, which can pose problems for some viewers. Deaf people, for example, only see the video content and miss out on the audio content. Viewers who do not understand the language used in the video format also miss out on important context. One of the answers to these sorts of problems is subtitling and subtitling translation. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of subtitling and subtitle translation.

What is a subtitle?

A subtitle is a text version of the audio content that can be heard in the film or video. Subtitles appear on the screen, typically below the video content. Without translation, subtitles use the same language that is used in the audio content. Noises, music, or other sounds can also be represented by text-based subtitles. Subtitles can often be turned on or off on some screens, e.g. on a TV screen.

What is subtitle translation?

Subtitle translation is simply a translated version of the original subtitle. For example, let’s say a new Bollywood film comes out in Hindi. Subtitles can be added to help hard-of-hearing or deaf Hindiviewers, but subtitle translation means that viewers who don’t understand Hindi can follow what is going on when they can see subtitles in their own language.

Where are subtitles used?

Subtitles are primarily used to help deaf people or those who have reduced hearing ability understand the audio content that is on the video or film. The subtitles may just be the text version of what is being spoken, or may include sounds and noises where relevant as well. For example, if people are laughing in the film, the subtitle may show the word “laughter”.

Where are subtitle translations used?

Subtitle translations are translations of subtitles. They are used to allow viewers who do not understand the language used in the original video or film. Subtitle translation allows films made in one part of the world to reach out and be enjoyed and viewed by many more people around the world, as long as the translation happens to be in a language they understand.

What other techniques are available for video promoters and marketers?

The main alternative to using subtitle translation is the use of voiceovers. A voiceover is also called dubbing. When video or filmmakers or marketers use voiceovers, what they do is employ someone to say what the actors or spokespeople in the original video, but in another language. The original audio content is muted, with the newly translated audio voice content superimposed on the film instead.

Advantages of subtitles

Apart from the main virtues of subtitles and subtitle translation already mentioned, the main advantage of using subtitles, rather than opting for voiceovers, is that they are much cheaper and more flexible. A video that has been subtitled can be converted into many other languages quite quickly by translating the subtitles. Finding real people to translate the audio content and dub the original content is more complex and certainly more expensive.

Disadvantages of subtitles

The main disadvantage of subtitles is that is that it tend to distract from the video content of the film, documentary, or other format. Viewers may spend so much time reading the subtitles that they miss what is actually happening on the screen. There is an additional disadvantage of translating subtitles into some languages, as they may occupy more space than the original language, adding to the potential distraction for viewers.

Conclusion

Subtitles are useful extra provisions for hard of hearing or deaf viewers of videos and films allowing them to understand the context of the video content. Subtitle translation allows foreign viewers to watch and understand the content of videos and films that are not in their own language. Subtitles are cheaper and more flexible to use than the main alternative, dubbing or voiceovers, but may be more distracting.

 

How Translation Services Drive Customer Engagement and Retention for Startups

Is your startup aimed at a multilingual market? Many startups fail to realize that their potential market size can be considerably magnified by taking advantage of a multilingual and often multicultural environment. Multilingualism and multiculturalism aren’t just an international context, but a national one, too. Many countries in the twenty-first century have multilingual and multicultural communities, even if there is one predominant official language. Multilingualism and multiculturalism are often part of the way national boundaries have been formed over the centuries.

To take advantage of this multilingual and multicultural reality, startups need to engage in professional translation and localization services to drive customer engagement and retention. Startups that build strong relationships with their customer base early on are most likely to have a healthy sales volume and become profitable and successful businesses.

Language as a Barrier to customer engagement

Research has shown that most people prefer to seek information about new products and services in a language they are most comfortable with. This seems to be the case even though the customer base is multilingual. Website browsing volume, for example, is greater if the content of the website has been translated into the languages of the potential customer base.

The Role of localization in customer experience

Localization is a process in which marketing material, web pages, traditional advertising in billboards, leaflets, magazines, newspapers, radio and TV broadcasts as well as through social media platforms is designed and tailored for a specific linguistic and cultural context. At the simplest level, it means converting things like currency and units into those of the target market. For example, a British startup that is intending to do business in the U.S. will need to use American units of measurement and currency rather than British ones. The U.S. example applies to vocabulary, too, even though both communities use English as the main language of communication. American English is noticeably different from British English, enough for potential customers to notice. 

