How Can Audio Translation Software Help Your Business Go Global

Luckily for them, there are audio translation services out there that help them keep the conversation flowing, in any possible language. In this article, we’ll explain why this is so important, and how these audio translation services can help your organisation stay ahead of your competitors.

What we’ll cover in this article:

• What is audio translation software? What can it do, and how does it work?
• In what cases can audio translation software be used?
• The benefits of translating and subtitling videos
• Our phones are on mute at all times
• Make your content more accessible
• Subtitles help your viewers, and thus your business
• Subtitles can also help your SEO
• What are some of the benefits of using audio translation software?
• Is audio translation software better than human translators?
• What about GDPR and audio translation software?

What is audio translation software?

Audio translation software is a type of technology that allows users to translate audio files from one language to another. There are several tools out there, but Happy Scribe’s audio translation services is a great example of these services. You can upload MP3, WAV, M4A and some other formats, and get your translation back in minutes.

This means no human has listened to the audio— which requires different services—and it has been fully processed by software. The software accounts for dialects as well and delivers your translation in a text format. 

You can also choose to have videos with audio subtitles in different languages. Let’s look at some of the most common use cases for audio translation services, and why you should definitely consider them for your business.

In what cases can audio translation software be used?

There are many cases in which audio translation software can be used. For example, if you have a recorded meeting or lecture that you need to translate into another language, audio translation software can be used to do so.

This is perfect for businesses that operate in different countries. The audio transcript of a meeting can be quickly translated and sent around, so everyone is up to speed.

Audio translation can also of course be used to directly place subtitles under a video. This one’s huge: it’s often a difficult process to get right, timing-wise. The right tool can help you put the subtitles on the screen at the exact second, so your viewers don’t miss a thing. 

The benefits of translating and subtitling videos

Putting subtitles under a video has a lot of benefits, and is almost expected in today’s world.

Our phones are on mute at all times

Imagine you’ve launched a great creative campaign, in video format, across different social media channels. The chances that someone scrolling past it has their sound off, is pretty big. 

They could be on the train, in a classroom, at work or even just listening to their own music, not wanting to interrupt that. This would immediately render the commercial useless to them. Unless the images are captivating enough, they’ll scroll past, completely missing the message. 

You will have lost a viewer, and the chance that the commercial comes past them again and they’re suddenly willing to watch the whole thing? It’s pretty slim. 

Make your content more accessible

But there are more reasons why you should put subtitles in target languages under all your videos: it makes your content more accessible to everyone. For far too long, brands have not paid enough attention to people with hearing disabilities, excluding them from their content simply by not putting subtitles in. Not only is this wrong—because everyone should have equal access to content—it can also be harmful to your business. Not only can your reputation take a hit, but you’re simply also missing out on potential customers.

Subtitles help your viewers, and thus your business

Let’s not stop there! It’s also useful for viewers who can hear the audio to have subtitles under a video. It has proven to help people understand the video and context better. Plus, having subtitles in a video also improves engagement. 

A lot of people assume that subtitles take the attention away from what’s happening in a video, but it’s actually the opposite. 

Researchers from the University of Iowa found that captions helped viewers retain more information, which makes sense—especially if you’re watching a video in a busy environment, or don’t understand a dialect or word. 

Captions can also help viewers with shorter attention spans—meaning almost all of us—focus and enjoy content better. Don’t see subtitles as a hassle for viewers, but as something that helps them and improves the experience. 

Subtitles can also help your SEO

The good news is: Google can’t yet watch your video. It can, however, understand and read the subtitles you put because the text in closed captioning is indexed and will increase your keyword depth. 

This is why it’s also smart to use audio translation software to generate subtitles for your video in all languages that are relevant to your business: it saves you tons of time and helps your video pop up in search results. 

What are some of the benefits of using audio translation software?

Using audio translation software can be incredibly useful for businesses that want to quickly expand their reach into new markets, as it eliminates the need for expensive and time-consuming human translations. 

You can improve operational efficiency a lot by letting the software run the day-to-day translation tasks, and letting the professional translators take care of the more difficult translations. Additionally, audio translation software can help companies maintain consistency across their brand communications. When launching a new product or campaign, it helps a lot to have some of the basic (audio) translations done automatically.

Using audio translation software also offers another layer of security in quality checks, because it automatically checks for spelling and grammar errors.

Is audio translation software better than human translators?

There’s no doubt that people are still better at translating nuances than AI is, but having humans work alongside audio translation software helps both. Translations can be done a lot quicker, and the translator can focus more on translating what’s being said between the lines. 

What about GDPR and audio translation software?

Whatever audio it is you’re having translated, you want to make sure it’s in good hands, and that you’re being compliant with laws like the GDPR.

That’s why it’s important to understand what your responsibilities are when picking a tool for audio translation. Plus, here are some things you need to be aware of to make the right decision.

Can you delete your account, and what happens to your data?

You might not need this audio translation tool forever, and you want to make sure that when you stop using it, they no longer have your audio files in their possession. That’s because according to the GDPR, you should have “the right to be forgotten.”

Once you delete your account, it should be as if you were never a user of the tool. Your records should be wiped clean, leaving no trace of your data whatsoever. How are you consenting to the processing and storage of your data?

GDPR-compliant translation software should ask you to give consent to the processing and storing of their data. Be aware that sometimes, creating an account or using a website is an indication of consent as per the Terms of Use of many software companies.

Check their partners

If you really want to make sure you’re airtight, you need to be aware that it’s not just your tool that needs to be compliant, but also any APIs they use to keep the product up and running. 

Your data is not for sale

Last but not least, check what they do with your data while you are a customer. It is incredibly important to know whether they are selling it to any third party, for whichever reason.

Ready to talk to the world?

Audio translation services can help you reach your dream customers in target markets far, far away, in mere minutes. When you are expanding your horizon and launching in new markets, these services help you scale up fast, relatively cheap and with less risk of human error. What language are you translating to first?