Simultaneous Interpreting in Vienna & Austria

Simultaneous interpreting means that your audience hears an event in their own language at the same time as it is spoken – with no pauses for translation and without the programme running longer. Medienwerk.at delivers this without an interpreting booth: the interpreters are connected remotely, and the technology in the room comes from us.

Simultaneous interpreting without a booth, without travel time, without detours. Video, audio and presentations are transmitted as a broadcast-quality livestream to our experienced interpreters. Their translation comes back into the room through a digital interpreting system – the audience hears it on hi-fi headphones, with a delay of typically under 10 seconds. Instead of a booth, all that stands in the room is a compact transmitter unit.

Interpreting as part of your overall production

We integrate the language channels directly into the sound system, livestream and conference technology – and handle setup, dismantling and ongoing operation with our own staff on site. This keeps your event, your online audience and the media production technically in one pair of hands.

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Three options – you decide

Depending on your requirements, the range of languages and your budget, we combine human interpreting and AI-supported live translation. All three options can also be mixed within a single event – human interpreting for the official programme and AI for workshops, for example.

Human interpreting

Professional conference interpreters translate your event live. The highest quality – and the right choice for parts of the programme that are official, protocol-critical or legally sensitive.

Simultaneous interpreting by qualified conference interpreters
Teams of two taking turns on longer assignments
Preparation based on your specialist glossary
Digital interpreting system and hi-fi headphones in the room

Hybrid: human plus AI languages

Your core languages are interpreted by people, and we additionally deliver up to ten further languages with AI support. Recommended when an internationally mixed audience needs to be reached without cutting corners on the main languages.

Core languages as with human interpreting
Up to 10 additional languages as AI live translation
Additional languages as text and audio via app or stream
Participants select their language on their own smartphone

AI interpreting

All required languages are translated live with AI support – the most affordable option, ideal for additional languages, internal formats and events on a tight budget.

Live translation without human interpreters
Delivered as text and audio via app or stream
Your specialist glossary is fed in to improve term recognition
Audio integration into the existing room sound system

To be straight about it: with purely AI-supported translation a higher error rate is possible than with human interpreting – particularly with specialist terminology, people speaking off-microphone, or discussions where several people talk at once. For official or protocol-critical parts of the programme we therefore recommend human interpreting or the hybrid model.

The three options compared

Comparison of the interpreting options from Medienwerk.at
Criterion	Human interpreting	Hybrid	AI interpreting
Who translates	Conference interpreters	People for the core languages, AI for additional languages	AI system
Number of languages	As required, relay from 3 languages onwards	Core languages plus up to 10 additional languages	Up to 10 additional languages and more
How the audience listens	Digital hi-fi headphones in the room	Headphones for the core languages, smartphone for additional languages	Smartphone via app or stream
Quality on specialist terms	High, with glossary preparation	High for the core languages	Good, but with a higher error rate
Delay	Typically under 10 seconds	Typically under 10 seconds	A few seconds
Cost	From € 1,490 net	Higher than human interpreting alone	Most affordable option
Recommended for	Official and protocol-critical parts of the programme	Internationally mixed audiences with many languages	Additional languages, internal formats, tight budgets

The benefits at a glance

Multilingual communication, technically clean and flexible to plan.

Connected remotely

Interpreters work from professional remote workstations and receive video, audio and presentations as a broadcast-quality livestream.

Digital hi-fi headphones

Clear translation right with the audience – with 20 to 200 headphones, larger quantities on request.

Many language combinations

German–English, German–BCS, Russian and further languages. With more than two languages we work with relay interpreting.

Under 10 seconds delay

End-to-end latency is typically under 10 seconds – the audience follows along practically in real time.

Glossary & preparation

Interpreters familiarise themselves with your terminology in advance. For AI interpreting we feed the glossary into the system.

No booth in the room

Less floor space, considerably shorter setup times and no intrusive technology between audience and stage.