The role of localization is even more important as the languages diverge and cultural factors such as gender roles, religion, dress standards, and the use of colloquialisms and dialect become more important. Localization involves translation as well as a more refined adaptation of marketing material in the form of text, video, images, and graphics.

Building trust through multilingual support

Support for customers is an important aspect of marketing new products. Customers like to know that when they buy a product that is new to them that they can contact the manufacturer or distributor if they have any issues with that product. There may be warranty issues, a defective product, or instructions that are not quite clear enough, amongst other reasons for wanting to contact customer support. 

Startups that set out from the onset to provide a multilingual support system are likely to build trust in their customer base. It’s hard for startups to avoid the reality of customer satisfaction or otherwise expressed through online reviews. A well-designed and effective multilingual support service is likely to lead to more favorable reviews than a non-existent support service for customers whose language is not that of the startup.

Brand perception and reputation management

Entrepreneurs understand the importance of creating an instantly recognizable brand. It’s something that can be frustrating for startups because unless they are offering a niche product or service, they will be up against the brand perception and reputation of their competitors who have been in business for much longer.

Conclusion

Not every startup will be operating in a multilingual or multicultural environment, but the modern reality is that this is becoming increasingly commonest startups can’t doo do all the translation and localization work all by themselves, which means that they need to choose professional services that can take on this important aspect of their marketing strategy for them. 

The Growing Importance of Video Translation in the Digital Era

The digital era has seen huge changes in the way people communicate. For one thing, people are communicating like never before with other people all around the world. Businesses are promoting their products and services all around the world, too, and looking for translators to do the necessary work needed so that potential customers understand what they are offering and how to purchase their products.

Videos are becoming almost compulsory in marketing. There are huge advantages to using videos to explain how products work and why they should be purchased. Like any other type of communication across language barriers, videos must be translated into the target languages if they are going to be effective. Obviously, the images and video content by itself go a long way to aiding comprehension, because even without voice-over or subtitles, watchers can get a broad idea of what the video is all about. But having the video supplemented by professionally translated audio content is a far superior option.

What is video translation?

Video translation is the use of professional video translators to convert the audio content of videos from the source language to another language or language. Many videos that are translated into other languages are done so for marketing purposes, but there are also instructional videos, technical videos, and videos used in conjunction with manuals made to explain how appliances or equipment are used. There are, of course, also videos used for entertainment, as well as documentaries, all of which need translators to do the hard work of audio translation if other people are to use and enjoy what the videos are conveying.

Video translation can be done in different ways. It might involve subtitles in the chosen target language, dubbing, which is when the translation is done in a more sophisticated way so that when the speakers in the video speak, they are muted. At the same time, the translated speech is heard instead. You can see that dubbing is taking place because the words heard don’t match the movement of the lips! There is also voice-over as a technique. This is used especially for manual type or instruction videos and documentaries. Someone explains over the top of the video content what is happening in the video in the target language.

Why Video Translation is Important?

Videos can sell a product better than using just audio messaging or still images. It can also explain how to put together a kit set piece of furniture or set up a new appliance better than a dry audio explanation or a black-and-white text manual. Video translation is necessary if the video is to be used in any language other than the source language, wherever the video was first made. 

Video translation, then, basically enhances user experience and makes the video messaging available to a much wider audience than if the video is only available in the source language.

Video translation used for marketing purposes is subject to the same pressures as any other form of marketing in that local cultural nuance and colloquial preferences and usages often dictate the use of localization experts when videos are submitted to video translators. Localization is an extension of translation that takes into consideration who is the actual intended audience and what differences they may have in their use of language and cultural preferences compared to standard language users.

Conclusion

Video translation as a niche industry has undoubtedly seen massive growth in the digital era. If you wish to maximize your marketing strategy and use videos to help you attract a wider potential market, then you will undoubtedly need to use professional video translators to convert your videos so that they are suitable in other languages.

 

Why Translate Podcasts?Why You Should Translate Your Podcast?

What is a podcast and how does it work? 

A podcast is an audio recording that is available for interested people to listen to at their time of choosing. Typically, these days, podcasts are recorded by news media, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and businesses and made available via a link on a website. The fact that podcasts are available means that those people who may have an interest in listening to the podcast don’t have to listen to it when the original recording was made. For example, a radio presenter may interview a politician about a controversial policy that their party is keen to pursue or argue against. The interview is recorded and made available on that radio show’s own website as a podcast. Someone who was busy working at the time of the interview can then listen to it later when they are free to do so. 

