YouTube Live
YouTube Live Captions Tool
Add real-time captions to your YouTube Live streams via OBS browser source. No plugin install. 30+ language support. 95%+ accuracy with sub-2-second latency.
YouTube's built-in captions are good but slow
YouTube has automatic captions for live streams via Google's speech-to-text. They're mostly accurate but slow — viewers report 5-15 second latency. For real-time interaction (chat, gameplay reactions), that's too slow.
StreamTranslate runs at sub-2-second latency. Captions appear as you speak — viewers can follow chat, gameplay, and your speech in sync.
How to add captions to YouTube Live
- Sign up at /control
- Pick same-language captions (English → English) or translated
- Copy the browser source URL
- In OBS: Browser Source → paste URL → set 1920x1080
- Start streaming to YouTube Live — captions appear in real time
This adds captions OVER YouTube's built-in captions. YouTube viewers will see both unless you disable YouTube's auto-captions in YouTube Studio.
YouTube Live caption customization
- Font size 20-80px — large enough for TVs and tablets
- Color and outline — readable on any background
- Position — anywhere on the OBS canvas
- Multilingual support — caption in viewers' language for international YouTube audiences
- Persistent in clips and VODs — captions are part of the video, baked into recordings
Why use this over YouTube's auto-captions
- Speed: sub-2-second vs 5-15 second latency
- Accuracy: Deepgram nova-3 (95%+) vs YouTube's older model (~85%)
- Customization: font, position, color, outline — YouTube's are fixed
- Translation: we support 30+ languages; YouTube's translation is per-viewer toggle
- Cross-platform: captions work on YouTube Live, AND simultaneously on Twitch, Kick, Facebook
Frequently asked
Will my captions conflict with YouTube's auto-captions?
Possibly — viewers might see both. Disable YouTube's auto-captions in YouTube Studio (Live → Stream → Captions) to use only ours.
Are these captions in the YouTube caption track?
No — they're rendered onto the video stream itself. They appear as part of the video, visible to all viewers without enabling caption tracks.
Do these captions work for YouTube Premiere?
YouTube Premiere uses pre-recorded video, so live captions don't apply. For Premiere, use YouTube's auto-captions on the source video.
Will viewers be able to read captions on YouTube mobile?
Yes. Captions are part of the video, so they appear on every YouTube viewer device — desktop, mobile, smart TV, embed.
Does this support YouTube channel-language matching?
We support 30+ source and target languages. Your YouTube channel language is independent — captions can be in any supported language.