If most people in the room understand the speaker's language reasonably well, but some need support to follow, live captions are usually enough. If part of your audience does not speak that language at all, or would struggle to follow it for a whole day, live translation with a translated voice is the better fit. Most events sit somewhere in between, and the decision comes down to who is in the room, how long they need to concentrate, and where their eyes need to be.
What each term means
Live captions are text that appears as the speaker talks. They can be in the original language, which is a transcription, or in each attendee's own language, which is a written translation. They can be shown on the attendee's phone, on the big screen in the room, or both.
Live translation, in the sense most organisers use it, means hearing the talk in your own language. For a long time that meant a human interpreter in a booth and a headset for every listener. Today it can also mean a synthetic translated voice, played on the attendee's phone through their own earphones.
The two are not opposites. Translated captions are already a form of live translation. The real choice is between reading and listening.
When live captions are the right choice
Your audience mostly shares a working language. At many international conferences, attendees understand English, but not perfectly. Captions in their own language help them catch what they missed without changing how they follow the talk.
Accessibility is a priority. Captions serve people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as anyone in a noisy hall or at the back of the room. Captions on the main screen help everyone at once, without anyone having to ask for them.
Sessions are short or visual. For a keynote, a product demo or a panel, reading along works well. Attendees glance at their phone and back at the stage.
The budget is tight. Captions cost less than a translated voice, as the prices further down show.
When a translated voice is the better fit
Part of the audience does not speak the stage language at all. Reading a full talk in translation is possible, but it takes effort. For people who rely entirely on the translation, listening is more comfortable.
Sessions are long. Reading captions for a whole day is tiring. A voice lets attendees look at the speaker, the slides and their notes, instead of keeping their eyes on a phone.
The content is heard more than seen. Training sessions, worship services, workshops and guided tours are listened to rather than watched. A voice fits the way people already follow them.
Some attendees read less easily. Not everyone reads quickly, even in their own language, and some audiences include people with visual impairments. A voice removes that barrier.
The limits of each option
Captions ask for attention. It is hard to read captions and take notes at the same time, and on a phone, captions compete with the stage for the eye. On a big screen, they also need to be placed where the whole room can see them without covering the slides.
A translated voice has its own constraints. Attendees need earphones, which many carry but not all. The voice follows the speaker with a short delay, so jokes and reactions land a moment later. And when several people speak in quick succession, a voice can be harder to follow than captions, which can show who said what. Glot identifies speakers and shows who is talking, which helps in both cases.
Both options depend on the same thing: clean audio. A feed from the room's mixing desk, a wireless lapel microphone or a USB table microphone will matter more than which option you choose. If you want to go deeper on the screen side, we explain how event subtitling works on the big screen.
Why not both?
In practice, the most flexible setup lets each attendee decide. Captions on the room screen for everyone, captions on the phone for those who want to read, and a translated voice for those who prefer to listen. Some people switch during the same session, reading during a demo and listening during a long talk.
This is how Glot is organised. Attendees scan a QR code and follow in their phone's browser, with no app to install and no account to create. They pick their language among more than 60, and with the Voice plan, they can also choose between the translated voice and the original sound.
What it costs
To give a concrete example with public prices, here is how Glot charges, per room, for up to 300 participants.
Captions costs €235 per day or €40 per hour. It includes live captions in each attendee's language on their phone, and captions on the screen in the room.
Voice costs €590 per day or €99 per hour. It adds a translated voice in every language and a written summary of the session at the end.
All languages are included in both plans. Hour credits are also available at decreasing rates and stay valid for 12 months, and rooms with more than 300 participants are priced on request. The full details are on our pricing page.
A simple way to decide
Ask three questions. Does everyone understand the stage language at least a little? If so, start with captions. Will some people need to follow for several hours in a language they do not speak? If so, add a voice. Are there sessions where accessibility matters? Then make sure captions are on the main screen, whatever else you choose.
If the answers differ from one room to another, decide room by room. A plenary with an international audience may call for a voice, while a workshop held in a single shared language may only need captions on the screen. The right answer is the one that matches each audience, not the most complete option on paper.
Compare Captions and Voice, room by room.
See pricing