Why you should translate your podcast

The reasons for translating podcasts are the same as the reasons for translating anything important. Making available a podcast in more than a single language, means that more people can appreciate or make use of the information in it. Not all podcasts are translated, of course. The creator of the podcast has to make a decision, often financially, whether it is worth having the podcast translated, and if this is a good idea, which language or languages should be chosen. 

In some countries, multilingualism is part of the make-up of the community. Leaving one or another language out wouldn’t make sense in somewhere like Switzerland or Singapore, for example, where there are three or four official languages. It would be quite natural even in the United States, which has a large Spanish-speaking resident community, to consider reaching this important community through podcast translation. In fact, in many countries these days, multiculturalism is accompanied by multilingualism. Most people prefer to listen to and read material that has been presented in the language they know best. Without translating such things as podcasts means that fewer people are entertained, or informed by whatever the podcast focuses on.

Factors to consider when translating your podcast

When a podcast has been chosen for translation, it is often first transcribed into text. Then the transcription is used by the speaker who reads out the material in the desired language after the transcription has been translated. The fact that the podcast was first transcribed is useful in more than one way. For a start, it allows the transcriber/translator the chance to ‘localize’ the podcast so it best suits the language group the translation is intended for. Transcription is not expected to alter what was said in the original podcast significantly, just render it easier to understand when it has been translated. The other advantage of having a text version of the podcast is that this will be picked up by search engines, whereas the translated audio version will not. 

It stands to reason that anyone tasked with transcribing, translating, or reading out the podcast once translated should have a good grounding in both the source and target languages to ensure the accuracy and acceptability of the podcast once translated. Professional translators tend to specialize in a particular niche, so some will concentrate on legal translation, and others, on medical or technical translation. There will also be some translators who specialize in podcast translation services. This particular skill is often accompanied by offering app translation services, too.

Conclusion

Podcasts have become a very popular way of getting a message or information across in a time-hungry and internet-savvy world. Listening to podcasts in the language you are most familiar with is the main justification for having a podcast translated into more than one language so that whatever the podcast is about can reach a wider audience. 

If your organization, media outlet, or business is looking to make your podcasts multilingual, then you are advised to hire professional podcast transcribers and translators for the highest degree of accuracy.

The Importance of Cultural Sensitivity in Translation

One of the drawbacks of computer-based translation programs that the translation industry is repeatedly pointing out is that it totally lacks any ability to integrate cultural sensitivity into their software. Well, that could all change of course in the future, but at present, if you are looking for a translation service for whatever it is that you need translating for a foreign market, make sure that it takes into account cultural sensitivity as well as pride in accuracy.

What is cultural sensitivity?

Cultural sensitivity is simply an ability to adapt translated text so that it doesn’t offend or confuse the readership at the translated material is aimed at. This is more important at the translation stage because professional translators are expected to have feet firmly planted in both the culture and language of the source of the text and that of the target for the text as we. 

Most businesses, for example, may have little notion of what the sensitivities are of the people for whom they are aiming their material. They may not even realize that the target readers use different currencies, numbering systems, and units and live in different time zone. They may not realize that certain colors which mean something to the people in one country may mean something quite different to people in another country, or even a particular community in that country. Humor could be different, so a joke in one culture may be a slur or insult. Clothing, appearance, and gender differences can all have an impact on translation outcomes.

What is the importance of cultural sensitivity in language translation?

Cultural sensitivity can be an extremely important aspect of translation, or it may not be very important at all. It all depends on what is being translated and who is the expected target readership. At worst, material that is aimed at a new market that has not been subjected to culturally sensitive may invite ridicule, scorn, anger, disinterest, or just confusion. There are many examples that are used time and time again of typical mistakes in translating marketing material in particular insensitively. Some of the classic examples are slogans translated from English into Chinese such as the often quoted KFC “finger-lickin’ good” that translated into “eat your fingers” in Chinese. 

It is rare these days for successful international corporations to get their messaging wrong through translation simply because of an understanding of the importance of cross-cultural communication. It is more relevant for new businesses or businesses expanding their sales into new markets that have yet to appreciate the importance of cultural sensitivity in communication.

How do you handle cultural sensitivity in language translation?

