Choose the event output that matches how attendees need to follow the talk.
- Tiro Conference Mode when a presenter addresses a room and translated captions on a screen and attendee phones meet the need.
- Wordly when attendees should choose between translated text and spoken audio on their own devices, including in hybrid meetings.
- Arrange professional simultaneous interpretation when the session calls for human-delivered spoken interpretation as the speaker talks.
- Test the room audio, display, attendee access route, and any interpretation equipment before doors open.
An in-person keynote begins with a stage microphone and ends with what each attendee can read or hear from their seat. This guide follows that delivery path: Tiro Conference Mode displays captions, Wordly offers translated text and audio, and professional simultaneous interpreters deliver spoken interpretation. The room feed, display, listening route, and rehearsal determine how those options work at the venue.
The keynote comparison is based on the linked official guides. Screen readability, room audio, and attendee access are checks for an organizer’s rehearsal, rather than results from a test reported here.
Decide what attendees need to receive
Live captions turn spoken content into text that people can read as a talk happens. The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative’s event guidance defines captions as a text version of speech and important non-speech audio, and recommends providing a screen where participants can read them. A translated caption gives the audience text in another language, so people can follow the talk by reading rather than listening to an interpreted audio channel.
Simultaneous interpretation delivers the speaker’s message in another language as the speaker talks. The D.C. Office of Human Rights’ reference guide describes it as a fit for lectures and panel discussions where attendees generally listen rather than speak. That format provides spoken interpretation; consecutive interpretation instead has the speaker pause after short segments for the interpreter to relay them.
Three event questions help choose an output. First, is the program mainly a presentation, or will participants exchange ideas throughout? Second, will people follow from a venue seat, a remote meeting, or both? Third, do attendees need to read, listen to translated speech, or use another access service? For a presenter-led session where people can read, choose live captions; for a listening audience that needs spoken language access, choose translated audio or simultaneous interpretation.
When Tiro Conference Mode fits a presenter-led room
Tiro Conference Mode fits a keynote, seminar, lecture, or town hall where one person speaks to a room and attendees can read captions. Tiro’s Conference Mode guide documents a setup using a laptop or desktop PC and room-audio feed: captions appear on the venue screen, and a QR code lets attendees read the same captions on their phones. The same setup can display live translated captions for international attendees.
The screen layout can follow the audience’s language needs. With translation enabled, source-language and translated captions can appear together; the Translation Only layout places translated captions across the display in a single, larger column. That option suits a room where most attendees do not speak the presentation language and a larger text area helps them read from their seats.
Conference Mode works on the web and desktop app, requires a paid plan, and appears during a live recording set to Multilingual. The event format matches well when organizers can route room audio into that recording, show a screen, and give attendees a QR route to the captions.
When attendees need spoken translation, Wordly’s translated-audio option or professional simultaneous interpretation better fits the session.
When to compare Wordly for translated audio
Wordly is a candidate when attendees need a choice between reading translated captions and listening to translated speech. Its official translation software documentation describes attendees choosing a language and then reading live caption translations or listening to audio on a personal phone, tablet, or computer. Attendees can enter by QR code on a phone, URL on a computer, or through a meeting platform; the documentation also says attendees can access it without downloading an app or creating an account.
The room-audio path is relevant to an in-person keynote. Wordly’s documented setup connects the venue’s audio mixer to a tablet or laptop running the service, so the spoken program feeds the translation workflow. Its education-event documentation describes in-person QR access and web-based joining for remote attendees, with room and remote participants following through a browser or app. It also describes showing captions on venue monitors.
That makes Wordly a closer match when an event wants translated audio as well as text, or when room and remote attendees need parallel access routes. A planner still needs to map each session’s sound feed and attendee instructions: a QR code for people in the room, a link for remote participants, and headphones for anyone listening to translated audio. Those choices make the output usable without asking every attendee to use the same format.
When professional simultaneous interpretation fits
Professional simultaneous interpretation fits a conference where spoken delivery and human interpretation are part of the event’s requirements. The International Association of Conference Interpreters describes simultaneous interpreting as rendering the speaker’s ideas in another language almost as they are spoken, and notes its use in formal and academic settings. Conference interpreting uses professionals with specialized language and public-speaking skills, alongside equipment such as microphones and headphones; booth-based setups support the interpreter’s audio channel.
