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NotchSub
NotchSub is a macOS menu bar utility that displays live subtitles and translations for system audio from any app.
NotchSub is an open-source macOS application that captures system audio and displays live subtitles and translations in a panel beneath the MacBook notch. Users click the notch to start listening to audio from sources like YouTube, Zoom, podcasts, and streams. It uses WhisperKit for speech recognition and Apple Translation for on-device translation, supporting 99 spoken languages and about 20 target languages. The app relies exclusively on a Core Audio process tap and never accesses the microphone, ensuring complete privacy with no account or cloud connection required. Built with Swift, SwiftUI, and AppKit, it is optimized for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 15 Sequoia or later.
NotchSub at a glance
- Best for: Software engineer
- Runs on: macOS, open source, self-hosted
- Pricing: Free
- Released: October 2026
- Category: AI audio tool
- Website: github.com/wutlu/notchsub
Key features
- Displays live subtitles from system audio
- Provides on-device translation into roughly 20 languages
- Supports 99 spoken languages
- Captures system audio via Core Audio process tap
- Operates entirely offline without accounts or cloud processing
- Accelerated by the Apple Silicon Neural Engine
Use it for
- Translating foreign-language videos and streams in real time
- Generating live subtitles for video calls and podcasts
- Reading live transcriptions of audio playing on a Mac
Alternatives to NotchSub
- Notchware — Turns the MacBook notch into a live island for media, status, and AI agent alerts.
- Chopstick — Builds custom notch widgets automatically based on repeated local activity.
- NotchDodo — It keeps timers, calendars, files, and AI agent usage accessible right from the menu bar.
- Superwhisper — Transcribes speech offline and online with custom AI modes and templates.
- Memoe — It uses existing AI accounts or local models without a subscription fee.
- Free ASR — Zero-dependency real-time streaming speech-to-text with no account login required.
- Glance for Mac — It brings live scores media controls and command approvals directly to the Mac notch.
- OpenSuperWhisper — Provides real-time transcription using customizable keyboard shortcuts and multiple engines.
- audio.cpp — Runs modern audio models locally with high-performance, native C++ execution.
- FluidAudio — Runs local audio AI models on Apple Neural Engine.
- WhisperLive — It provides real-time speech-to-text using multiple backends like Faster Whisper and TensorRT.
- MLX Audio — It enables fast audio model inference directly on Apple M-series chips.
All NotchSub alternatives