The main message from this focus on the importance of cultural sensitivity is that you do need to be choosy about who translates your material for you. The greater the focus on marketing and the use of colloquial slogans and messaging, the more important it is for you to use translators who understand how to adapt the text you submit so that it becomes culturally sensitive. This needs for cultural sensitivity becomes less important for such things as technical manuals, scientific documents, medical research papers, and so on, as these often use a more recognized ‘international language’, understood by the users of these materials. 

When professional translators translate material that needs to be adjusted to suit a specific target readership, then they will use localization techniques. Basically, this is an assumption that it would be impossible to literally translate the material they have been given as it may offend or confuse the readers, so the words and phrases are changed to best get the message across.

Conclusion

Take cultural sensitivity into account when planning to get your material translated for the first time in a new language. Culturally insensitive translation could end your experiment in this new market. It is advisable to hire a team of experienced translators who can help you create culturally sensitive translations.

 

Why Social Media Translation Can Help Your Business

Social media seems to have become so omnipresent these days that businesses have had to adapt their marketing strategies to target customers who use social media more than they might use what might have been used more in the past like newspaper and magazine ads, billboards, and TV and radio ads. Social media content that is devised for marketing must also take into consideration markets that are international and typically use another language or internal markets which also use another language (ethnic minorities, migrant communities, for example).

Because of the global reach of social media content, social media translation has now become a must for many businesses that have customers and potential customers who understand and prefer to use another language other than that of the business. That means that social media campaigns and social media jargon must use professional social media translation agencies to ensure the widest possible audiences.

How to Devise a Social Media Translation Strategy

1. Do your research first

What are you selling? Who are your most likely potential new customers based on gender, age, lifestyle, socio-economic group, etc.? What languages do they use and which languages do they prefer to use when using social media content? What social media platforms should you aim at and research the target market?

Some countries don’t spend as much time on social media as others. Not all countries use social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. It would be wasteful if you translated content for a social media platform that’s hardly used in your targeted country. For example, the preferred social media in Russia is VKontakte, while the QZone platform is the social media king in China.

2. Develop a targeted hashtag strategy

Hashtags are commonly now used as highlights and links on several social media platforms, originating from Twitter where they are still most widespread. Businesses can use hashtags in their social media strategy but this isn’t something that should be left to amateurs. Hashtags sometimes last for months, but at others, they are gone in hours, so their use, especially considering that the words linked in the hashtag are to be translated. Social media translation needs to take into consideration the commonly used social media jargon of the target market in the target language as well.

3. Keep a separate account set aside for each language used in your social media campaign

Keep in mind that your ‘other language’ targeted markets will be of different sizes and importance. This means that you need a strategy for each language market. In terms of budgeting and planning, it’s best to separate your accounts for each language. 

4. Consider the jargon used in social media

English is the main language used on social media platforms, so it’s important to be aware of jargon. You should ask yourself two leading questions and they are:

 What jargon do I need to translate and what don’t I need to translate?

5. Avoid automated translation services like the plague

A common mistake for businesses first exploring new marketing strategies targeting markets in another language is to rely on automated translation services. These are actually improving, but at this stage are not sensible options for commercial use. The obvious advantage of using them is that they are much cheaper than professional translation agencies, but their ability to adapt their language translation to the nuances of other cultural and linguistic environments is poor. This becomes even more pronounced when considering that social media jargon is often very different from the standard use of a language. In the end, experiments with automated language translation services are doomed to fail. At worst, a botched experiment with automated translation could have a negative effect on the perception of that business by the very market the business is trying to cultivate.

Why Translate Infographics?

What are infographics?

Infographics have become an indispensable addition to information sharing by individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organisations, and government departments. They combine images, video content, text, and data in an easy-to-consume and understand the component of a website, social media site, or another form of digital communication. Because the world is becoming increasingly globalized, infographics commonly need to be translated. 

Infographic translation is a specialized niche field for translators and anyone contemplating translating their infographics needs to carefully select a translation agency that specializes in this form of translation.

The importance of infographics translation

Infographics translation is as important as the infographics themselves. While infographics are not solely made up of chunks of text, without the text they may not convey the same sort of meaning as they should and could even be misunderstood or cause confusion. 

Infographics are an essential part of digital communication and therefore infographics translation is an integral part of presenting infographics in situations where there are multilingual users of that messaging. This could be within a single country where there is more than a single language (e.g. Switzerland in Europe or Malaysia in Asia) or when the digital messaging is being targeted at several different countries where different languages are commonly used. 

How should infographics be translated?

