Put Live Captions on the Projector Without Covering the Lyrics

Why the projector screen is already spoken for

Most churches that want live captions already have a screen doing another job: worship lyrics, sermon points, verse references, announcements. Adding translated captions can feel like a choice between two bad options, either replace the slides with a caption view during the whole service, or leave captions off because there is nowhere to put them.

There is a third option. Sermon Translate's Subtitle mode includes a free desktop subtitle bar for Windows and Mac that floats over any window on the screen, including your slide software. It does not take over the display, it sits on it, so the congregation can keep reading the lyrics your team already prepared and still see translated captions during the parts of the service that are spoken.

Three ways to add captions to a screen your slides already own

All three read the same live translation. The difference is only where the text appears, not how it is produced. For a church that also streams the service, the same Copy OBS URL link works as a Browser Source in OBS or Streamlabs, so the in-room setup and the livestream setup can share one caption feed.

Setting up the floating bar so it clears the lyrics

1. Install the free Sermon Translate desktop app for Windows or Mac on the computer already running the slides.
2. On the device that hears the sermon, open Subtitle mode and choose up to 5 caption languages.
3. Open the floating subtitle bar from the desktop app. It stays on top of every window without taking over the screen.
4. Drag the bar to a strip your slide template does not use, most churches choose the very bottom or very top of the screen.
5. Size the text and test it against a real slide, with the words the preacher will actually use, before people arrive.

Because the bar floats independently of the slide software, your media volunteer can keep changing slides normally while the bar keeps translating underneath, and both stay on the same screen the church already built its worship flow around.

What to do during the songs

Sung lyrics are harder to recognize than speech, so live captions of a song will be patchy at best. The workable pattern most churches land on is simple: run the floating bar during spoken parts, welcome, announcements, Scripture reading, the sermon, and hide or close it when the slides move to song lyrics, letting the slide software carry the words alone.

• Turn the bar on when a person starts speaking, and let your media volunteer close it for each song.
• If the sermon has a call and response or a spoken prayer with a printed response, treat that as speech and keep the bar on.
• Do not expect the captions to translate a hymn title or a sung chorus reliably, print those on the slide as usual.

Working with the person who runs your slides

Adding a caption layer works best when it is one more job the slides operator already owns, not a second volunteer competing for the same screen.

• Decide in advance who turns the bar on and off, usually the same person clicking through the slide deck.
• Add the pastor's name, ministry names, place names and any hymn titles to the church glossary, part of the Standard plan, so they are captioned the same way every week.
• Walk through one full run of order of service together before a Sunday that matters, spoken parts and songs both, so the handoff between the bar and the slides feels normal by the time guests are watching.

Honest limits before you rely on it

Next step

Use the free monthly hour to try this on the computer already running your slides. Install the desktop app, open Subtitle mode, drag the floating bar to a strip your template does not use, and test it during a spoken announcement before a real service. For the full setup from microphone to the first Sunday, follow the step by step guide to translating a whole service. Subtitle mode is included in Standard and Pro, or it is a $10 a month add-on on Basic, and the add-on needs an active paid plan; current numbers are always on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Can translated captions share the same screen as our worship slides?

Yes. The free desktop subtitle bar floats over any window, including your slide software, so it can sit as a strip on the same screen instead of replacing the slides.

Do live captions work during singing?

Not well. Sung lyrics are harder to recognize than speech, so most churches close the caption bar during songs and let the slide software show the printed lyrics, then reopen it for the next spoken part.

Which plan includes the floating subtitle bar?

Subtitle mode, including the floating desktop bar and the Subtitles page, is included in Standard and Pro. On Basic it is a $10 a month add-on, and the add-on needs an active paid plan. On the free plan it works against the free monthly hour.

Does the congregation need an account to read the projector captions?

No. Anyone in the room can read a shared screen without an account. Members who want captions on their own phone need their own account, unless they scan the church's QR code (QR Code Join, included in every plan).

Can the screen show more than one caption language at once?

Yes. The Subtitles page shows up to 5 caption languages at the same time, each on its own line, which still fits in a strip alongside your slides.

Try Sermon Translate at your next service

Start with 1 free hour every month, no credit card needed. Plans start at $19.99 a month.