Live captions for Deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees
Every word spoken from the stage, the pulpit, or the podium appears as text on a phone or on the big screen within a second. No special equipment, nothing to install, and it works in the room you already have.
Churches, conferences, classrooms, town halls, and any live event.
U.S. adults report some trouble hearing, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Captions reach more people than you think
Deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees are often the quiet reason someone stops coming back. When the words are on screen, they can follow along, respond, and belong.
Captions also help people wearing hearing aids or cochlear implants in echoey rooms, late-deafened adults, older members, non-native readers, and anyone sitting next to a loud speaker.
And when a Deaf attendee reads a different language than the one being spoken, Selah shows captions in their language at the same time.
Captions wherever your attendees are looking
Use one, or all three at once. Attendees pick what works for them.
On their own phone
Attendees scan a QR code and captions open in the browser. Nothing to install, nothing to hand out at the door. The free iPhone app adds adjustable text size.
- Scan a QR code and read instantly
- No app or account needed
- Free iPhone app with larger text
On the big screen
Send captions to a projector, a confidence monitor, or your live stream as full-screen text, a scrolling ticker, or an overlay with a transparent background for ProPresenter, OBS, and vMix.
- Full screen, ticker, or overlay
- Font size and colors you control
- Transparent background for video switchers
In their language
The spoken language always appears as captions. Attendees who read another language choose from 30+ and get translated captions alongside the original.
- Original language always shown
- 30+ caption languages at once
- Each attendee chooses their own
Ready in minutes
No new hardware. If your room has a microphone, you can caption it.
Start a session
Open Selah Studio on the computer connected to your sound system, or use the Mac app, and press start.
Put captions where people look
Show the QR code on a slide or a sign, and send the display link to a projector or your stream.
Attendees read along
Words appear as they are spoken, in the spoken language or the one each attendee chooses.
Keep the transcript
Every session is saved, so you can share notes or publish a text version afterward.
Automatic captions, honestly described
We would rather set the right expectations now than surprise you on the day.
Captions add to interpreters, they do not replace them
For many Deaf people, a signed language is their first language. If an attendee asks for an interpreter, provide one. Selah gives everyone else in the room a written record they can follow, and a backup when the interpreter is out of sight.
Audio quality decides accuracy
Selah captions what the microphone hears. A direct feed from your mixer gives far better results than a laptop microphone across the room. Echo cancellation and noise handling help, but a clean feed is the biggest win.
Ask the people you are serving
Deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees know what works for them. Some prefer captions on their phone, some prefer the screen, and some want both. Selah supports all of these at the same time.
A strong step, not a legal guarantee
Accessibility requirements vary by country and by venue. Automatic captions are a meaningful step toward an accessible event, but Selah is not a certified CART service and does not on its own make an event compliant. Check the rules that apply to you.
Common questions
Do attendees need to download an app?+
No. Attendees scan a QR code or open a link and captions appear in their phone's browser. There is also a free Selah Translate app for iPhone with adjustable text size, but it is optional.
Can we show captions in the same language that is being spoken?+
Yes. The spoken language always appears as captions on attendees' phones, and a screen display can be set to show only the original language, only the translation, or both.
How quickly do captions appear?+
Captions typically appear well under a second after the words are spoken. The studio also offers a low latency mode and a live transcript option that shows words as they are being said, both currently in beta.
Can captions go on our projector or live stream?+
Yes. Selah provides display links for full-screen captions, a scrolling ticker, and an overlay with a transparent background. Add the link as a browser source in ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, or any tool that can show a web page.
How accurate are the captions?+
Accuracy depends mostly on the audio you send. With a clean feed from your mixer, everyday speech is captioned reliably. Unusual names and specialized terms are the most common misses, and a built-in profanity filter keeps the output family-friendly.
Does this replace a sign language interpreter or CART?+
No. If an attendee requests an interpreter or a certified captioner, provide one. Selah is an affordable way to make every session readable for everyone else, and a helpful companion when interpreters are present.
What does it cost?+
You get one hour free when you sign up, with no credit card. Basic at $29 a month covers captions on attendees' phones in one language at a time. Professional at $49 a month adds screen displays and multiple languages at once.
Make your next event readable for everyone
Start free today and have captions on screen before your next service, session, or meeting.
1 hour free · No credit card · Cancel anytime