Online events quietly reintroduced the language problem that physical events at least tried to solve. A webinar can be attended from thirty countries at once, but almost none offer more than the language the presenter happens to speak. The usual workaround — automatic captions in the original language only — helps people who already understand it and nobody else.
This page covers live translation for webinars, online conferences and hybrid events: how it fits alongside a platform you are already using, and what changes when part of your audience is in a room and part is on a screen.
It sits beside your platform, not inside it
This is the design decision that matters most, so it is worth being explicit: the translation is a separate link, not a plugin. Your stream, webinar or meeting runs exactly as it does today.
What that avoids
No plugin to install. No admin rights on the platform. Nothing that breaks the week the platform ships an update. No renegotiating your existing licence.
What it means in practice
Attendees keep the video where it is and put the translation in a second window — or on their phone, propped next to the laptop. It works the same on any platform because it does not depend on one.
How a session runs
The presenter speaks as usualIf they are presenting from their own computer, that device's microphone is enough. From a studio or a hybrid room, a feed from the mixing desk is noticeably better.
You share one link with registrantsIn the confirmation email, in the chat at the start, or on the holding slide. Same link for everyone, regardless of language.
Each person picks their own languageThe live text follows about a second or two behind the speaker, and can be read aloud through their earphones if they would rather listen than read.
Hybrid events: one session, two audiences
Hybrid is where this earns its place. The room and the remote audience are usually treated as two separate problems with two separate budgets. Here they are the same session:
- In the room — delegates scan the QR code on the screen.
- At home — attendees open the link from the invitation.
- Both read the same live translation, each in whichever language they selected.
Nobody in either group needs an account, and nothing is installed on either side.
A practical note about the recording. For international webinars, the archived text is often more useful than the video. Someone in another time zone is far more likely to read a talk in their own language than to watch an hour of recorded video in a language they only half-follow. Each session can be archived to a shareable page in every language it was translated into.
What it costs for online events
Online events are irregular, so a monthly subscription usually fits badly. Pay-as-you-go matches the shape:
- Charged per hour of live broadcast, per language, and only while you are actually running.
- Unlimited attendees — a webinar with two thousand registrations costs the same as one with twenty.
- Nothing between events, no commitment, no renewal to remember.
New accounts start with free credit, which is normally enough to run a full rehearsal or your first webinar before deciding.
Getting a good result
- Test with the exact audio path you will use on the day. A presenter on a laptop microphone and a presenter through a studio desk are very different inputs.
- Put the link where people will actually find it — the confirmation email and the first message in the chat, not only the event page.
- Say it out loud at the start. "If English is not your first language, open this link and pick yours." Ten seconds, and it roughly doubles uptake.
- Ask presenters to finish their sentences. Complete sentences translate far better than trailing ones — this matters more than any setting.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work with our existing streaming platform?
Yes, because it does not sit inside the platform. Your stream runs as it does today and the translation is a separate link opened in a second tab or on a phone. No plugin, no admin rights, nothing that breaks on a platform update.
How do remote attendees get the translation?
They open a link and choose their language. On a laptop most keep it in a second window beside the video; on a phone it works well as a companion screen.
Can it handle a hybrid event?
Yes — it is one of the strongest cases. People in the room scan the QR code, remote attendees open the link, and everyone reads the same live translation in their own language.
What audio does it need?
The presenter's speech. If they broadcast from the computer they are speaking on, the device microphone is enough. For a studio or hybrid room, a clean desk feed is noticeably better.
Is there a limit on how many can watch?
Pay-as-you-go includes unlimited listeners. Billing is by hour of live broadcast and by language, not by audience size.
Can attendees read the session afterwards?
Yes — each session can be archived to a shareable page in every language it was translated into. Archiving is optional and decided per session.
What if a presenter's connection drops?
Attendee pages reconnect on their own when the stream returns. The connection worth making solid is the one running the broadcast.
Make your next webinar multilingual
Free credit on signup, no card required, and no change to the platform you already use.