NHNguyen HoangSay hello ↗
← All work / 01 of 05Swift · macOS · Private repo

Echo

Listens to system audio · never the mic
  • Apple on-device
  • WhisperKit local model
  • Cloud API
Live translation · export .srt / .txt
PlatformmacOS 26+
LanguageSwift 6
StatusActive
SourcePrivate
What it is

Subtitles for anything your Mac plays.

The problem

Plenty of video and audio has no subtitles, or none in a language you read.

Why I built it

I love traveling, and learning new languages is one of my hobbies. I watch a lot of foreign movies, shows and anime, but the more niche something is, the less likely it is to have English subtitles. Some of the best stuff never gets the global attention it takes for someone to translate it. Echo is my way of bridging that gap: live subtitles for anything playing on your Mac. My goal is for it to also help you pick up a few words of the language along the way.

The app

Echo lives in the menu bar and listens to system audio, never the microphone. It draws real-time subtitles in a transparent, click-through overlay above whatever you’re watching: YouTube, Netflix, VLC, a Zoom call.

How it works
  1. 01
    Capture

    System audio only, never the microphone

    ScreenCaptureKit
  2. 02
    Transcribe

    Apple on-device, WhisperKit, or a cloud API

    SpeechAnalyzer · WhisperKit
  3. 03
    Translate

    Into the language you pick, as it is spoken

    Translation
  4. 04
    Draw

    A click-through overlay above whatever is playing

    SwiftUI
Stack
App
Swift 6SwiftUI
Audio in
ScreenCaptureKit
Speech to text
SpeechAnalyzerWhisperKit
Translation
Translation
Key features
  • Three transcription engines: Apple on-device, WhisperKit, or a cloud API
  • Live translation into the language you pick
  • Per-app filtering, global shortcuts, and .srt or .txt export
  • A movable, resizable overlay that remembers its place on each display