> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sky-scribe.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Translation

> Convert spoken content from one language to text in another language.

## Overview

SkyScribe's translation feature converts spoken audio in one language into written text in another language. This is powered by OpenAI [Whisper](https://openai.com/index/whisper/)'s multilingual capabilities.

**Translation workflow:**

1. Audio is transcribed in its original language
2. The transcript is translated to your target language

## Supported Languages

SkyScribe supports translation between any of the **99 supported languages**.

<Card title="View All Languages" icon="language" href="/guides/language-support">
  See the complete list of supported languages and performance details.
</Card>

## How to Translate

Translation follows the same workflow as transcription. Choose your preferred method:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Upload" icon="upload" href="/quickstart/upload">
    Upload an audio or video file from your device
  </Card>

  <Card title="Fetch" icon="link" href="/quickstart/fetch">
    Import media from YouTube, TikTok, or other public URLs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Record" icon="microphone" href="/quickstart/record">
    Record audio directly from your device
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

**When selecting your settings:**

1. Choose **Translate** (not Transcribe)
2. Select your **target language** - the language you want the text translated into
3. Optionally specify the source language, or use auto-detect
4. Configure optional features (Speaker Diarization, etc.)

## Common Use Cases

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="International Content Localization" icon="globe">
    Translate videos, podcasts, or presentations into multiple languages for global audiences.

    **Example:** Translate an English product demo video into Spanish, French, and German for international marketing campaigns.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Multilingual Subtitles" icon="closed-captioning">
    Create subtitles and captions in different languages for video content.

    **Example:** Add Spanish subtitles to English YouTube videos to reach Spanish-speaking audiences.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Foreign Language Content Analysis" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Understand and analyze content in languages you don't speak.

    **Example:** Translate customer feedback videos in Japanese to English for your product team.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cross-Language Meeting Notes" icon="users">
    Translate meeting recordings for international teams working across language barriers.

    **Example:** Translate a French team meeting into English for your US-based stakeholders.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Educational Content" icon="graduation-cap">
    Make educational videos and lectures accessible to students who speak different languages.

    **Example:** Translate university lecture recordings from English to Mandarin for international students.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Improving Translation Quality

### 1. Choose High-Quality Audio

Translation quality depends on accurate transcription. Better audio leads to better translations:

* Clear speech with minimal background noise
* Good recording equipment
* Proper audio levels (not too quiet or distorted)

### 2. Specify the Source Language

You can choose to auto-detect the source language or manually specify it for better accuracy:

* **Auto-detect** - Convenient when unsure of the language
* **Manual selection** - Better accuracy when you know the source language, especially for mixed-language audio, specialized dialects, or consistent processing

## Translation vs Transcription

Understanding when to use each feature:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Use Transcription" icon="file-lines" href="/guides/transcription">
    When you want text in the **same language** as the audio

    **Example:** English audio → English text

    Learn more about transcription →
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use Translation" icon="language">
    When you want text in a **different language** from the audio

    **Example:** Spanish audio → English text
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Output Formats

Translated text is available in the same formats as transcriptions:

* **PDF** - Formatted document for sharing and printing
* **DOC** - Microsoft Word format for editing
* **TXT** - Plain text for simple use cases
* **MD** - Markdown format for documentation
* **SRT/VTT** - Subtitle formats with timestamps
* **CSV** - Structured data with segments and timestamps
* **JSON** - Programmatic access with full metadata

## Limitations

Translation accuracy varies based on the language pair, audio quality, and content complexity. For detailed information about model limitations and performance:

* See [Language Support](/guides/language-support) for language-specific details
* Review [Model documentation](/guides/whisper-model) for technical limitations

<Note>
  We recommend testing translations with your specific content and reviewing output for critical use cases.
</Note>

## Best Practices

1. **Test with your content** - Translation quality varies by language pair and content type
2. **Use high-quality audio** - Clear speech produces better transcriptions and translations
3. **Review critical content** - Always review translations for important business or legal use

## What's Next?

You've learned how to translate your transcripts to different languages.

**Want to learn more?**

* Learn how to [download and export](/guides/download-export) your translated transcripts
* Check out [language support](/guides/language-support) for translation capabilities by language

## Need Help?

If you have questions about translation capabilities or quality:

* Check our [Language Support guide](/guides/language-support) for details on specific languages
* Review the [Model documentation](/guides/whisper-model) to understand translation capabilities
* Contact our support team at [support@sky-scribe.com](mailto:support@sky-scribe.com)
* Report translation issues to help us improve