Most text components of infographics, including subtitles and headings, can be translated just like any type of text, with the proviso that any infographics specifically aimed at promoting a new product may need to take into account cultural nuances in the target population. This is no different than any other marketing translation, such as text on web pages, slogans, pamphlets, advertising on traditional media, and so on. 

This sort of translation needs the skills of translators who are familiar with localization techniques, i.e. making sure that the text used is not culturally confusing or offensive. This goes for the images and data used as well, so the whole package of translating infographics designed for marketing purposes may be left to experts in localization. The translation component is then just a part of the whole.

Much use of infographics is far less complicated. For example, technical, medical, and scientific-based infographics typically do not need anything but the text changed, as the cultural significance is not so important. For example, user manuals for new appliances these days are often accessed on the manufacturer’s own website. Infographics are commonly used in these “how to” manuals to help explain how to set up or use a new device or appliance. Labels for parts of equipment do need to be translated as well as any subtitling if there are video segments together with the main text used in the manual.

Conclusion

If you are intending to use infographics for new users or consumers who are not likely to understand the infographics you have already created in your own language, you will need to have these infographics professionally translated. Without infographics translation, their effectiveness in presenting the chunk of information you have developed will be absent or much reduced. Don’t hope that avoiding having your infographics, or any other material you have made available to the public, translated will help your budget. Your competitor, if you have one, will have worked out why infographics translation can be a powerful tool for presenting information in a meaningful way!

Why are Transcription Services Important for Many Businesses?

What is business transcription?

Business transcription is a simple way of describing the variety of ways that transcription can and does help businesses function. Transcription is the conversion of speech into text. It may be direct, i.e. the conversion takes place just as someone speaks, or can be done later after a recording of the speech has been made. Until recently, transcription was the exclusive domain of human transcribers, who have developed expertise in listening to speech and converting it into text. More recently, a number of computer programs have been developed that attempt to replicate the task of transcription automatically. 

Transcription may involve the conversion of speech in one language into text in the same language or may involve translation from one language into another, i.e. the transcriber directly translates what he or she has heard into text in another language. Transcription and translation together are less common than transcription alone.

Large corporations and organizations are more likely to use their own team of transcribers, while smaller businesses may hire transcribers for the less frequent number of times they need transcription services.

Which businesses need transcription services?

Most businesses use transcription services at some time or another, even if it is when someone in an office wants their secretary to type out a letter or email. This isn’t anything new as ‘stenographers’ as they were called in the not-too-distant past, were acting as transcribers.

The range of businesses that use and probably depend on transcription services is vast. Here are just some of the sorts of companies that use transcription services on a regular basis:

  • legal firms;
  • healthcare organizations, including the public healthcare service and private health providers;
  • academic institutions;
  • media and mass communication services;
  • market research and consulting firms;
  • scientific and technological businesses and organizations.

Why are transcription services needed by businesses?

There are many reasons why businesses and other organizations, public and private use transcription services. The actual range of needs for transcription depends a lot, of course, on the type of business or institution it is. For example, a common reason for transcription is during business meetings when several key people meet to discuss aspects of the business. What is said during the meeting and who said it is normally transcribed and then the text version is sent to each participant for their records. Having the meeting recorded in text lessens the chance of misunderstanding and confusion later on. 

The demand for transcription and translation during business meetings is also high whenever there is an international conference or there are international delegates who are more comfortable expressing themselves in their own language. Usually, there are interpreters busy during the meeting so that everyone understands enough at the time so they can communicate and respond, but there is still a need for transcription and translation for reference after the meeting is over. 

What are the types of transcription services?

As has already been referred to, there are three main types of transcription services. These are as follows.

  • Direct transcription, in which the transcriber listens to the speech and transcribes it then and there. This type of transcription is used whenever the need for the text version is immediate or urgent. For example, it is common for court transcribers to transcribe the proceedings of a court case at the time the session is underway so that lawyers, judges and anyone else involved in the case have immediate access to the record.
  • Indirect transcription. This is when an audio recording is made of what is said and then this recording is later transcribed and distributed to whoever needs the text version. Indirect transcription from audio recordings tends to be more accurate than direct transcriptions as the transcriber has more opportunity to go over the audio recording several times before being sure they 
  • Transcription and translation. This is when the text version of the converted speech is in a different language after the transcription has been translated.

Conclusion

If your business needs transcription services for different purposes, contact a professional transcription (and translation) service.