Creating Captions

Scope

This page addresses developing captions for pre-recorded media. Live captions are usually done by professional Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) providers. Live captions are not addressed on this page.

What is Included in Caption Files

Captions include all speech and other relevant non-speech sound, such as this-good-example.

Caption files include the time each phrase should be displayed. They also identify the speaker, for example, in interviews.

For optimum accessibility, the audio description is also provided as a separate caption file.

How Caption Files are Formatted

The most common format for captions on the web is WebVTT: The Web Video Text Tracks Format.

Other caption formats are: Timed Text Markup Language (TTML) and SRT.

Developing Captions

Most people who develop captions use software to help. There are several free captioning software programs and online services available. Some will create automatic captions that you can use as a starting point. Note that you will need to be edit automatic captions for accuracy.

[image of captioning software or service, probably YouTube since that's one many novies will use]

For example, YouTube provides automatic captions and tools for you to edit the captions, as described in Edit or remove captions – YouTube Help.

Captions and transcripts include the same text, so one can be used to develop the other.

Tips for Captions

Keep in mind that the main purpose of the captions is to provide information to people who cannot hear the audio. That will help you know what to sounds to transcribe, and what are not needed. The following are common practices, not requirements.

Specific for captions

For captions and transcripts

Editing Content

You can caption:
I just got so frustrated with my computer

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