← Back to Blog Guide

Real-time subtitles on Mac for any audio: 3 methods

Updated November 8, 2026 · 6 min read

Quick answer: use your meeting app's captions for a call, Apple Live Captions on a supported Mac, or NotchLive to caption speech from Mac apps and your microphone. These generate text while audio plays. If a video already has subtitles, turn on its existing subtitle track instead.

This guide compares three live-caption methods, then explains their setup and limits. Captions depend on the audio available to the app; protected media, background noise, accents, and overlapping speakers can affect capture or accuracy.

Play existing video subtitles or generate live captions?

In QuickTime Player, open a video and choose View > Subtitles to select an available subtitle track. This displays subtitles the file already contains; it does not generate a transcript. Apple documents the controls in its QuickTime subtitle guide.

If the video has no subtitle track, use one of the live-caption methods below while it plays. A live overlay is for reading along, not a replacement for reviewed, timed captions embedded in a finished video. For NotchLive permissions and audio-source choices, follow the current setup guide.

What are real-time subtitles?

Real-time subtitles turn captured speech into text as you listen. On-device speech recognition can process audio locally after the required model is downloaded. Downloads, optional connected features, and meeting-provider caption systems have their own network requirements; see NotchLive's privacy details.

Local recognition avoids a transcription-server round trip, but speed and accuracy still depend on the Mac, model, language, and audio. Review important names, numbers, and any transcript you plan to share.

Method 1: NotchLive (Recommended)

NotchLive is a macOS menu-bar app that turns your MacBook's notch into a live subtitle display. It uses Whisper AI on-device to transcribe audio and provide translated speech. For the product view of this workflow, see Mac live captions for calls, videos, and Mac audio. Here's how to set it up:

Step 1: Download NotchLive

Grab the latest version from notchlive.app or download the DMG directly from GitHub Releases. Drag it into your Applications folder and launch it. NotchLive lives in your menu bar — no dock icon, no clutter.

Step 2: Grant Screen Recording permission

NotchLive needs Screen Recording permission to capture system audio (what's playing through your speakers). macOS will prompt you the first time. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording and make sure NotchLive is enabled.

Step 3: Grant Microphone permission (optional)

If you want to caption your own voice — useful during calls or meetings — grant Microphone access as well. This lets NotchLive transcribe both sides of a conversation simultaneously using dual audio streams.

Step 4: Choose a speech-recognition model

In setup, choose your spoken language. Automatic recommends Whisper Small; a specific language recommends Apple Speech where supported and Whisper otherwise. Download the recommended model before starting. Existing users can change the engine in Settings > Speech & Audio. Follow the setup guide for current requirements.

Step 5: Start captioning

Press ⌥⌘C (Option + Command + C) or click the menu bar icon and hit Start. That's it — subtitles will appear in your MacBook's notch area in real-time as audio plays.

NotchLive supports 90+ transcription languages through Whisper on Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 14 or later. Live captions are free; translation, saved sessions, and exports require Pro, and additional features have their own Mac, operating-system, and language requirements.

Method 2: Apple Live Captions

Apple Live Captions is available on supported Apple silicon Macs. Availability varies by language, country, region, and macOS version. Check Apple's Live Captions guide for your Mac.

How to enable it:

1. Open System Settings
2. Go to Accessibility > Live Captions
3. Toggle it on

A floating caption window appears on your screen and transcribes any audio playing on your Mac. You can drag the window around and resize it.

Choose Computer Audio or Microphone in the Live Captions controls. Check your macOS version for supported languages and available controls, and test any screen-sharing or recording workflow before relying on it. For a simple built-in accessibility window on supported hardware, this is a useful first option.

Method 3: Zoom, Meet, and Teams Built-In Captions

If you only need subtitles during video calls, most conferencing apps now have their own captioning features built in.

Zoom

In the meeting toolbar, click Show Captions, or look under More. Select the speaking language if prompted. Host or administrator settings can restrict availability. See the Zoom captions guide for current options.

Google Meet

Click the "Turn on captions" button (the CC icon) in the bottom toolbar. Captions appear in real-time at the bottom of the call window. Available in English and a growing number of other languages.

Microsoft Teams

Click "More" (the three-dot menu) in the meeting toolbar, then select "Turn on live captions". Teams also offers a live transcript panel that you can open alongside the meeting.

The catch with built-in captions

Meeting captions work within the meeting app, not across every other app on your Mac. Processing, languages, translation, and transcript saving depend on the provider, account, client version, and settings. Check those requirements rather than assuming every meeting has the same options.

Which Method Should You Use?

Choose the method that fits the audio, language, and output you need. Test it with your actual call or video before relying on it, especially if you plan to share captions or retain a transcript.