In livestream & recording

The language channels run along as separate audio tracks – for the online audience, webinar platform and later reuse.

AI languages on the smartphone

Participants pick up additional languages as text or audio via app or stream on their own device.

Technology & support on site

Setup and dismantling, integration into the existing room sound system and ongoing technical support by our team.

Broadcasting online as well? Livestreaming · A press event with media? Press conference · Producing the event on site? Event production

Who it is for

Conferences & congresses

Multilingual specialist events with international speakers and audiences – including multi-day formats and parallel rooms.

Panel discussions

Understandable discussions with several speakers and questions from the audience.

Press conferences & NGOs

Clear messages for media, partners and international participants.

Associations, committees & institutions

Meetings, symposia and award ceremonies where every word has to land – including in a multilingual livestream.

Behind the scenes

How the interpreting works

Briefing: clarifying language combination, date, venue, schedule and number of participants – and deciding together whether human, hybrid or AI is the right option.
Technical planning: coordinating sound system, microphones, number of headphones, streaming and how audience questions are handled.
Content preparation: programme, presentations and glossary go to the interpreters or are fed into the AI system.
Setup & technical check: our team installs the interpreting system, couples it to the room sound and tests all language channels before the event begins.
Live operation: video and audio go to the interpreters, the translation comes into the room – with technical support for the entire duration of the event.
Follow-up: on request we carry the language channels over into the recording and livestream, and dismantle the equipment afterwards.

What we need from you: the date and a contact person at the venue, the planned programme schedule, the language combination and the expected number of participants – plus presentations and a specialist glossary if you have them. We take care of the rest.

Languages & technology

The most frequently requested combinations are German–English and German–BCS (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian). We have also delivered Russian, Montenegrin, Spanish, Polish and Ukrainian, among others. With more than two languages we work with relay interpreting: one language serves as a bridge through which all further language directions are covered.

In the room stands a digital interpreting system – a transmitter unit plus receiver headphones for your audience. We couple it to the existing room sound system or, if needed, bring the complete audio setup: lectern microphones, conference microphone units, loudspeakers and a sound engineer. So that audience questions can be interpreted too, they have to be fed into the sound system via a microphone.

Interpreting in Vienna and across Austria

We are based in Vienna and support events throughout the city from there – at the Austrian Parliament and the VHS Wiener Urania, for example, as well as in hotels, conference centres, company headquarters and event halls. The price examples on this page apply to the Vienna city area.

Beyond that we work across Austria – in Lower Austria and Burgenland just as in the other federal states – and support international conferences abroad. Outside Vienna we calculate travel and transport of the interpreting equipment in addition. Because the interpreters are connected remotely, no travel time or travel costs arise for them, regardless of where your event takes place.

Pricing

Two examples for orientation – the actual price depends on duration, language combination, number of participants and the additional services you need.

Event up to 2 hours

For panel discussions, press conferences and short formats

€ 1,490 net / event

Up to 2 hours event duration
Simultaneous interpreting German ↔ English
Remotely connected conference interpreters
Digital interpreting system incl. 20 hi-fi headphones
Setup, dismantling and on-site technical support
No interpreting booth required

Our recommendation

Full-day event

For conferences, conventions and symposia

€ 2,490 net / event

Up to 8 hours event duration
Simultaneous interpreting German ↔ English
Remotely connected conference interpreters working as a team
Digital interpreting system incl. 40 hi-fi headphones
Setup, dismantling and on-site technical support
Content preparation based on your specialist glossary

Individual quote

Matched to the range of languages, duration and event size

On request

Further languages and language combinations, including relay
AI live translation for up to 10 additional languages
Multi-day conferences and parallel rooms
20 to 200 headphones and beyond
On-site audio: microphones, conference units, room sound
Integration into livestream, webinar and recording

Price examples for events within the Vienna city area, each excluding VAT. Further languages, additional headphones, on-site audio equipment, travel outside Vienna as well as livestream and recording are quoted to match your event. The final price follows after a short briefing.

