How to provide an audio guide in Spanish
A Spanish guide is added to a guide that already exists rather than built from nothing. The English stops are translated, reviewed by someone who reads Spanish, and narrated, and the Spanish version then sits behind the same QR code the English version already uses. Nothing on the wall changes, and no second sign is printed.
In practice a venue works through it in this order, and the review step is the one most often skipped and most often regretted.
- Settle the regional variant and register before any translation starts
- Translate the English stops, keeping the source text locked while that happens
- Have a Spanish reader review it, ideally someone who knows the collection
- Narrate the reviewed text, checking proper nouns and place names first
- Publish it behind the QR codes already on the wall, with no reprinting
What Spanish needs from your layout
Spanish usually runs 15 to 25% longer than English, which is enough to push a two minute stop past comfortable listening.
Spanish opens questions and exclamations with inverted punctuation, and those marks are routinely lost when text is copied between systems. Their absence is a visible error to a Spanish reader.
European or Latin American Spanish
The two differ in vocabulary, in the second person plural, and noticeably in accent when spoken. Latin American Spanish reaches a larger travelling audience overall, while European Spanish suits venues whose Spanish-speaking visitors come mainly from Spain.
A neutral written Spanish that avoids region-specific vocabulary is achievable and is usually the right compromise for a single version. The accent decision still has to be made for the audio.
Getting the Spanish narration right
Narration in Spanish raises questions that do not exist in English, and they are far cheaper to answer before a voice records anything than after.
- Choose the accent deliberately, since a Castilian voice is instantly identifiable to Latin American listeners and the reverse is also true.
- Stress marks change meaning, so accented words need checking in the rendered audio.
- Indigenous and Māori place names need a pronunciation decision, as Spanish phonology will not produce them by default.
Where Spanish fits in your language plan
Across the New Zealand museums using Journey Pal, between 50% and 60% of guide use is in English. That is our own usage data, and it is worth knowing before committing to a long list of languages: local-language listening is usually the largest share, and translations extend a guide rather than being the reason for one.
That makes Spanish an addition to a working guide rather than a prerequisite for launching. Get the source script right, publish it, then add Spanish where your visitor numbers justify the translation and, just as importantly, where you have someone who can review it.
Frequently asked questions
Can we provide an audio guide in Spanish at our museum?
Yes. The Spanish version is translated from your English stops, reviewed, narrated, and published behind the QR codes you already have on the wall, so adding it does not mean new signage, a new app, or new hardware.
Do we need a separate Spanish version of our signage as well?
Usually not. The physical sign can stay short and carry a QR code, with the full Spanish text and audio behind it, which avoids reprinting signage every time the content changes.
How much longer will the Spanish version be?
Spanish usually runs 15 to 25% longer than English, which is enough to push a two minute stop past comfortable listening.
Do visitors need an app to hear the Spanish guide?
No. The guide opens in the visitor's phone browser from a QR code, and phone-language detection can take a Spanish-speaking visitor straight to the right version when it exists.
Make this easier for your visitors
Journey Pal helps museums, heritage sites, zoos, and attractions deliver audio guides and translations through QR codes, with no app download required.