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McGowan Translation FAQs
What is the difference between our Silver and Gold audio translation service?
We know that everyone’s requirements and budgets vary so we have developed a structure to accommodate all translation needs.
SILVER – The Silver service offers a transcription from the source language by a native speaker. This text transcript is then passed onto another linguist who then translates the text to English. Both of these documents are then put through Quality Control.
GOLD – Gold is a more comprehensive service for those incredibly important documents. The service is the same as silver but after translation a second linguist checks the translation word-for-word before it’s released.
Do you transcribe in languages other than English?
We offer an audio transcription service covering over 200 worldwide languages. This is a cost-effective way of converting audio files, which are difficult to share and review, into manageable text files.
Can you translate directly from audio recordings?
Yes, we are able to offer direct/one-step translation from either the native language to English or vice versa for both audio and video files. You will only receive a translation in the target language. Prices start from £8 per audio minute (excluding VAT) and will vary depending on the language combination, the type of recording and the number of voices on the file.
This service is not suitable for translations that will be published or used for any type of legal work.
Please contact us for more details.
What turnaround times do you offer?
Translation is a complex process and one that requires close attention to tone of voice, style, use of expressions, idioms etc particularly when there are is a large cultural difference between the source and target languages. This is compounded when transcribing from audio files as there are many additional factors which add further complexity for example, over-speaking, background noise, dialects, recording quality etc. Within any project it is preferable that the same linguist is used for all the files rather than splitting them between different linguists to ensure continuity within the finished document. In most cases a linguist is able to translate the equivalent of 20 minutes of audio file per day, meaning that one hour’s file can take one linguist between to 3-5 days to complete and check. If your deadline requires a quicker turnaround time than is manageable within this parameter, then we would always contact you first to check if you are happy to have your files split between different linguists.
How experienced are your translators?
All linguists that we use are highly professionals (accredited to Institute of Translating and Interpreting (ITI), Chartered Institute of Linguists (IOL) or local country equivalents) with at least 5 years industry experience in their chosen field. We only use 100% human translators, although technology can be used to facilitate speed and accuracy throughout the process, it can’t replace human work.
Why are quotes variable until the time you have finished the project?
Due to the nature of human recorded speech it is very difficult to assess the amount of words any given audio recording will create. Density of speech, dialects, background noise and quality of the audio file all impact the time it takes to transcribe a file, and the amount of words can vary by thousands in a 60 minute audio recording, which in turn impacts the cost of translation. Costs are more predictable for text to text translation, although word counts will vary between the source and final documents
How many words would you estimate to be spoken in 1 hour of audio file?
On average 120 to 150 words are spoken per minute, therefore 7,500 to 9,000 words an hour. This however is only the case for audio files with one voice, complexity is added when there are multiple voices on the recording which often results in over-speaking, pauses and repeats.
