Real-Time Lecture Transcription & Translation for Students
Studying in a second language is tiring: you are learning the subject and the language at the same time. LiveToka writes the lecture out as it is spoken and translates it, so you can catch what you missed and keep a written record to revise from.
New accounts get 10 free minutes. Sign in with Google — no credit card required.
Step by step
- For online classes, route the lecture audio into LiveToka. For in-person classes, sit near the front or the speaker and use your laptop microphone.
- Choose the lecture language as the source and your native language as the target, or use Transcribe Only to read the original language.
- Click Start Service when the lecture starts.
- Save the transcript after class and use it to review terms and slides.
Getting the audio in
LiveToka listens to your browser’s microphone input. In person, the closer and cleaner the sound, the better the result:
- Best: a direct feed from the sound desk or mixer into a USB audio interface connected to the laptop. Select that interface as the microphone in your browser.
- Good: a USB or lapel microphone close to the speaker.
- Basic: the laptop’s built-in microphone near the speaker. Expect lower accuracy in large or echoing rooms.
To choose the microphone in Chrome, open chrome://settings/content/microphone (Edge: edge://settings/content/microphone).
For online sessions, tick 🔊 Computer audio in LiveToka and play the audio through your speakers, or route it with a virtual audio device: VB-CABLE on Windows or BlackHole on macOS — see the Zoom guide for step-by-step setup.
Tips
- Transcribe Only mode uses half the credits of translation and is often enough once you are comfortable reading the lecture language.
- Technical vocabulary is transcribed as spoken; check unfamiliar terms against your course materials.
- Ask your lecturer or institution about their policy on transcribing classes.
Popular language pairs
More guides
- Live Translate Zoom Meetings in Real Time
- Real-Time Translation for YouTube Live Streams
- Live Sermon Translation for Church Services
- Transcribe and Translate Interviews in Real Time
Frequently asked questions
Does it work in a lecture hall?
Yes, if your laptop is close enough to hear the lecturer clearly. Far from the speaker, or with a lot of echo, accuracy drops.
Can I keep the transcript?
Yes. Save each session and find it in your session history, or export it as CSV or JSON.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. New accounts get 10 free minutes after signing in with Google — no credit card. Transcription uses credits at 1× and translation at 2×, so that is up to 10 minutes of transcription or 5 minutes of translation. Paid plans start at $9.9/month.