Why Translate Podcasts?Why You Should Translate Your Podcast?

Last Updated On: May 16, 2023 by The Migration Translators

What is a podcast and how does it work? 

A podcast is an audio recording that is available for interested people to listen to at their time of choosing. Typically, these days, podcasts are recorded by news media, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and businesses and made available via a link on a website. The fact that podcasts are available means that those people who may have an interest in listening to the podcast don’t have to listen to it when the original recording was made. For example, a radio presenter may interview a politician about a controversial policy that their party is keen to pursue or argue against. The interview is recorded and made available on that radio show’s own website as a podcast. Someone who was busy working at the time of the interview can then listen to it later when they are free to do so. 

Why you should translate your podcast

The reasons for translating podcasts are the same as the reasons for translating anything important. Making available a podcast in more than a single language, means that more people can appreciate or make use of the information in it. Not all podcasts are translated, of course. The creator of the podcast has to make a decision, often financially, whether it is worth having the podcast translated, and if this is a good idea, which language or languages should be chosen. 

In some countries, multilingualism is part of the make-up of the community. Leaving one or another language out wouldn’t make sense in somewhere like Switzerland or Singapore, for example, where there are three or four official languages. It would be quite natural even in the United States, which has a large Spanish-speaking resident community, to consider reaching this important community through podcast translation. In fact, in many countries these days, multiculturalism is accompanied by multilingualism. Most people prefer to listen to and read material that has been presented in the language they know best. Without translating such things as podcasts means that fewer people are entertained, or informed by whatever the podcast focuses on.

Factors to consider when translating your podcast

When a podcast has been chosen for translation, it is often first transcribed into text. Then the transcription is used by the speaker who reads out the material in the desired language after the transcription has been translated. The fact that the podcast was first transcribed is useful in more than one way. For a start, it allows the transcriber/translator the chance to ‘localize’ the podcast so it best suits the language group the translation is intended for. Transcription is not expected to alter what was said in the original podcast significantly, just render it easier to understand when it has been translated. The other advantage of having a text version of the podcast is that this will be picked up by search engines, whereas the translated audio version will not. 

It stands to reason that anyone tasked with transcribing, translating, or reading out the podcast once translated should have a good grounding in both the source and target languages to ensure the accuracy and acceptability of the podcast once translated. Professional translators tend to specialize in a particular niche, so some will concentrate on legal translation, and others, on medical or technical translation. There will also be some translators who specialize in podcast translation services. This particular skill is often accompanied by offering app translation services, too.

Conclusion

Podcasts have become a very popular way of getting a message or information across in a time-hungry and internet-savvy world. Listening to podcasts in the language you are most familiar with is the main justification for having a podcast translated into more than one language so that whatever the podcast is about can reach a wider audience. 

If your organization, media outlet, or business is looking to make your podcasts multilingual, then you are advised to hire professional podcast transcribers and translators for the highest degree of accuracy.