Real-Time Translation Is Not Transcription. Here Is the Difference.
People confuse translation and transcription all the time. They sound similar, but they solve completely different problems. If you need to understand audio in a language you do not speak, transcription will not help you.
Transcription: same language, text form
Transcription converts spoken audio into written text in the same language. English speech becomes English text. Japanese speech becomes Japanese text. It is useful for accessibility, note-taking, and searchability, but it does not cross any language barrier.
Transcription tools are everywhere: YouTube auto-captions, meeting recorders, voice-to-text apps. They serve an important purpose, but if someone is speaking Korean and you only read English, a Korean transcript does not help you at all.
Translation: crossing the language barrier
Translation takes audio in one language and converts it into text in a different language. Japanese speech becomes English subtitles. Spanish audio becomes Portuguese text. This is the tool you need when the language being spoken is not one you understand.
Seagull is a real-time translation tool. It captures audio from your desktop and displays translated subtitles in your language as a floating overlay. It is not a transcription tool, and it is not designed for same-language note-taking. It is built for one purpose: helping you understand audio in languages you do not speak.
Why the distinction matters
When people search for "live subtitles" or "real-time captions," they often find transcription tools that only work in one language. These tools are useless for someone trying to follow a Japanese lecture, a Korean drama, or a Spanish podcast. Knowing the difference saves you from downloading the wrong app.
If your audio is in the same language you speak and you want text for accessibility or notes, use a transcription tool. If the audio is in a language you do not understand and you need to read it in your own language, you need a translation tool like Seagull.
How to Get Started
Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The app installs in seconds and requires no configuration.
Choose the language being spoken and the language you want to see. Seagull supports 40+ languages out of the box.
Seagull will transcribe and translate audio from any app in real time. Captions appear in a small overlay on your screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seagull a transcription tool?
No. Seagull is a translation tool. It takes audio in one language and displays subtitles in a different language. It is designed for cross-language understanding, not same-language text conversion.
Can Seagull transcribe audio in the same language?
Seagull is optimized for cross-language translation. If you need same-language transcription for accessibility or note-taking, a dedicated transcription tool would be a better fit.
Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. 1 hour free trial included.