Do TED translators get paid?
TED does not pay for translations (just as we don’t pay speakers to present), but we will give you credit for your work by name on our website.
Where can I learn how translating on Amara works?
Read our Quick Start on Amara guide or the full guide to translating TED Talks on Amara.
How long can I have to work on my translation?
We ask that you complete your translation within 30 days. If you’re unable to finish, there might be someone else in our translator community who can finish the work you began. If you want to relinquish ownership of a translation you were unable to finish, please email us.
What if I don't agree with the changes the reviewer made to my translation?
Amara notifies you once your translation has been assigned for review. We expect reviewers to contact translators with suggested changes before submitting their final review. Since both of your names will appear on the translation when it is published on TED, we want you to both be satisfied with the quality. Please email us immediately if a dispute arises.
Can more than one person work on a translation?
Yes. We prefer the process where one person translates and one person reviews, but you may work on a translation as a group if you wish. We can only give credit, however, to two people when the translation is published on TED.com
Why is TED offering subtitles instead of dubbing voiceovers in other languages?
Subtitling has the additional benefits of making our talks available to audience members who are hearing-impaired. Along with subtitles, we're also providing interactive transcripts for each talk, which allow users to select any sentence in the talk, and be taken directly to the appropriate moment in the video. The transcripts are fully indexable by search engines, revealing previously inaccessible content within the talks themselves. For example, someone searching on Google for "green roof" would find the moment in architect William McDonough''s talk when he discusses Ford''s River Rouge plant, and also the moment in Majora Carter''s talk when she spoke of her green roof project in the South Bronx.
Can I volunteer to transcribe TED Talks in English?
Thanks for your interest, but we transcribe all TED Talks in-house.
Why are no talks available for translation in my language?
In some languages, nearly our entire library of talks has been or is in the process of being translated. We release new talks each weekday, which are available for translation.
How do I find other translators working in my language?
Visit Our translators page and filter by your language to view TED profiles of fellow translators. You can also connect with TED translators on our Facebook group I Translate TED Talks and our translator wiki.
Can I use other tools outside of TED to organize other translators working in my language?
Yes, we have purposefully taken a light-handed approach here in order to encourage translators to find solutions that best fit the way they want to work. To determine whether a group already exists in your language, check the list on our Facebook group.
Someone has checked out a talk I want to translate, but they don't appear to be working on it. What should I do?
After 30 days, assignments return to the translation pool if they have not been completed.
I want to link to my TED Talks translation on my blog. Is that OK?
Please do! Click "Share" on the TED video player, then copy and paste the relevant link.
I want to create a version of TED.com in my language. Can I?
You are welcome to embed TED Talks or syndicate them in your language via an RSS feed. If you wish to do more than that, please see the guidelines for the TEDx program, which allows anyone, anywhere, to hold their own TED-style events.
More questions?
Visit the translator wiki for additional answers.