Most ruined teleprompter takes have nothing to do with the script. The text ran away while you paused for effect, or it crawled while you were on a roll, or it stopped dead because the microphone stopped hearing you. How the words move matters as much as what they say.

There are three ways to move them: let the prompter listen to you, set it to a steady speed, or drive it yourself. Here is how each one behaves when you're recording yourself, and how to choose.

The three scroll modes in plain terms

Voice-following scroll

The prompter listens through your microphone, matches what it hears to the script, and moves the text along as you speak. Slow down and it slows down. Stop to think and it holds. In TeleprompterOnline this is the Auto scroll option, and it relies on the speech recognition built into your browser.

Fixed speed

The text moves at a pace you set, usually in words per minute, and keeps moving until you pause it. TeleprompterOnline starts at 110 WPM, which you raise or lower with a slider. A related option, Scroll time, takes a total duration instead and paces the script to finish exactly then.

Manual and phone remote

Nothing moves unless you, or a helper, move it: arrow keys or a swipe on the device, or a paired phone. In TeleprompterOnline you pair the phone by scanning a QR code, and it can play and pause, nudge the speed, jump to another section, and start or stop recording.

Which mode handles what

SituationVoice-followingFixed speedManual / remote
You pause to let a point landHolds while you're silentKeeps going unless you pause itStays put until you move it
Your pace changes section to sectionAdjusts with youOne speed for everythingFollows whoever is driving
The clip must hit an exact lengthVaries with your deliveryPredictable, especially with Scroll timeDepends on the operator
You ad-lib or skip linesTries to find its place againIgnores the changeYou choose where to resume
Noisy room or unusual vocabularyTest firstUnaffectedUnaffected
Browser has no speech recognitionNot availableWorksWorks

Treat the table as a starting point. Your room, microphone and speaking style decide the real answer.

What can trip up voice-following scroll

Voice-following is only as good as the recognition behind it, and that recognition comes from the browser, not from the teleprompter. Whether it's available at all, and how well it works, depends on:

  • your browser, since not every browser offers speech recognition to web pages;
  • the language of the script and the language setting the browser is listening for;
  • the microphone you've selected and how far you sit from it;
  • fans, traffic, music or a second voice in the room;
  • names, jargon and numbers the recognizer may not expect.

Depending on the browser, recognition may run on your device or through the browser maker's service. Your script and recordings aren't uploaded to our servers; the privacy policy has the details.

Small ad-libs are usually fine. Long tangents are harder, because the prompter has to find a match before it moves again. Our terms are frank that automated scrolling can mishear words or lose its place, so keep a manual fallback for any take that matters.

Where fixed speed falls short

Fixed speed is predictable, which is both its strength and its weakness. The scroll has no idea you paused, so after a long beat you're chasing the text up the screen. Speed up in a section you know well and you're waiting for it. Both show on camera as a sudden change in rhythm.

  • Start a notch slower than feels comfortable; it's easier to read slightly ahead than to chase.
  • Set the speed from a timed read, not a guess. Our word-count guide shows how to measure your pace.
  • Keep a pause control in reach, such as Space on the keyboard or the phone remote.

Match the mode to what you're recording

Webcam tutorial or course lesson

You'll stop to explain, point at things and restart sentences. Voice-following suits that rhythm in a quiet room. If recognition struggles, fall back to a slow fixed speed and pause when you need to.

Short vertical clip on a phone

For 20 to 45 seconds of tight copy, fixed speed or Scroll time keeps you on length. Voice-following works too, but the clip is short enough that a steady scroll is rarely a problem.

When every word has to be exact, use whichever mode lets you read without rushing, and rehearse it. A steady fixed speed is often easiest to trust here.

Filming from across the room

Standing back from a laptop, or reading through beamsplitter glass, puts the keyboard out of reach. A phone remote in your hand lets you pause, jump back for a retake and stop recording without walking to the computer.

Live webinar or presentation

Questions and slide changes break any script. Use the prompter for the opening and close, and drive it manually or with a helper on the remote in between.

A ten-minute test to settle it

Pick one paragraph of the real script and record it three times, once per mode, with the same camera, mic and framing. In each take, deliberately do three things:

  • Pause stop for a full breath after the second sentence.
  • Ad-lib add a short aside that isn't in the script, then return to it.
  • Repeat fluff a line and say it again, the way you would in a real take.

Watch the three clips back. Keep the mode where you looked calm and your eyes stayed steady, not the one that felt cleverest. Note the browser and mic you tested with, because a different setup can change the result. For the delivery side of the same test, see how to read a teleprompter naturally, and the TeleprompterOnline guide shows where each scroll setting lives.

Frequently asked questions

Does voice scrolling work offline?

It depends on the browser. Some recognize speech on the device; others send audio to the browser maker's service and need a connection. If you'll be offline, test it first or plan on fixed speed.

What words-per-minute setting should I start with?

Start from your measured reading pace and go slightly below it. If you haven't timed yourself, the 110 WPM default is a reasonable place to begin adjusting.

Can I switch modes mid-recording?

It's simpler to pick one mode per take. You can always pause any mode by hand, which covers most surprises.

Will voice scrolling understand my accent?

There's no guarantee either way. Recognition quality varies by browser, language, mic and room. A one-paragraph test in your real setup will tell you more than any spec sheet.

About this guide

TeleprompterOnline publishes this guide and builds the scroll modes it compares. Product behavior is described from our own documentation. Results depend on your browser, microphone and room, so test before a recording that matters.