A keynote with a largely listening audience fits the simultaneous format described in the D.C. Office of Human Rights guide. A discussion with frequent short exchanges may fit consecutive interpretation: the speaker pauses after a short segment, then the interpreter relays it. The pauses change the pace, while preserving a clear spoken exchange for attendees who need interpretation.
For legal, policy, safety, or other high-consequence sessions that require human-rendered spoken meaning, professional interpretation provides that channel. Share the agenda, speaker materials, and technical terms with interpreters before the event so they can prepare for the subject.
Match the format to the event
Data table · Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when focused.
| Event situation | Strong-fit option | What attendees receive | Operational fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-person keynote or seminar where reading is sufficient | Tiro Conference Mode | Live captions on a venue screen and the same captions on phones via QR; translated captions can be shown | Presenter-led live recording, room-audio feed, venue screen, and paid Tiro plan |
| In-person talk where some attendees need spoken translation | Wordly | Attendees choose translated captions or audio on their devices | The documented room setup feeds the AV mixer to a connected tablet or laptop; attendees join by QR or URL |
| Hybrid event with room and remote attendees choosing their own output | Wordly | Attendees can read translated captions or listen to translated audio, using a device or meeting-platform route | A room sound feed and a remote access route serve the two audiences |
| Formal or high-consequence program that calls for professional spoken interpretation | Professional simultaneous interpretation | A human interpreter speaks the message in another language as the speaker talks | Interpreter, microphones, headphones, and the event’s interpretation audio setup |
| Short, interactive exchanges that need interpretation | Consecutive professional interpretation | The interpreter relays the message after the speaker pauses | Speakers use short segments and allow time for interpretation |
Accessibility needs may call for more than one service. California State University’s Accessible Event Planning guidance lists real-time captions, qualified sign-language interpreters, assistive listening systems, and accessible electronic materials as distinct communication supports. It notes that sign-language interpreting and captions meet different needs, so an event may need to plan for both rather than treating one as a replacement for the other.
Rehearse the setup before the event
- Confirm the output and language route. Decide which sessions use source captions, translated captions, translated audio, or human interpretation. For Tiro, start a live recording on web or desktop with the language setting at Multilingual; select the translation language and display layout before the talk.
- Test the room-audio feed. Speak from the stage microphones and confirm that the connected device receives clear program audio. For Wordly’s documented room setup, connect the AV mixer to the tablet or laptop running the service. Give interpreters their microphone and listening feed for the interpretation channel.
- Check what a seated attendee can see and hear. View the venue screen from the back and side seats, and check that the QR code is visible. Test the audio output and headphones used for translated audio or interpretation. California State’s event guidance recommends testing microphones, captions, displays, assistive-listening equipment, and remote-participation tools before attendees arrive, with a backup method ready.
- Join as an attendee. Scan the QR code on a phone, open the remote link on a computer, select a language where available, and verify the expected text or audio appears. The National Clearinghouse on Resources for Meeting Accessibility’s Zoom checklist recommends joining early to test presenter audio and confirm captioning integration; it also recommends telling attendees how to access captions.
- Brief speakers and support staff. Ask speakers to use microphones, pause between speakers, and avoid talking over one another. Assign someone to manage QR or link access and another person to watch the audio and display setup during the session.
FAQ
Does Tiro Conference Mode provide translated audio?
Tiro Conference Mode is documented as a caption display, including translated captions on a venue screen and attendees’ phones. Spoken translation requires an audio route, such as Wordly’s translated audio or a professional interpreter channel.
Can Wordly serve both in-person and remote conference attendees?
Yes. Its event documentation describes QR access for people in the room and web-based access for remote attendees, with options for translated captions and audio on personal devices.
Do translated captions replace sign-language interpreting?
No. California State University’s event-planning guidance says captions and sign-language interpreting meet different needs. Plan access services around the needs attendees identify.
What should organizers test first?
Start with the room-audio feed and attendee output. Then test the screen, QR or remote link, translated audio or interpreter equipment, and the backup access method before attendees arrive.