Notse runs on two machines — you'll download both: the Prompter (Mac) and the Helper (the Windows PC that runs PowerPoint). Just exploring? The Mac app alone runs a free Demo Mode.
Quick start ↓ · All versions on GitHub →
Commercial · License · …Networked live teleprompter for broadcast.
Notse separates the talent-facing prompter from the slide-driving graphics rig — mirroring how pro broadcast workflows already operate. A Mac runs the prompter; a Windows helper drives PowerPoint via Microsoft COM in real time. Networked over LAN, no cloud round-trip.
Quick start
Notse runs across two machines — you'll set up both the Prompter (Mac) and the Helper (Windows). About five minutes.
- Windows PC (runs PowerPoint): download the Helper and double-click to install (per-user, no admin). Allow the firewall prompt on Private networks (port
9816). - Mac: download Notse and drag it to Applications. On first launch, allow the Local Network prompt — the Helper won't connect without it.
- Put both machines on the same network.
- In Notse on the Mac, connect to the Helper from the settings panel.
- Open your deck in PowerPoint — your speaker notes appear in the prompter. Edit with
Cmd+E; changes write back to the slide.
How it works
A two-machine system. One drives the slides, the other shows the prompter.
Graphics machine (Windows)
Runs PowerPoint and a small Notse Helper service. The helper polls PowerPoint via Microsoft COM at high frequency, tracking slide position and click-triggered build animations. State changes push to the Mac instantly.
Operator machine (Mac)
Runs Notse.app — the formatted prompter window the talent or operator reads from. Edits in the prompter (Cmd+E) write back to the PowerPoint file via COM, so prompter content and slide notes stay in sync. Arrow keys remote-control slides on the graphics machine.
The two communicate over LAN via WebSocket on a configurable port (default 9816).
What it does today
… — Latest release
Live PowerPoint integration
The Windows helper polls PowerPoint via Microsoft COM and pushes slide-position and build-state changes to the Mac in real time.
Bidirectional note editing
Cmd+E writes prompter edits back to the PowerPoint file via COM. Keep prompter content and slide notes in sync without leaving the prompter.
Build-aware rendering
When slides have click-triggered animations, Notse shows build indicators so the operator knows exactly when to advance.
Slide control from the Mac
Arrow keys advance/reverse slides on the graphics machine. Cmd+B toggles slideshow, s opens jump-to-slide picker, Cmd+O opens the slide list panel.
Pre-cached notes
All slide notes are fetched when the slideshow starts, so jumping around feels instant — even with hundreds of slides.
Dynamic prompter formatting
Tick mark customization, bullet formatting, alternating row colors, live-resizable build indicators.
Code-signed on Mac and Windows
Apple Developer ID signed, notarized, stapled — download, mount, drag to Applications, launch with no Gatekeeper friction. The Windows helper installer is Authenticode signed, so it installs without SmartScreen warnings. In-app updater for new versions.
License + diagnostics built in
Keygen.sh-backed activation with offline expiry and 3-machine fingerprinting. One-shot field-log push (Mac and Windows) for remote diagnosis.
In beta now
Shipped and downloadable today — switch on beta updates in Notse's settings to follow the pre-release track. Your app and Windows helper move together, and you can switch back to stable at any time.
Auto-scroll Beta
Hands-off scrolling at an operator-set pace — spacebar to play and pause, bracket keys for speed. Reading speed stays constant when you change font size, so retuning the pace mid-show isn't necessary.
Mirror and flip Beta
Text reads correctly through beam-splitter and presidential prompter glass, with an independent vertical flip for inverted mounts. The operator's own panel stays unmirrored.
Coming soon
Active development — these aren't shipped yet.
Document Mode In progress
Run the prompter straight from a live Word document — no slideshow required. Notse reads the document while it's open in Word and follows edits as the writer makes them, holding the operator's place on the page instead of jumping back to the top. Built and running; heading into release testing. Keynote, Google Docs and Google Slides sources planned next.
NDI output Planned
Clean teleprompter feed broadcast over the network for ingest into video switchers (OBS, vMix, broadcast production setups). The headline pro broadcast feature.
Prompter output window Planned
A dedicated full-screen talent display on a second output, separate from the operator's control window — a software confidence monitor with selectable aspect ratios.
Bookmarks and jump-to Planned
Named markers you can hotkey straight to, plus quick temporary snapshots for the spot you just left. Headings and slide titles become jump targets automatically.
Operator telemetry Planned
Live words-per-minute, time remaining to air, and an end-of-script warning — so the operator can pace a read instead of guessing at it.
Hand controllers and foot pedals Planned
Native support for the physical scroll controllers, pedals and wheels operators already own, without third-party key-mapping tools in the middle.
Run order Planned
Load several scripts or segments as one show, reorder them, and jump between them live — for multi-segment events rather than a single continuous read.
PowerPoint Mac helper Planned
AppleScript-based helper to unblock Mac-only show rigs — no Windows machine required. Keynote and Google Slides helpers planned next.
Multi-Mac failover Exploring
A second operator Mac tracking the first's position, ready to take over — redundancy that matches the rest of a high-stakes show rig.
Audio auto-follow Exploring
Speech tracking that scrolls the prompter to match what the speaker has actually said. Hands-off operation for solo presenters.
System requirements
Operator (Mac)
macOS 12+ on Apple Silicon or Intel. Notse.app runs the prompter window.
Graphics (Windows)
Windows 10 or 11 with PowerPoint. Notse Helper service drives slide tracking via COM. Mac graphics-machine support is in development.
Network
Both machines on the same LAN. WebSocket on configurable port (default 9816). No cloud account, no browser.
License
- One activated machine (Keygen.sh-backed, 3-machine fingerprint window)
- Notse.app for Mac + Windows helper
- All updates while subscription is active
- Email support
- Cancel anytime
Volume or custom terms
Buying for a production house, broadcaster, or fleet of machines? Get in touch for volume pricing, site licenses, or custom terms.
Built from inside the workflow
Jason Vaughan is a working technical director and graphics operator in live event production. Notse is built from inside the workflow it serves — designed by someone who runs the show, not just builds for it.
Source code is private. Public release artifacts (Mac DMGs, changelog) live at github.com/Jason-Vaughan/notse-releases.