Settings → AI Providers

This screen holds the API key that powers two AI features elsewhere in the app: Translate and AI Clean Up. Without a key configured here, both of those are unavailable.

Getting a DeepSeek API key

Click the platform.deepseek.com/api_keys link on this screen to create a key on DeepSeek's own site (opens in your browser). DeepSeek bills you directly for usage at their own pay-as-you-go rates — AI Subtitle Studio doesn't add any markup or separate subscription for this.

Saving your key

Paste the key into the API Key field (masked by default; click the eye icon to reveal it), then click Save API Key. A status message confirms success ("API key saved successfully") or flags a format problem ("Invalid API key format. Please check and try again."). Once saved, the card's badge switches from "Not Configured" to a green "Configured," and the footer status bar shows "DeepSeek configured."

Click Clear (only shown once a key is saved) to remove it — this immediately disables Translate and hides the AI Clean Up button until you add a key again.

Privacy note

Your API key is stored locally on your machine. When you use Translate or AI Clean Up, the subtitle text you're processing is sent to DeepSeek's servers directly from the app — video and audio files are never sent, only the text.

FAQ

Is DeepSeek the only translation provider?

Currently yes — the screen notes that support for more providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Translate) is planned.

What happens to my existing translations if I clear the key?

Nothing — already-translated/cleaned files on disk are unaffected. You just won't be able to run new AI translation or AI Clean Up passes until you add a key again.