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Showreel: event production in practice

An insight into our productions – from camera and sound through live direction to the finished event video.

Current productions

References

Our interpreting has been used at these events and institutions, among others.

Vienna Humanities Festival

Two days of simultaneous interpreting (German ↔ English) for around 200 participants in two parallel rooms – with remotely connected interpreters.

Austrian Parliament

Many years of interpreting support for numerous events at the Austrian Parliament, including the Barbara Prammer Symposium and the Kurt Rothschild Award ceremony – German ↔ English, both for the audience in the room and for the multilingual livestream.

Renner Institute

Many years of interpreting support at numerous events in changing venues – with professional interpreters for the language pairs German–English, German–Bosnian and German–Montenegrin.

GLE – International Society for Logotherapy and Existential Analysis

Many years of interpreting support at the three-day international GLE congress (Vienna, Berlin, Lindau) – either with live interpreters (German ↔ English) or AI-supported (German to English, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish and Polish).

Wiener Urania

Interpreting support for the event “50 Years of the Helsinki Process: Old Treaties, New Wars – Has Europe’s Security Model Failed?” for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation with remotely connected interpreters (German ↔ English) – entirely without an interpreting booth on site. Ideal where space is tight: visually unobtrusive in the room and with considerably shorter setup times.

What our clients say.

Trusted by companies and organisations.

“We organise a hybrid congress with around 550 participants every year. Medienwerk.at has been responsible for the technical implementation for many years. We could not imagine better support. The team impresses with friendliness, attentiveness and professionalism before, during and after the congress.”

Anita Augl

rtaustria, Austrian Professional Association for Radiologic Technology

“Professionalism at the highest level! The team set up a studio in our office in no time. We streamed an event live and everything worked perfectly. Value for money is simply excellent! And they are friendly too – we would be happy to work with them again.”

Anna Iarotska

EdTech expert, Robo Wunderkind

“Very professional to work with and fast in implementation!”

Barbara Hofmann

Head of Project Coordination, Renner Institute

“We have used Medienwerk.at for many events (including livestream implementation, video recordings, etc.). First-class service and excellent support every time. 100% recommendation rate!”

Patrick Schlager

Hospital of St John of God, Vienna

“Great team, professional collaboration, high-quality production in picture & sound. We are very satisfied – happy to work with them again!”

Jenny Grafe

WIENXTRA-Soundbase

Key terms explained

The most important technical terms around interpreting at events.

Simultaneous interpreting

The translation happens at the same time as the spoken word. The audience hears it on headphones, the event runs on without interruption and does not take any longer.

Remote interpreting (RSI)

Remote Simultaneous Interpreting: the interpreters are not in the room but at a professional workstation, receiving video, audio and presentations as a livestream. This is exactly how we work.

Relay interpreting

With more than two languages, one language serves as a bridge: the other interpreting teams translate from it into their respective target language. This makes it possible to cover many language directions at once.

Interpreting booth

The sound-insulated booth in which interpreters traditionally sit in the room. It needs space, setup time and a line of sight to the stage – with remote interpreting it is not needed at all.

Interpreting system

The technology in the room: a transmitter unit that broadcasts the language channels, and the receiver headphones for the audience. We couple it to the existing room sound or bring the complete audio setup.

AI live translation

An AI system renders what is said into further languages in real time and delivers it as text or audio via app or stream. Participants select their language on their own smartphone.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

How does online interpreting work?

Video, audio and presentations are transmitted as a broadcast-quality livestream to our remotely connected interpreters. Their translation comes back into the room via a digital interpreting system, where the audience hears it through hi-fi headphones. Because interpreting is simultaneous – at the same time as the spoken word – there are no pauses for translation and your programme does not run longer.

Do you need an interpreting booth?

