How To
How to Add Captions to a Live Stream
A 60-second setup guide for adding real-time captions to your live stream — Twitch, YouTube Live, Kick, anywhere with OBS Browser Source support.
Step 1: Sign up and pick your languages
Visit /control and create an account (3 free hours every month trial, card required for the Free Plan; no payment unless you upgrade). Once signed in:
- Source language: what you speak (English, Spanish, Korean, etc.)
- Target language: what your captions appear in. For same-language captions, pick your source language as the target. For translation, pick a different language.
You can change languages mid-stream from the control panel.
Step 2: Copy your browser source URL
The control panel shows you a unique URL for your stream. It looks like https://streamtranslate.live/overlay?room=.... Click "Copy URL" — this is what you'll paste into OBS.
Step 3: Add browser source in OBS
- Open OBS Studio
- In the Sources panel: + → Browser Source → New Source → name it "Captions"
- In the URL field: paste your browser source URL
- Set Width: 1920, Height: 1080
- Check "Refresh browser when scene becomes active"
- Click OK
The captions source appears on your OBS canvas. Adjust position to where you want captions to appear (typically bottom-center).
Step 4: Test and start streaming
- Speak something — captions should appear on your OBS preview within 1-2 seconds
- If captions don't appear, check the control panel: is the microphone connected? Is the source language set correctly?
- Adjust font size, color, position via /control until captions look right
- Click GO LIVE on Twitch/YouTube/Kick
- Captions stream in real time to viewers
Frequently asked
How long does it take to add captions to a live stream?
60 seconds for the setup. Most users have captions appearing within their first minute of trying.
Do I need any technical skills?
No. If you can add a webcam to OBS, you can add captions. The browser source process is identical.
Can I add captions to a stream I'm already broadcasting?
Yes. Add the browser source mid-stream — captions appear immediately.
Will captions appear correctly on Twitch / YouTube / Kick?
Yes. Because captions are part of your OBS video output, they appear on every platform you stream to.
What if my captions don't show up?
Check: (1) browser source URL pasted correctly, (2) microphone selected in /control, (3) source language matches what you speak, (4) browser source set to 1920x1080. Contact support if still stuck.