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How to Get Live Bilingual Captions for Spotify and Apple Podcasts (Mac & iPhone)
TL;DR
On the native Spotify and Apple Podcasts apps (Mac and iPhone), use BelliedMonkey’s Live Subtitles (iOS 26 / macOS 26) to show bilingual captions for what the device is playing. On Spotify’s web single-episode page, the browser extension can show bilingual text from Spotify’s Read along transcript when that feature is available—that path is fragile. On the Apple Podcasts website, there is no podcast-caption path; use the native app with Live Subtitles instead.
Pick the right path for your player
| Where you listen | What works | Which path |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify web (single episode) | Conditional | Extension + Spotify Read along → bilingual text on the page (fragile; not always present) |
| Spotify app (Mac / iPhone) | Yes | App Live Subtitles over system audio / speaker |
| Apple Podcasts website | Not for captions | Ordinary page-body translation only — use the native app |
| Apple Podcasts app (Mac / iPhone) | Yes | App Live Subtitles only |
There is no AI speech-to-text entry for Spotify inside the extension (Spotify DRM). Don’t expect the extension to “listen” to Spotify audio on the web.
How Live Subtitles works for podcasts
Live Subtitles is for whatever your Mac or iPhone is playing—including the native Spotify and Apple Podcasts apps. Recognition for Live Subtitles runs on your device. Correction and translation use the translation engine. The small free credit (optional sign-in) does not cover real-time listen-and-translate.
What you need
- iOS 26 or macOS 26
- Permission for screen recording and system-audio recording (on current Mac builds this may appear as a combined 录屏与系统录音 pane)
- Microphone access if the system asks for it
Mac setup (observed 2026-10-23)
UI labels below match the Chinese App UI from the capture. English readers: follow the same control order in your language.
- Open BelliedMonkey Translator.
- On the home screen, start Live Subtitles (实时字幕).
- On the setup screen, choose source language (视频语言) and translate to (译成), then tap Start (开始).
- If the app shows waiting for system authorization (等待系统授权), tap Allow (允许) in the system prompt.
- When listening is active, you should see listening / caption status in the app. Bilingual output in this Mac capture appeared as full-sentence pairs inside the App window (best evidence: asset A08). Do not assume a separate floating bilingual bar from the Mac shoot alone. (iPhone PiP is separate — see below.)
Assets (captions only): A01 app home · A02 setup · A03 screen & system audio settings · A04 microphone · A05 waiting for Allow · A06 after Allow · A07–A09 bilingual 整句定稿 (prefer A08).
Languages (Live Subtitles only — confirmed 1.19.4)
Do not reuse the website’s 13-language list or the Settings global「译成」13-language list (zh-CN / zh-TW). Live Subtitles uses a different registry (langs.config.js).
- Recognize (视频语言): Auto plus 12 languages: English / 日本語 / 한국어 / 中文 / Français / Deutsch / Español / Português / Italiano / Русский / العربية / ไทย
- Translate to (译成): the same 12 languages (no Auto; Chinese is not split into simplified/traditional)
Caveats for writers: some languages may appear disabled if the on-device engine doesn’t support them (Thai is always selectable per product); system speech packs may need downloading; “Auto” is not unlimited world coverage.
iPhone setup (observed 2026-10-23)
Capture: ZHAO的iPhone · international TestFlight 1.19.4 (177).
- Open 大肚猴翻译 (or
belliedmonkey://listen). - On 实时字幕 setup, set 视频语言 to 自动 and 译成 to 中文, then tap 开始 (I02).
- Listening status shows ● 字幕中 / ● 正在听 (I04).
- Mic permission on this device was already authorized — the system dialog did not reappear (no permission screenshot; not a miss). First-time users may still see a system prompt.
- With English audio playing (Safari), leave the App: a Picture-in-Picture bilingual floating window appears over Safari (I06). Writers may claim iPhone PiP bilingual float.
- Back in the App, 整句定稿 shows finalized bilingual pairs (I05, elephants example).
Assets: I01 entry · I02 setup · I04 listening · I05 bilingual final · I06 PiP (claim).
Mac vs iPhone: Mac shoot still has no independent floating bilingual CGWindow bar (use A08 in-App 整句定稿). iPhone does have PiP bilingual float (I06).
Spotify on the web: bilingual Read along (when it works)
On a Spotify web single-episode page, BelliedMonkey’s browser extension can scrape Spotify’s Read along transcript and show bilingual text on the page.
Limits (read before you try)
- Fragile: Spotify can change the page; the scrape can break.
- Read along is not always there. In our 2026-10-23 Mac capture (logged-out episode), Read along was not shown. If you don’t see Read along, this path has nothing to translate—use the native app + Live Subtitles instead.
- No AI transcription of Spotify audio in the extension.
- Aimed at single-episode pages, not a substitute for in-app Live Subtitles.
What we observed (Mac, 2026-10-23)
Episode opened: The Election That Will Define Israel’s Future (The Daily). Extension present; 切换翻译 toggled. Without Read along / a logged-in player body, bilingual overlay may be limited. Assets: B01–B04 (B03 = episode with no Read along; B04 = after toggle).
Apple Podcasts website: don’t use it for captions
The Apple Podcasts website has no podcast-subtitle path in BelliedMonkey. You can still translate ordinary page text like any webpage, but that is not live bilingual captions while you listen. Open the Mac or iPhone Apple Podcasts app and use Live Subtitles.
Path comparison
| Spotify web + extension | Native Spotify / Apple Podcasts + Live Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|
| Caption source | Spotify Read along (when present) | System audio / speaker → on-device recognition |
| Original + translation | Yes (page bilingual text) | Yes (bilingual Live Subtitles) |
| Inside native Mac/iPhone apps | No (web only) | Yes |
| Apple Podcasts website | n/a — don’t recommend | Use the native app |
| AI STT of Spotify DRM via extension | No | Live Subtitles uses system audio, not the extension’s Spotify DRM stream |
| OS / permissions | Browser + extension | iOS 26 / macOS 26; screen + system-audio recording |
| Cost | Currently free | Currently free; optional sign-in adds a small free credit (does not cover real-time listen-and-translate) |
Other tools publish dedicated podcast landings (for example competitor podcast pages observed in topic watch). This page describes BelliedMonkey’s paths only—not a ranked list.
FAQ
How do I get bilingual captions while listening to Spotify on iPhone?
Use the Spotify app with BelliedMonkey Live Subtitles (iOS 26), not an in-app extension overlay.
Can I use the browser extension on Spotify web?
On single-episode pages, when Spotify’s Read along is present, the extension can show bilingual text. That path is fragile. The extension does not AI-transcribe Spotify audio.
Does Apple Podcasts on the web support bilingual captions?
No. Use the native Mac or iPhone app with Live Subtitles.
What OS version do I need for Live Subtitles?
iOS 26 or macOS 26, plus screen and system-audio recording permission.
Is it free?
Currently free; no account needed. Optional sign-in adds a small free credit. Recognition for Live Subtitles runs on your device at no charge; correction and translation use the translation engine. The free credit does not cover real-time listen-and-translate.
Where does my audio / text go?
Live Subtitles recognition runs on your device. If you use your own API key, your key is stored on your device and requests go to the provider you choose. The free-credit route is relayed through BelliedMonkey’s server, which doesn’t store content.
Get started
Primary CTA: Get BelliedMonkey on the App Store (Mac and iPhone). Currently free. Original and translation, while you listen.
Secondary (only for the Spotify-web Read along case): Chrome / Firefox extension — not the main CTA for podcast listening in native apps.
International build: belliedmonkey.cc. Mainland China App Store edition: belliedmonkey.com.