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Multilingual speakers

Use this guide when speakers in the same Event use different source languages.

Option 1: One Channel, update source language​

Use one Channel and update the Speaking (source) language before each new speaker.

Best for:​

  • A setup where one microphone is reused.
  • Lower Channel count and lower billing.

Option 2: Multiple Channels, one per source language​

Pre-configure multiple Channels (one per source language) and attach different audio devices to each Channel.

Best for:​

  • Faster speaker handoff during the Event.
  • Dedicated microphones per speaker/language.
  • Setups that use an audio mixer to route physical microphones to Channel devices.

Important limitations​

  • Multiple Channels can be active at the same time, but speakers should still speak one by one for one Event output and one Listener Page feed.
  • If you need 2+ stages with independent speakers talking in parallel, create separate Events (one Event per stage).

Examples​

Example 1​

Case: 5 speakers speak one by one. All speakers use English. The Event must be translated into French, Spanish, and Chinese.

Setup:

  • Create 1 Channel
  • Set English as Speaking (source) language
  • Set French, Spanish, Chinese as Translate to (target) languages

Example 2​

Case: Five speakers speak one by one: three use English, one uses French, and one uses Albanian. The Event must be translated into French, Spanish, Chinese.

Possible Setup 1 (to reduce billing):

  • Create 1 Channel
  • Set English as Speaking (source) language
  • Set French, Spanish, Chinese and English as Translate to (target) languages.
  • Before each speaker starts, change Speaking (source) from English to that speaker's language. Note: in this case, streaming auto-restart takes some time (up to 30 seconds).

Note: With multilingual speakers, the Original tab on the Listener Page shows text and audio in each speaker's original language. Attendees will hear English, French, and Albanian, which may not match the expectations of English-speaking attendees if they switch to Original. To let attendees hear English for all speakers, add English to the target languages list.

Possible Setup 2:

  • Create 1st Channel (English to French, Spanish, Chinese)
  • Create 2nd Channel (French to Spanish, Chinese, and English)
  • Create 3rd Channel (Albanian to French, Spanish, Chinese, and English)
  • Start streaming only in the Channel for the speaker who is about to start. Channel startup takes time, so better start it 30-60 seconds in advance.

Note: You do not need to include French in the target languages of the 2nd Channel, because French is that speaker's original language. Attendees who select French on the Listener Page will hear the original French for that speaker, and translated French for speakers whose original language is English or Albanian.

Recommendation​

Best practice: configure Channel(s) in advance and run a test event in advance to verify channel/audio-device behavior and switching. This helps you gain experience and finalize the exact channel/device switching plan for your setup.