Live Captions for Online Lectures
Never miss a word from your professor. Real-time transcription for any online class, webinar, or lecture in your browser.
Stop Rewinding. Start Reading Along.
Online lectures move fast. Professors skip slides, reference material that isn't in the textbook, and answer student questions on the fly. Research shows that students retain 20-30% more information when reading along with live captions during lectures. TranscribeAudio shows live captions in a floating overlay so you can follow along in real time — and actually focus on understanding instead of frantically taking notes.
Works with Every Learning Platform
Coursera, edX, Canvas, Blackboard, Panopto, Google Classroom, Zoom web client, Google Meet — if it plays audio in your Chrome browser, TranscribeAudio can transcribe it. It captures tab audio directly, so it works regardless of which LMS or video platform your school uses. No plugins, no integrations, no IT department approval needed.
Accessibility for Every Student
Live captions make lectures accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, non-native English speakers, and anyone who learns better by reading along. The National Deaf Center reports that only 30% of higher education institutions provide real-time captioning for online classes. TranscribeAudio fills that gap, supporting 57 languages for multilingual classrooms and international programs.
Better Than Built-In Platform Captions
Most LMS platforms either don't offer live captions or rely on basic speech recognition that misses technical terms. TranscribeAudio uses OpenAI's Whisper-based models, which achieve a 4.2% word error rate — significantly better than most platform-native captioning. It handles specialized academic vocabulary, accented English, and multilingual content more accurately.
How It Works
- 1
Install TranscribeAudio
Add the free Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store. Pin it to your toolbar for quick access during class.
- 2
Open your lecture
Navigate to your online class in Chrome — Zoom web client, Coursera, Canvas, YouTube, Google Meet, or any platform.
- 3
Start transcribing
Click the TranscribeAudio icon and hit 'Start Transcribing.' A floating caption overlay appears on screen immediately.
- 4
Focus on learning
Read along with live captions while taking notes. Drag the overlay to any position so it doesn't block your lecture content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it work with pre-recorded lectures?
Yes. TranscribeAudio works with both live and pre-recorded content. Any audio playing in your Chrome browser tab — whether it's a live Zoom session, a recorded Panopto lecture, or a YouTube video of a past class — can be transcribed in real time.
Which learning platforms are supported?
TranscribeAudio works with any platform that plays audio in Chrome: Zoom (web client), Google Meet, Coursera, edX, Canvas, Blackboard, Panopto, YouTube, Google Classroom, and more. It captures browser tab audio, so the specific platform doesn't matter — if you can hear it in Chrome, it can be transcribed.
Can I save the transcript for studying later?
Export as TXT is coming soon. For now, you can read live captions during the lecture to follow along and take notes alongside them. Many students find that the combination of listening and reading improves comprehension and retention during the lecture itself.
Does it handle technical and academic vocabulary?
TranscribeAudio uses OpenAI's Whisper-based speech recognition models, which are trained on 680,000 hours of multilingual audio data. This broad training helps with specialized terminology across fields including medicine, law, engineering, and computer science.
How much does it cost for students?
The free plan includes 30 minutes per month — enough for a short lecture or office hours session. Starter ($4.99/month) gives you 2 hours of transcription, enough for 2-4 lectures depending on length. Pro ($9.99/month) is unlimited for heavy course loads. No credit card required to start.