Rates & FAQs: Translation & Transcription

Subtitle translation works within strict constraints as each line must fit within a limited character count and remain on screen long enough to be read comfortably. It’s a more specialised discipline than document translation, which prioritises meaning and flow without restrictions on timing.

We offer translation services in over 80 languages, covering everything from major European languages like French, German, Spanish, and Italian, to Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, and many more. If you’re unsure whether we cover your language pair, just ask and we can confirm this quickly for you.

Translation pricing depends on the language pair and the intended use. As a guide: translation for subtitles starts at £13 per minute of video; translation for voice-over starts from £0.13 per word; and translation for documents or websites starts from £0.13 per word. All services have a minimum fee. For a tailored quote, use our quick quote form and we’ll come back to you promptly.

Several things can influence the final cost: the language pair (some languages require more specialist expertise than others), whether proofreading by a second senior linguist is required, and the complexity or technical nature of the subject matter. We’re always transparent about pricing and will walk you through what’s included before any work begins.

Yes. All translations can be reviewed by a second senior linguist as an additional quality assurance step. We particularly recommend this for marketing copy, legal documents, or any content where precision and tone are critical. It’s a reliable way to ensure your translated content reads naturally and accurately for your target audience.

The more context you share with us, the better the result. If your business has a style guide, preferred terminology or a particular tone, pass it on and we’ll brief our linguists accordingly.

Yes. We match every project to a linguist with relevant experience in your sector. Whether you’re working in legal, medical, engineering, or marketing, we draw on our network to find the right person for the job and not just the right language.

In most cases, no. Company names are typically left in their original form across all language versions. That said, taglines and straplines are sometimes adapted to carry the intended meaning in a foreign market. We can advise on what works best for your specific content and audience.

Brands and businesses that localise their content consistently see stronger engagement, greater trust, and improved conversion in international markets. We’ve been helping organisations do exactly that for over 40 years.

Audio transcription is the process of converting recorded speech into a written text document. It’s most commonly used to prepare audio or video content for translation, subtitling, or voice-over production – giving linguists and editors a written foundation to work from.

A transcriber listens to your audio or video file and produces an accurate written record of the spoken content. Depending on how the transcript will be used, it may also need to be time-coded: meaning each line of text is stamped with a precise start and end time. This is essential for subtitling and voice over work, where timing is essential.

The intended use shapes the entire process. A reference transcript is a straightforward written record with no time codes: useful for internal documentation or basic review. A voice over transcript is time-coded so that translated audio can be matched to the original pacing. A subtitling transcript is the most detailed: each segment is time-coded to the frame, and text is broken into short, readable lines that viewers can follow on screen.

Yes. Alongside English transcription, we offer foreign-language audio transcription across a wide range of languages. If you’re working with multilingual content, get in touch and we’ll confirm availability for your specific language combination.

Transcription is priced per minute of audio or video. Transcription for subtitles is £4.50 per minute; for voice over, £4.50 per minute; and for reference only, £4.50 per minute. The minimum fee is £60. Foreign-language transcription and time-coded versions are also available, just contact us for a tailored quote.

As a general guide, industry standards suggest that 10–15 minutes of speech takes around one hour to transcribe. Time-coded transcription takes considerably longer. In practical terms: a transcriber can typically process around 60 minutes of audio per day for reference use, 30–40 minutes per day for voice-over, and 20–30 minutes per day for subtitling. We’ll always give you a realistic timeline when you enquire.

It depends on how the script will be used. If you’re recording to a storyboard, time codes for every paragraph are usually sufficient. If the script will be translated and re-voiced in another language, you’ll need more regular time codes to give translators the flexibility to adapt content to the original pacing. If lip-sync is required, time codes are needed at the phrase level, matching each line closely to on-screen mouth movements.

Subtitling transcripts include a precise time code for the start and end of every spoken segment. Each caption is typically around four seconds long to give viewers enough time to read it, and text is limited to roughly 37 characters per line, or 72 characters across two lines. This means the transcript is an edited version of the spoken word; condensed to fit the screen without losing meaning.