Tellie Prompter 1.5

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Tellie Prompter 1.5 is a native macOS teleprompter application that utilizes on-device, real-time speech recognition to create an adaptive, interactive prompting experience. It falls under the technical categories of presentation software, video production tools, and assistive technology for public speaking.
2. Core Value Proposition: It exists to solve the fundamental rigidity of traditional teleprompters. Instead of forcing the speaker to follow a fixed scrolling speed, Tellie's core innovation is a voice-following teleprompter that listens and adapts to the user's natural delivery, enabling pauses, improvisation, and variable pacing without losing place in the script.

Main Features

1. Voice Follow: This is the engine of Tellie. It performs on-device speech recognition (leveraging macOS's native speech framework) to match spoken words against the loaded script in real-time. It does not simply detect sound but performs word-level matching, allowing it to intelligently scroll only when the user speaks the correct words. This works offline in over 40 languages and regional variants, ensuring complete privacy.
2. Stagehand: Introduced in version 1.5, this is a script coaching and analytics feature. Users can mark "must-cover" points within their script. Stagehand monitors the speech recognition output, checks off points as they are covered (even when paraphrased), and provides live warnings if a key point is about to be skipped or if the overall take is running long. After a recording, it provides a debrief with statistics.
3. Presenter Magic & Stealth Mode: Presenter Magic displays the script discretely within the Mac's screen notch area during full-screen presentations. Crucially, Tellie leverages macOS window exclusion APIs to be inherently invisible to screen capture (e.g., Zoom, QuickTime, OBS). This means the prompter text is never broadcast to the audience, requiring no configuration for supported apps.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: The disconnect between a speaker's natural, human delivery (with pauses, emphases, and ad-libs) and the mechanical, relentless scroll of a standard teleprompter. This leads to speakers rushing, losing their place when going off-script, or sounding robotic.
2. Target Audience: Video creators (YouTubers, course instructors), remote professionals (salespeople, executives giving quarterly reviews on Zoom), public speakers and presenters, actors and performers for self-taped auditions, podcasters recording video versions, and anyone who needs to deliver polished, scripted content naturally.
3. Use Cases: Recording scripted video content directly to camera; delivering flawless, engaging presentations on video conferencing platforms; practicing and recording audition tapes; conducting scripted live streams or webinars; giving important pitches or talks where timing and key message adherence are critical.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike cloud-based prompters like Descript or fixed-speed scrolling apps, Tellie operates locally with no subscription. Compared to hardware teleprompter rigs, it is software-only, uses your existing hardware, and is adaptive. Its key differentiator is the bidirectional interaction: it doesn't just output text, it processes your input (speech) to guide the output.
2. Key Innovation: The integration of real-time, on-device speech recognition as a control mechanism for scroll positioning. This "closed-loop" system where user speech directly governs the prompter's state, combined with semantic tracking of "must-cover" points (Stagehand), represents a significant shift from passive to active prompting technology.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How does Tellie Prompter work without an internet connection? Tellie uses Apple's on-device speech recognition framework, which processes audio locally on your Mac. No audio data is sent to external servers, enabling full functionality offline and ensuring privacy.
2. Can Tellie Prompter be seen on Zoom or screen recordings? No. Tellie is designed to be invisible to screen capture. It uses macOS system-level APIs to exclude its window from being recorded by Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, QuickTime, OBS, or any other screenshot utility, showing only your background or presentation.
3. What is the difference between Tellie free and Tellie Pro? The free version functions as a capable, manually scrolled or fixed-speed teleprompter. Tellie Pro unlocks the core AI features: Voice Follow (adaptive scrolling), Stagehand (script coaching and analytics), and Presenter Magic (notch display). The download includes a 10-day Pro trial.
4. Is Tellie a subscription service? No. Tellie Pro is a one-time purchase license ($29) that covers the current major version (1.x) with free updates. It includes a license for use on up to 3 personal Macs.
5. What are the system requirements for Tellie Prompter 1.5? Tellie requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. It is a native Apple Silicon (ARM) and Intel application, optimized for performance and efficiency, with a download size of approximately 3 MB.