No. Our interpreters work from professional remote workstations. This eliminates booth setup, floor space and travel time – all that stands in the room is the compact transmitter unit.

How long is the delay in the translation?

End-to-end latency is typically under 10 seconds. The audience in the room follows the event practically in real time.

What is the difference between human, hybrid and AI interpreting?

With human interpreting, professional conference interpreters translate live – the highest quality for official and protocol-critical parts of the programme. With the hybrid model, the core languages are interpreted by people and up to ten further languages are additionally delivered by AI. With pure AI interpreting, a live translation covers all languages – the most affordable option, but with a higher error rate for specialist terminology and lively discussions.

How good is AI translation really?

For standard language and clearly structured presentations it delivers usable results. It becomes more difficult with specialist terminology, with people speaking off-microphone and in discussions where several people talk at once – there the error rate is noticeably higher than with human interpreting. Feeding in your glossary measurably improves the recognition of specialist terms. For official or protocol-critical parts of the programme we still recommend human interpreting or the hybrid model.

Which languages are possible?

German–English and German–BCS (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian) are requested particularly often. We have also delivered Russian, Montenegrin, Spanish, Polish and Ukrainian, among others. Other language combinations are available on request; with more than two languages we work with relay interpreting.

How many interpreters does my event need?

That depends on duration and language directions. Simultaneous interpreting demands intense concentration, which is why interpreters work in teams of two on longer assignments and take turns – this keeps the required break times and holds quality steady across the whole day. We plan a dedicated team per language direction, and relay interpreting is added from three languages onwards. How many people your event needs is something we clarify in the briefing.

How many headphones can you provide – and does the audience need an app?

We usually provide 20 to 200 digital hi-fi headphones, larger quantities on request. For the headphones your audience needs to do nothing beyond putting them on and selecting the language channel – no app, no sign-up. Only the AI-supported additional languages run on participants’ own smartphones, as text or audio via app or stream.

How much lead time do you need – and what do you need from us?

As a rule we plan with about two weeks of lead time; shorter-term requests are possible depending on date and language combination. From you we need the date and a contact person at the venue, the programme schedule, the language combination and the expected number of participants – plus presentations and a glossary if you have them. The interpreters familiarise themselves with your terminology and schedule in advance; for AI interpreting we feed the glossary into the system.

Can audience questions be interpreted as well?

Yes. Audience questions have to be fed into the sound system via a microphone so that the interpreters can hear and translate them. On request we bring the matching audio equipment – lectern microphones, conference microphone units and room sound – along with us.

What happens if the internet connection fails?

We check the internet connection on site in advance and set up accordingly. For additional resilience we provide our own internet based on bonded mobile connections as an independent fallback on request. Our team is on site for the entire event and looks after the technology throughout.

Is the interpreting confidential?

Yes. Our conference interpreters are bound by professional confidentiality, and on request we additionally sign a non-disclosure agreement. The interpreting channels are not recorded unless you expressly commission a recording. With AI interpreting, processing takes place within the EU and in line with the GDPR.

Can the interpreting be integrated into a livestream and recording?

Yes. We put the language channels onto the livestream and the recording as separate audio tracks, so that the online audience can follow the event in their own language too.

How much does simultaneous interpreting for an event cost?

A two-hour event German to English including 20 headphones costs € 1,490 net; a full-day event with 40 headphones costs € 2,490 net – each complete with interpreters, interpreting system and on-site support within the Vienna city area. Further languages, more headphones or multi-day conferences are quoted individually.

Do you also work outside Vienna?

Yes, we work throughout Austria and internationally. Venue, travel and technical effort are planned individually. Because the interpreters are connected remotely, no travel time or travel costs arise for them, wherever your event takes place.

Planning a multilingual event?

Send us the language combination, date, venue and number of participants. We will advise you on the right option and prepare an individual quote.

Request interpreting Call directly: +43 660 573 04 71

Simultaneous interpreting in Vienna and throughout Austria.

One event, many languages.