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StreamTranslate

First-time Twitch setup

Add captions to Twitch without mixing up the setup steps.

There are several ways to caption Twitch, so tutorials can look contradictory even when they solve different problems. Choose the kind of text you want viewers to see first. Then follow one complete setup instead of combining unrelated instructions from several plugins.

By StreamTranslate · Updated

For StreamTranslate, the simplest audience-specific route is the Twitch extension: install and activate it, link your channel and connect speech. Use a Browser Source when you want text inside the video. Native Twitch CC requires a compatible caption-encoding integration of its own.

Pick the result before installing tools

Write a one-sentence requirement: viewers choose their language; everyone sees a caption in the video; or viewers use Twitch’s native CC track. These requirements lead to different configurations. An OBS plugin can capture speech, render text or encode native captions depending on which plugin it is, so the word plugin is not enough.

The StreamTranslate OBS plugin sends speech to our service. The extension displays viewer-selected translations; the Browser Source displays a broadcaster-controlled overlay. For native CC, consult the separate native-caption guide. Choosing the output now prevents installing several tools and later discovering that none is connected to the destination you intended.

Set up the channel-extension route

  1. Sign into the Twitch account for your channel and open its Extensions dashboard.
  2. Install StreamTranslate, complete configuration and activate its supported player placement.
  3. Link the channel to the intended StreamTranslate account.
  4. Select the language you will speak and connect one supported speech source.
  5. Open your live channel as a viewer and choose a caption language.

A browser microphone is a reasonable first rehearsal input: select it in Control, allow access and keep the page open. If your real stream uses an OBS audio filter or phone RTMP connection, repeat the rehearsal with that actual input before relying on it.

Add visible video text only when you want it

Copy the Browser Source URL from Control. In OBS, add a Browser source to the scene and set its dimensions to match your canvas, such as 1920 by 1080 for landscape. Place captions above the background layer and away from game dialogue, a webcam or important interface elements.

This URL displays text; it does not listen to your microphone. Keep the separate speech connection active. The overlay language is chosen by the broadcaster, and the rendered words become part of the video image. Viewers cannot remove those words with Twitch’s CC switch. If the extension is also enabled, check that the two layers are not covering one another.

Run a short check and learn the stop control

Say your channel name, a normal sentence and a number, then pause. Verify new captions in the viewer output. Check that the source language is correct and that the text remains legible at the smaller size people actually watch. If nothing appears, diagnose in order: microphone input, Control preview, then extension or overlay delivery.

End browser capture in Control when finished. For the OBS filter, Pause sending audio stops capture; hiding the caption source or ending the Twitch broadcast is not the same action. For a phone connection, stop the StreamTranslate feed in its app. Write the start and stop steps beside your streaming checklist so future sessions do not depend on remembering a long tutorial.

Quick answers

Do my viewers install the extension themselves?

No. The broadcaster installs and activates the Twitch channel extension. Viewers use its available controls on the channel without a separate StreamTranslate browser installation.

Why does OBS show captions but Twitch does not?

Check whether you added the source to the scene actually being broadcast. If you intended extension captions instead, verify channel activation and the linked account separately.

Can I follow an old caption tutorial exactly?

Check the tool, version and output it describes first. Some older guides depend on retired services or describe a different plugin, so their buttons may not match your setup.

Continue with your setup

Complete extension setupActivate the channel and test audio.OBS captionsConfigure the audio source and visible output.Viewer guideExplain language and display controls.Browse caption guidesFind the next task for your stream, device or audience.

Sources and further reading

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Follow the linked provider instructions for current availability and setup requirements.