Building FluentCap: Real-time captions for any desktop audio

The problem I wanted to solve:

I work remotely with international teams. I found myself constantly missing context because people spoke too fast or had unfamiliar accents.

Existing caption apps? Most only work inside specific apps (Zoom, Teams) or browser tabs. I couldn't use them to watch back meeting recordings, foreign films, or FaceTime calls.

What I built:

FluentCap captures any audio playing on your computer — system-wide — and shows real-time transcription with optional translation. Works with Netflix, Zoom recordings, YouTube, podcasts, anything.

The BYOK approach:

Instead of a subscription model, I went with Bring Your Own Key. You connect your API key from Deepgram, Gladia, or AssemblyAI. You pay only for what you use (~$0.25/hour), and providers offer $50-200 in free credits.

Launching soon — looking for feedback:

• What languages would be most useful to you?

• Any specific use cases I should prioritize?

• What features would make this more valuable?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Check it out: https://fluentcap.live/