OBS Studio
Live captions for OBS
Add realtime captions to OBS Studio from your microphone or any system audio. LiveSubs streams the caption layer over NDI, Spout or OSC, so it drops onto your scene like any other source and keys cleanly over your video.
Setup
How to add live captions to OBS
Install and start LiveSubs
Download and run LiveSubs on the same PC as OBS, then add minutes with a key.
Pick your audio
Choose your microphone, or a system-loopback device to caption game audio, a call or anything playing on the PC.
Bring it into OBS
Enable NDI or Spout in LiveSubs and add an NDI or Spout2 source in OBS, or send the text over OSC to a custom source.
Position and go live
Drop the caption layer where you want it on your scene. It has a transparent background, so it keys cleanly over your video.
New to the app? Download LiveSubs and follow the in-app steps, or see the per-minute pricing.
Why LiveSubs
Better captions for your stream
Captions any system audio
Not just your mic. Caption game audio, a remote guest on a call, a video, or a stream you are re-broadcasting.
No browser tab to babysit
A native Windows app, not a browser captioner you have to keep focused and awake in a separate tab.
Transparent, keyable output
The caption layer is a transparent NDI or Spout frame with an outline, so it reads cleanly over any footage.
Pay per minute
A flat $0.04/min with no subscription, so a hobby stream costs pennies.
FAQ
OBS captioning questions
How do I add live captions to OBS?
Run LiveSubs, pick your audio source and press Start. Enable NDI or Spout in the Output tab, then in OBS add an NDI source (or a Spout2 source) and point it at LiveSubs. The captions appear as a transparent layer you can position anywhere on your scene. You can also send the raw text over OSC to a custom text source.
Can I caption game or desktop audio in OBS, not just my microphone?
Yes. Pick a system-loopback (WASAPI) device as the audio source and LiveSubs will caption whatever is playing on the PC, including your game audio, a video, or a guest on a Discord or Zoom call.
Is this better than a browser captioner or an OBS plugin?
For most streamers, yes. LiveSubs is a native app that captions any system audio (not just the mic), needs no Chrome tab kept in focus, and outputs a clean transparent NDI or Spout layer plus OSC text. It is pay per minute with no subscription.
Will the captions show on my Twitch or YouTube stream?
Yes. Because the caption layer is composited into your OBS scene, it is burned into the video your Twitch, YouTube Live or Kick viewers see, exactly like your other overlays.
Does it add latency to my stream?
Captions are generated in realtime and streamed to OBS continuously, so text keeps pace with the speaker. Any perceived delay is just the normal transcription latency, well within a live stream.
Caption your next stream
Download LiveSubs, buy the minutes you need, and add live captions to your OBS scene.