Interpretation without booths or headsets works by moving the listening side onto each attendee's own phone. Instead of a booth at the back of the room and a receiver handed to every person, attendees scan a QR code, open a page in their phone's browser and follow the talk with their own earphones or by reading captions. The sound from the stage is taken from the room's audio system, translated live by AI, and delivered over wifi or the mobile network.
How the classic model works
Traditional simultaneous interpretation relies on a physical chain. Interpreters sit in a soundproof booth, usually in pairs so they can take turns. They hear the speaker through the booth feed and speak into their own microphone. Their voice goes to a transmitter, which broadcasts one channel per language. Each attendee gets a receiver with a headset, selects the channel and listens.
This model works, and it has served large international events for decades. But it carries a lot of logistics. The booth has to be delivered, assembled and soundproofed. A technician installs the transmitters, tests the channels and stays on site for the whole event. The receivers have to be charged, counted, handed out at the entrance and collected at the end. Interpreters and equipment are usually booked weeks in advance.
The "bring your own phone" model
The alternative keeps the goal, everyone understands what is said on stage, but replaces the hardware with devices attendees already carry.
Access by QR code. The code is shown on the screen, on the tables or on the badge. The attendee scans it and lands on a page in their browser. With Glot there is no app to install and no account to create, which matters at an event where nobody wants to spend the start of a session downloading something.
Language choice on the phone. Each attendee picks their own language. Since there is no physical channel per language, adding a language does not mean adding a booth or a transmitter. Glot covers more than 60 languages, all included in the price.
Listening with personal earphones. Attendees use the earphones they already wear every day, wired or wireless. They hear a natural translated voice, and can switch to the original sound if they prefer.
Captions on the phone and on the screen. People who prefer to read, or who do not hear well, follow live captions in their language. Captions can also appear on the room screen, which helps the whole audience follow names and technical terms.
What changes in logistics
Setup time. A booth installation usually happens the day before or early in the morning. A phone-based setup takes a few minutes: connect the sound source, open the session, display the QR code.
Handing out and collecting. No queue at the entrance to pick up a receiver, no ID card left as a deposit, no count at the end of the day. People arrive, scan and sit down. Those who leave early simply close the page.
Lost equipment. Receivers and headsets regularly go missing at events that use them. They are left on chairs, slipped into bags, taken home by mistake, and whoever rented them pays for what does not come back. With personal phones, there is nothing to lose.
Hygiene. Shared headsets have to be cleaned between uses, and many attendees are reluctant to wear something that has been on someone else's head. Personal earphones settle the question.
Freedom of movement. A receiver only works within range of its transmitter. A phone keeps the session running as long as it has a connection, which helps attendees who step out to the corridor or stand at the back near the coffee.
Where the sound comes from
Translation quality depends first on sound quality. In the booth model, interpreters get a clean feed from the mixing console. A phone-based model needs the same thing.
The room's mixing console is the best option when there is one: the sound engineer sends an output that already blends all the microphones on stage. A wireless lavalier mic worn by the speaker works well for a single presenter who moves around. A USB table mic connected to a computer is enough for a meeting room, a round table or a smaller session without a sound system.
Whichever source you choose, a direct feed is better than a microphone that picks up the loudspeakers, which adds echo and room noise.
What to plan for
A connection for attendees. Phones need internet access, through the venue's wifi or the mobile network. If the room is in a basement or a building with poor reception, check the wifi and make sure it can handle your audience. Display the network name and password next to the QR code.
Earphones for those who have none. Many people carry earphones, but not everyone. Keep a stock of simple earphones at the welcome desk, and remind attendees in the invitation email to bring their own. Anyone without earphones can still follow with captions.
Charged phones. For a full-day event, a few charging points help. Following a session in a browser uses battery, like any live stream.
Clear instructions. Put the QR code where people look: on the screen between sessions, on the tables, in the printed program. One sentence is enough: scan, choose your language, put on your earphones.
A sound check. Before the doors open, test the feed with a phone in hand, both in a translated language and in the original.
Is it right for every event?
Not always. Some settings still call for professional interpreters in a booth: diplomatic meetings, legal proceedings, situations where accountability and nuance outweigh everything else. Some venues have no reliable connection at all. And some audiences would rather be handed a device than use their own phone.
For most conferences, seminars, general assemblies and company events, though, the phone-based model removes a large part of the logistics while keeping what matters: everyone follows in their own language. Translation runs around two seconds behind the speaker with Glot, close enough to follow a talk, a debate or a Q&A naturally. If you want to compare costs with a booth setup, the rates per room are on our pricing page.
Set up live translation on your attendees' phones in a few minutes.
See how Glot works