Frequently asked questions
Short answers about HoloTalk. How it works walks through a session from start to finish.
On this page
Joining and using it
Do attendees need to install an app?
No. Attendees scan the session's QR code with their phone's camera, or type its join code of 8 characters on the HoloTalk website, and read the captions in their phone's browser. They do not need an account.
Do attendees need headsets?
No. HoloTalk shows captions and translations as text on screens; it does not play translated speech.
What does the speaker need?
A laptop or phone with a web browser and a microphone, near the speaker. The device's own microphone can be used, or an external microphone or the venue's sound feed selected as the device's microphone. Test the connection at the venue beforehand.
Can captions be shown on a projector or big screen?
Yes. The projector view shows the latest captions in large type, in up to 3 languages at once; for a public session it also shows the QR code, so that late arrivals can join.
Can captions be shown over my slides or in a live stream?
Yes. On a computer, the speaker's console can float the captions in a small window that stays above other windows, including slides played in a window; attendees can float them too, on a computer or a phone. For a live stream, the console gives a link to a transparent caption overlay that streaming software such as OBS or vMix lays over the picture.
Can I keep a session to invited people only?
Yes. A private session has no QR code to share: the host invites people by email, up to 300 addresses, and each invitation has its own link, which should not be passed on. The join code alone lets nobody in.
Can I schedule a session in advance?
Yes. A host can schedule a session with its start time, length and time zone. Attendees see the start time on the join page and can add it to their calendar. When it is scheduled more than 30 minutes ahead, the host is emailed a reminder about 30 minutes before it starts. A session never starts by itself: the host starts it.
Languages
Which languages does HoloTalk support?
Captions in 45 languages, including English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Cantonese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Spanish and Greek. Speakers can use 42 of them, such as Mandarin and Cantonese; Khmer, Punjabi and Sinhala are available as caption languages only. The languages page lists them all.
How many languages can one session use?
Up to 3 spoken languages and up to 10 translated caption languages, chosen by the host and changeable during the session. A projector screen shows up to 3 languages at once.
Can speakers switch between languages?
Yes. The host chooses up to 3 spoken languages for the session; each sentence is shown as it was said to readers of that language and translated for everyone else.
Size and reliability
How many people can join a session?
Up to 5,000 attendee devices. The host sets the session's attendee limit, which also sets its rate; people who arrive when it is full wait for a place, and the host can raise the limit during the session.
How long can a session run?
Up to 12 hours of live time. Pause it during breaks: paused time is not charged.
What happens if the venue's internet drops?
Attendees reconnect by themselves when their connection returns. If the speaker's device loses its connection, it keeps up to 5 minutes of audio and sends it when the connection returns; audio from a longer outage is saved on the device and sent after the session to be added to the transcript. Try the join link on the venue's Wi-Fi beforehand.
Accuracy
How accurate are the captions?
They are produced automatically and can contain errors, especially with background noise, people speaking over each other, strong accents, names and specialist terms. Clear sound from a microphone close to the speaker, and a glossary of names and terms, help.
How do I get names right?
Add the speakers' names, organisations, places, awards and specialist terms to the session's glossary, or import the programme and other documents, or paste text (PDFs with text, Word files in .docx format, text or Markdown files, up to 10 MB each), and choose from the terms HoloTalk proposes.
Can HoloTalk replace an interpreter?
Not where accuracy is critical. Do not rely on automatic captions alone for medical, legal, emergency or safety information: book a qualified interpreter. HoloTalk is not a substitute for accredited interpreting, Auslan interpreting or CART captioning. AI captions, interpreters or headset hire sets out what each costs and when to use which.
After the session
What do attendees get after the session?
If the host allows it, attendees can ask on their phone for the summary by email, in the language they chose, and confirm their address. The link in that email opens the session's page, where they can read the summary and the transcript.
Can I get a transcript or subtitles?
Yes. After the session the host can download the summary and the transcript as Markdown, the transcript as plain text, and subtitles as SRT and WebVTT, in the original language, in each stored translation or in both together.
Can I transcribe a recording instead of a live session?
Yes. Upload an audio or video recording to get its transcript, translations and summary; the browser uploads only the sound, with the file's name. You see the most it can cost before uploading, and you can ask for speaker labels.
Price and payment
How much does it cost?
Sessions are paid for with credits, charged by the minute while captions run. At an attendee limit of 50, an hour uses 780 credits with one translated language and 1,380 credits with 3 translated languages; smaller limits cost less and larger ones more. The summary and follow-up answers cost a few credits more. The pricing page shows the rates by attendee limit, and the credit packs and plans.
What happens if credits run out during a session?
The speaker's console warns when the balance covers fewer than 10 minutes at the current rate. When it can no longer cover the next minute, the session pauses; once credits are added, the host resumes it.
Is there a free trial?
New accounts that verify their email address and complete registration can receive a signup bonus, currently enough for a session of 10 minutes in 3 languages. The conditions are in the Terms of Service.
Do credits expire?
Credits from credit packs, gift cards and bonuses do not expire while your account exists. A plan's monthly credits carry over to the next month and then expire.
Can I cancel a plan?
Yes, at any time from the Account page. The plan ends at the end of the period already paid for and is not charged again.
Privacy and data
Where is my data processed?
Hosting and databases run on Cloudflare: HoloTalk's database and the storage for uploaded audio were set up in Oceania, and live sessions are asked to run there, which Cloudflare follows where it can but does not guarantee. Speech recognition is done by OpenAI in the United States. Translations, summaries and answers are produced by DeepSeek (People's Republic of China), Anthropic or OpenAI (United States), depending on availability. The Privacy Policy says what each receives.
Do you keep recordings?
No recording of a session is kept. Live audio is held only until it is transcribed. Uploaded audio is stored in parts, each deleted as soon as it is transcribed, and anything left is deleted within a day. Transcripts, translations and summaries are kept until the host deletes the session or the account. The Privacy Policy has every period.
Do you train AI on my meetings?
No. We do not use your content to train artificial intelligence models, and we do not sell personal information.
What must I tell the people in my session?
That what they say is transcribed, translated and may be summarised using artificial intelligence services, some of them outside Australia; you must obtain any consent the law requires. The Acceptable Use Policy includes a notice you can show or read.
Who operates HoloTalk?
HoloTalk is offered under the Holodata name and operated by HOLOCORE PTY LTD (ABN 69 701 232 822), a company registered in New South Wales, Australia. About HoloTalk has the details.