How to Translate Your Live Stream for International Viewers (Real-Time Subtitles)

75% of Twitch's 140 million monthly users are outside the US. If you stream in English only, you're visible to about 25% of the potential audience. Adding real-time translated subtitles makes your stream accessible to everyone else — and it takes under 5 minutes to set up.

How Real-Time Stream Translation Works

StreamTranslate captures your microphone audio through your browser, transcribes your speech with AI, translates it into your chosen language or languages, and outputs the text as a browser source URL. You add that URL to OBS as a browser source overlay — it appears on your stream exactly like any other overlay element. International viewers see the translated subtitles in real time as you speak.

Latency is under 500ms for transcription, and under 2 seconds end-to-end for translation display. Your English-speaking audience sees the stream exactly as normal. Nothing changes for them.

OBS Setup: 5 Minutes

• Create a free account at streamtranslate.live
• Go to your dashboard and copy your unique browser source URL
• In OBS, add a new Browser Source to your scene
• Paste the URL, set dimensions to 1920×1080
• Click Go Live in StreamTranslate, then start your OBS stream

Subtitles will appear on your stream immediately. You can adjust the position, size, and style of the subtitle overlay from the StreamTranslate dashboard.

Which Languages Should You Add?

Start with one or two based on your existing audience or where you want to grow:

• Spanish — highest-ROI first choice for most English streamers. Latin American gaming audience is massive and growing.
• Portuguese — Brazil alone is one of the world's largest streaming markets.
• French — large gaming community across Europe and Africa.
• Japanese — highly engaged, premium audience. Harder to break through but loyal.
• Korean — esports-heavy community, very active on streaming platforms.

Watch Party: Translate Content You're Watching

StreamTranslate's Watch Party mode (Unlimited plan) works in the opposite direction: instead of translating what you're saying, it translates what you're watching. Open a foreign-language stream or game announcement in one browser tab, switch StreamTranslate to Watch Party mode, and translated subtitles appear in real time. Useful for reaction streams and watch parties.