SUBSpeak Back to App
The Project

About SUBSpeak

An accessibility-focused subtitle reader that reads subtitles aloud in real time — combining subtitles, text-to-speech, and a clean custom interface in one lightweight, fully private app.

All Subtitle Formats
100% Client-Side
0kb Data Uploaded
Free Always
What is SUBSpeak?
SUBSpeak is an accessibility-focused subtitle reader designed to improve how people consume video content. It reads subtitles aloud in real time, allowing users to listen to on-screen text as it appears — instead of relying only on visual subtitles, users can hear them clearly through speech.

SUBSpeak enhances the viewing experience by combining subtitles with intelligent speech output and customisable display controls. Whether the content is for entertainment, education, or language learning, it helps users understand videos more comfortably and effectively.
Why SUBSpeak?
SUBSpeak was created with a simple belief: accessibility should not be locked behind a paywall.

We are one of the very few free tools that provide real-time subtitle-to-speech functionality without restricting essential features. Many platforms treat accessibility as a premium add-on. We do not.

Access to information, entertainment, and education is not a luxury. Subtitles already exist in most videos — but for many users, simply displaying them is not enough. They need them to be heard. SUBSpeak exists to bridge that gap.
We believe accessibility should be practical, easy to use, and available to everyone — without subscriptions, hidden costs, or complicated setups. That is why SUBSpeak exists.
Who Is It For?
Many people rely on subtitles to understand video content, especially when watching films, lectures, or shows in a language that is not their own. But reading fast-moving text on screen can be tiring and, in many cases, inaccessible.
  • Blind users who rely on speech output — subtitles are often the only source of translation in foreign content, and without speech support that information is inaccessible.
  • Low vision users who need adjustable subtitle size and reduced visual strain.
  • Language learners consuming foreign media who want to hear pronunciation alongside reading.
  • Students watching educational content who process audio better than text.
  • Anyone who simply prefers listening to subtitles rather than reading them.
Accessibility is not a feature here. It is the foundation.
Features
Real-Time Subtitle to Speech
Converts subtitles into speech the moment they appear — no delay, no manual triggering. As the subtitle changes, speech follows automatically, letting users follow content without switching between reading and listening.
Dynamic Speed Adjustment
Intelligently adjusts speech speed based on the time window between subtitle lines. Prevents sentences from being cut off and keeps narration synchronised with the video at all times.
Embedded Subtitle Detection
When a video contains embedded subtitles, SUBSpeak detects and loads them automatically using FFmpeg WASM. Users don't need to find separate subtitle files — just open the video.
Subtitle Size Control
Adjustable subtitle size for low vision users and anyone who finds small text difficult to follow. Set text size to match personal comfort — settings are saved automatically.
Streaming URL Support
Load videos directly from streaming URLs without downloading large files. Paste a stream link, play inside SUBSpeak, and get subtitles read aloud in real time — no local files needed.
Full Privacy
Your files never leave your device. Everything — parsing, TTS, playback, FFmpeg extraction — runs 100% locally in the browser. No accounts, no tracking, no data uploaded. Ever.
Persistent Settings
Subtitle size, speech speed, delay, voice, and all other settings are saved automatically. No need to reconfigure every session — SUBSpeak remembers your preferences.
Clean Interface
Designed to stay out of the way. The focus stays on the content — subtitle interaction is clear, direct, and distraction-free for every type of user.
Built With
Vanilla JS Web Speech API FFmpeg.wasm WebVTT TextTrack API CSS Custom Properties HTML5 Video Service Worker Syne & DM Sans
The Story Behind SUBSpeak
theFonK
theFonK
Author's Message

Hey folks. There is actually a story behind this project — and it's a pretty interesting one. So here it goes.

I'm a huge anime fan. The kind of person who can spend hours watching episodes back to back. But there's one small problem: I have severe visual difficulties. In simple terms, I'm almost blind, which means reading subtitles is extremely difficult for me.

Because of that, I usually watch anime in English dub. It's the only way I can comfortably follow the story. But as many anime fans already know… not every anime gets a dub.

So most of the time, I would simply skip those shows. But one day, there was this one anime I just couldn't ignore. The internet basically says that if you call yourself an anime fan and haven't watched it… you're missing out.

Yes, I'm talking about Overflow. If you know, you know.

At that point it was clear — I had to watch it somehow. That's when the idea hit me: What if subtitles could simply be read aloud?

Instead of struggling to read fast text on screen, a tool could convert subtitles into speech and let me follow the story through audio. And that's how the first idea of SUBSpeak was born.

Now, there's a running joke on the internet that many technological inventions happened because of… let's just say very strong motivation. So yeah, maybe this project belongs in that category too.

But jokes aside — while this project started as something fun and experimental, it quickly turned into something genuinely useful. There are many people who struggle with subtitles for different reasons: blindness, low vision, or simply difficulty keeping up with fast dialogue. And surprisingly, there are very few tools that actually solve this problem properly.

A project that started from a random anime moment ended up becoming a tool that can genuinely help people consume content more comfortably.
Creator