A new plug-and-play solution, Soundshape 1 Pro, launches today, providing event organisers and AV professionals with a powerful and cost-effective tool for delivering real-time captioning and multilingual translation at scale.
Developed by Speaksee, Soundshape is designed to make accessibility the standard for any venue or event hosting large groups. The AI-powered system seamlessly integrates with existing AV setups to provide live subtitles with over 95% accuracy and a latency of less than one second. The technology is already being used by major UK event organisers and venues, including the London Marathon, Glasgow Caledonian University, and Westminster Chapel.
As the events industry faces increasing demand for inclusive experiences, Soundshape 1 Pro offers a simple yet robust solution. The system is engineered for rapid deployment, connecting to any existing AV system with just three cables (audio, power, and internet), eliminating the need for specialist IT support during setup.
Once live, attendees can simply scan a QR code with their own smartphone to receive a direct feed of the captions. Key features for the events and AV industry include:
- The system can translate speech into over 100 languages, allowing attendees to select their preferred language on their device. This makes it an essential tool for international conferences and diverse audiences.
- High accuracy in complex environments: The technology is designed to handle various regional accents and clearly distinguishes between multiple speakers in panel discussions by using colour-coding.
- Organisers can offer captions directly to attendees’ personal devices via a QR code, or project the subtitles onto main presentation screens for universal visibility.
- Soundshape 1 Pro is up to ten times cheaper than hiring human interpreters and up to seven times more affordable than other translation software solutions, offering a scalable and budget-friendly alternative.
“Many organisations still don’t have a solution to truly include deaf people, those who are hard of hearing, and non-native speakers, and the technology that is used often comes with delays and errors,” says Jari Hazelebach, founder of Speaksee and Soundshape. “At Speaksee, it is our mission to make inclusion the standard in every place where large groups of people come together. With Soundshape 1 Pro, we are a big step closer to reaching that goal.”
The system is fully GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, with all data processed on European servers and automatically deleted after each event, ensuring it meets the highest security standards required for corporate and public sector events.
Early adopters include major European venues and corporations. Marc van Kaam, General Director of Luxor Theater Rotterdam, commented: “With Soundshape 1 Pro, we now have a tool that allows deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors to fully experience selected programs. In this way, we hope to make a valuable contribution to the accessibility of our theater.”
