Media Translation and Interpreting

Media sector

Media translation and interpreting for broadcasters, publishers and production companies

Accuracy is essential and deadlines are non-negotiable in broadcast news, sport and entertainment. A foreign-language clip has to be understood before it goes to air, a manager's answer at a press conference has to reach the room while it is still news, and a quote that is slightly wrong in translation is still wrong on screen. We can provide experts in any language for all aspects of media work, and our clients include the BBC.

That covers everything from voice-overs and interpreting for international news stories to press conferences and live interviews, and a full range of localization services for media products and publications.

News and current affairs

Foreign-language footage usually arrives with a deadline attached. Before a clip is used, someone has to know exactly what was said, and a translated quote has to be accurate enough to meet the Ofcom Broadcasting Code's requirement for due accuracy in news. We translate interviews, rushes, social media posts and documents for news teams, and we provide interpreters for international news stories, in the studio or on location.

If a clip is going to be subtitled or voiced over, send the whole interview rather than just the soundbite. Context changes meaning, and a translator who has heard the full answer will translate the extract better.

Voice-overs and subtitles

For news and documentary, the usual approach is a UN-style voice-over: the original speaker is heard for a moment, then the translation is laid over the top with the original still faintly audible. Lip-synchronised dubbing is a different, slower and more expensive job, used mainly for drama and animation.

Subtitles have to be condensed, because viewers need time to watch the picture as well as read. Deciding what to keep is a skill in its own right. We can supply time-coded transcripts and subtitle-ready translations of your footage; see our video transcription page.

Press conferences and live interviews

Sports press conferences are usually interpreted consecutively, a few sentences at a time, so that journalists hear the answer in English and the original stays on the recording. Larger events use simultaneous interpreting from a booth. When only one or two people need the language, such as a new signing or a visiting coach, whispered interpreting lets them follow the questions without slowing the room down.

For live radio and television, the interpreter needs clean audio, a talkback line and, if at all possible, a rehearsal. On air, sound problems cause more trouble than language does.

Contributors and consent

Contributors should understand what they are agreeing to. Translate release forms and information sheets before filming, and have an interpreter present when a contributor who does not speak English gives consent on camera. The same goes for the questions themselves. An answer given to a question the interviewee misunderstood cannot fairly be used.

Localization for publishers and media products

We provide a full range of localization services so that your media products and publications reach foreign markets with fluency and cultural sensitivity: books and magazines, press releases, marketing campaigns, websites, apps and games. Localization goes further than translation. Jokes, cultural references, units, dates and on-screen text all need adapting, and some content has to be checked against local rules on advertising and age ratings. See localization, games localization and app localization for more.

Any language, at any time

A story does not break in a convenient language. We work with more than 8,000 linguists, and our network is still growing, across more than 350 languages and dialects: Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi and Pashto for the news desk, and Spanish, Portuguese, French, Japanese and Korean for sport and entertainment, among many others. Our linguists combine fluency, a professional manner and cultural awareness, and whatever your requirements, we are happy to help.

Questions from newsrooms and producers

Can you work overnight and at weekends?

Yes. We take bookings 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because news does not keep office hours.

Can an interpreter work remotely for a live broadcast?

Often, yes, if the audio path is good. Our interpreters can work by video or telephone. Test the connection before you go live, not during the programme.