Live captions in Zoom, with no bot in the call.
Yes, Zoom can show live captions from Speecho as its own closed captions, and nothing joins the meeting. The host copies the caption API token from the meeting, pastes it into Speecho, and what is said appears for everyone who turns on Show captions. Speech is recognized in 60 languages and can be translated live into any of them. 10 credits a minute, billed by the second: $5 covers 4 hours.
Start live captions →Watch the full tutorial on YouTube
Set up in three steps
Once per account, before the first meeting: in the Zoom web settings, closed captioning has to allow “caption API Token to integrate with 3rd-party closed captioning services”. On a company account, an admin may need to turn it on.
Copy the API token
In the meeting, the host opens Captions (the CC button), chooses “Set up manual captioner” and copies the API token. Copy a fresh one for each meeting.
Paste it into Speecho
Open Live subtitles, then Captions in a meeting. Choose Zoom, paste the token, press Connect, then Start. The status turns to Sending as the first line goes out.
Participants turn on captions
Each participant clicks Show captions in Zoom. The first line can take a few seconds to appear; after that, the captions follow the speaker.
What participants see
The captions show up in Zoom's own caption area, the same place as Zoom's built-in captions, in each participant's own caption settings. Nobody sees Speecho, a link or an extra participant. Speecho sends whole phrases, so a line appears as a sentence finishes rather than word by word. Everyone in the meeting can read along without signing up for anything.
Captions in the meeting's language, or in another one
Speecho recognizes speech in 60 languages and translates live into any of 60, both ways. Under Send, choose Original or Translation: a Spanish speaker can caption a meeting in English, an English speaker in Japanese. The translation language can be changed mid-meeting.
Hola a todos, gracias por acompañarnos hoy.
Hello everyone, thank you for joining us today.
Vamos a empezar con los resultados del último trimestre.
Let's start with the results from the last quarter.
Las ventas crecieron un veinte por ciento.
Sales grew by twenty percent.
Whose words get captioned
Speecho captions what your browser hears. Pick the source before you press Start.
Your own voice
The microphone source captions the person running Speecho: the host of a webinar, a teacher, a speaker presenting to a mixed-language audience.
The whole call
Join the Zoom meeting from the browser in Chrome or Edge, then pick that tab as the source. Everyone's voice is captioned, and your own mic is mixed in.
More than one place
The same session can feed up to three places at once: Zoom, a YouTube Live stream and OBS. The floating window and the viewer link keep working alongside.
No bot, and no recording needed
Nothing joins the call and the participant list stays as it is. Speecho hears only your microphone or the tab you pick, and it sends Zoom caption text, never audio. No recording is made unless you turn on Keep audio. When you stop, the session is saved in your history as a transcript, as with any live session, so you can download it as text or SRT/VTT, summarize it or share it. Let participants know the captions are on, as you would with any live transcript.
Limits worth knowing
Three things decide whether it works on the day.
The Zoom setting must be on
Without “Allow use of caption API Token”, the meeting has no “Set up manual captioner” option and no token to copy. If the status says Link refused, copy a fresh token from the meeting.
Google Meet is not supported
Meet has no way to accept captions from outside. For a Meet call, use the floating subtitle window or share the viewer link from live subtitles.
An account is needed
Captions in a meeting work with a Speecho account, not in the demo. Only the person running Speecho needs one; participants need nothing.
For YouTube Live and OBS streams, see captions inside the stream. All platforms side by side: captions in meetings without a bot.
Pay only for what you use
Top up once. Credits never expire. No subscription. One wallet for transcription, scans and captions.
New accounts get 15 free minutes to try - credits work for scans and captions too.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add live captions to a Zoom meeting without a bot?
Use Zoom’s third-party captioning. The host opens Captions in the meeting, chooses “Set up manual captioner” and copies the API token. In Speecho, open Live subtitles, then Captions in a meeting, choose Zoom, paste the token, press Connect and then Start. Participants turn on Show captions. Nothing joins the call: the lines arrive through Zoom’s own caption feature.
I do not see “Set up manual captioner” or the API token. What now?
The account setting is off. In the Zoom web settings, under closed captioning, turn on “Allow use of caption API Token to integrate with 3rd-party closed captioning services”, then reopen Captions in the meeting. On a company account, an admin may have to turn it on or unlock it.
Can the Zoom captions be in another language than the speaker’s?
Yes. Speech is recognized in 60 languages and can be translated live into any of 60. Under Send, choose Translation and Zoom shows the translated lines; choose Original for the words as spoken. The translation language can be changed mid-meeting without reconnecting.
Does it caption everyone in the call or only me?
It depends on the source. With your microphone, it captions you. To caption the whole call, join the Zoom meeting from the browser in Chrome or Edge and pick that tab as the audio source; your own mic is mixed in, so both sides are covered.
Do participants need Speecho or an account?
No. They only turn on Show captions in Zoom. The person running Speecho needs an account: captions in a meeting are not available in the demo.
Does it work with Teams or Google Meet?
Teams, not yet: it has a similar door (CART captions, in work and school accounts), and we will switch it on once we have verified it; write to us if you need it. Google Meet, no: it has no way to accept captions from outside. For Meet, use the floating subtitle window or share the viewer link instead.
Can I make sure names and terms come out right?
Yes. Before you start, open Glossary and add names and terms (speakers, brands, jargon), translations of terms for each language you translate into, written as term = translation, and a line about the topic. The subtitles use it to spell names right and translate terms your way, and you can change it during a session. It is a strong hint, not a guarantee: a name said in a noisy room can still come out differently. The names and terms list is the same one your file transcriptions use.
How much does it cost?
The usual live subtitles rate: 10 credits a minute, billed by the second. $5 buys 2,400 credits, which is 4 hours of live captions; larger packs bring it down to $0.83 an hour. Sending captions to Zoom adds nothing to the price. Credits never expire and there is no subscription.
Captions in your next Zoom meeting.
Paste one token, speak, and Zoom shows the captions. 60 languages, no bot, no subscription.
Start live captions →