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.

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Step 1: Sign up and pick your languages

Visit /control and create an account (6 hours free trial, no credit card needed). 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.