Transcription and Translation of Ewe, French and English Recordings
A recording is worth nothing until it can be read.
A statement, a field interview, a meeting, a call, a testimony, a piece of audio evidence — in a national language, in English or in French: while the content sits in an audio file it cannot be filed, quoted or challenged. I transcribe your recordings in French and English — in a national language, with a linguist of that language — and render them in French or English, with time codes, identified speakers and every inaudible passage marked.
What this covers
- Statements and interviews intended for a police station or a court
- Field interviews and evaluation missions
- Meetings, general assemblies, board sessions
- Audio and video intended for publication or subtitling
- Recordings relied on in a dispute
- Personal recordings to be filed — inheritance, family dispute, administrative procedure
Sworn for French and English, a certificate of accuracy for Ewe, Kabiyè and Tem
French ↔ English. I am sworn before the Cour d’appel de Lomé for this pair. The transcript can carry my stamp and signature, and the legal weight attached to a sworn translation.
National languages — Ewe, Kabiyè, Tem. There is no register of translators for these languages in Togo. The transcript is therefore prepared by a linguist of the language, who signs the certificate of accuracy: they certify that the rendering is faithful and complete within the limits of what is audible, and that inaudible passages are marked and time-coded. I remain your single point of contact, from quote to delivery.
When I am requisitioned by a criminal investigation officer (officier de police judiciaire) or appointed by a court, the assignment is carried out within the framework set by the appointing authority.
Rates per recorded minute
All rates excluding tax, per minute of recording. Billed in 10-minute blocks; any block begun is billed in full. If a formal invoice is requested (individuals or businesses), VAT is added at the applicable rate. International and institutional clients can be invoiced in EUR, USD or FCFA; payment by bank transfer or international wire (SWIFT).
| French ↔ English · clear audio, 1 to 2 speakers | 4,000 FCFA / minute |
| French ↔ English · degraded audio or 3 or more speakers | 6,000 FCFA / minute |
| National language → French or English · clear audio, 1 to 2 speakers | 6,500 FCFA / minute |
| National language → French or English · degraded audio or 3 or more speakers | 9,500 FCFA / minute |
| Bilingual version, source alongside the translation | +30% · +40% for a national language |
| Express 24h | +50% |
At the fixed euro rate (655.957 FCFA = €1): about €6.10, €9.15, €9.91 and €14.48 a recorded minute.
Example: 25 minutes in Ewe, clear audio — 30 minutes billed (three 10-minute blocks), i.e. 195,000 FCFA (about €297) excl. tax; bilingual version (+40%): 273,000 FCFA (about €416) excl. tax.
One hour of recording takes between six hours and two days of work depending on the language and the sound quality. The turnaround is stated on the quote.
The bilingual version is recommended for any legal use: challenging a translation requires access to the source. Sworn certification is included for French and English — the same stamp as on a certified document translation.
Why Ewe, Kabiyè and Tem cost more
For French and English I work with a translation memory, a terminology glossary and centuries of settled legal vocabulary. For Ewe none of that exists: no tool, no corpus, no legal dictionary, no reference text to check against.
Three further difficulties are specific to speech in a national language. Spelling is not standardised, so one spelling has to be chosen and kept throughout the document. Speakers switch constantly between the national language and French. And administrative terminology often has no equivalent: it is no longer a matter of translating a term but of rendering a concept.
The working time per recorded minute is roughly double. The rate reflects it.
What makes a transcript hold up
- Time codes at regular intervals and at every change of speaker
- Speakers identified and named consistently throughout
- Inaudible passages marked —
[inaudible 04:12]— and never guessed. On a procedural document a wrong guess does more damage than a gap - Sound quality stated in the document itself
- Source file traced — name, length, format and date of receipt recorded at the head of the transcript
- No summary, no rewording — what is said is rendered, including hesitations and repetitions where they carry meaning
How it works
- You send the file by WhatsApp or email. Any format.
- I listen for two to three minutes to grade the audio and estimate the real speaking time.
- You receive the quote within 2 working hours: applicable rate, billable length, turnaround, total. No quote is issued without listening first.
- Production after you confirm.
- Delivery in Word and PDF, signed paper copy on request.
What clients say
Frequently asked questions
Not in the sense of a sworn translation: there is no sworn status for national languages in Togo. The transcript comes with a certificate of accuracy signed by the linguist of that language who prepared it; I remain your single point of contact, from quote to delivery. Tell me the receiving authority and I will produce the document in the form it expects.
Because ten minutes of a calm interview and ten minutes of a four-way conversation in the street are not the same work — the gap runs to double. Three minutes of listening is enough to set a fair price.
It is marked and time-coded. I never reconstruct a passage I cannot hear.
Yes — that is the standard service. Transcription in the source language alone is available, as is the bilingual version side by side.
Yes, on the same terms. Subtitling is quoted separately.
One hour of recording takes between six hours and two days of work depending on the language and the sound quality. The turnaround is stated on the quote.
For a law firm file: legal and sworn translation for law firms. For an exchange still to come rather than a file already recorded: liaison and conference interpreting. Full price list by service: pricing.
Send your recording
Quote within 2 working hours after listening. Form, email or WhatsApp — your choice.