YouTube: Captions & Transcripts

Web accessibility requires a transcript for all videos linked on the web page. Closed captions provide a transcript of any audio in a video within the video player.  Unlike a transcript, the caption does not provide a description of the visual elements in the video.  Captions are helpful by providing the audio information for those who need it without the need for opening/downloading an additional document.

Transcripts provide:

• audio information for hearing impaired users (also helpful for non-native speakers and those with some learning disabilities)

• narrative of the visual elements not already included in the audio transcript for visually impaired users

Closed captions provide:

• audio information for hearing impaired users (also helpful for non-native speakers and those with some learning disabilities)

Standards:

All videos must have captions and transcripts.

Captions are added in YouTube and are automatically included in the YouTube embed code.

Transcripts are linked after the embedded video player or video link.

It is highly recommended that the transcript is included in the video widget. This way, the transcript is always bundled with the video.

Transcripts should open in the same window, per accessibility link standards. Transcripts may be PDFs but it is highly recommended that they are web pages. We are investigating opening transcripts in pop-up windows, but there are ADA concerns that must be addressed before these are implemented. 

YouTube may create captions for your videos.  This does take some time depending on the length of the video.  It may take a few hours.  YouTube provides some information about their automatic captioning tool.

View and edit automatic captions

1. You must use Chrome or Firefox.  Do not use IE!
2. Log into YouTube.  Check with your department for the proper YouTube account.
3. Click Video Manager.
4. Find your video in the list (or upload it), and click the Edit button.
5. Select Subtitles and CC from the drop-down menu.
6. In the "Add new subtitles or cc", click the caption in the Published section.  It is probably titled "English (automatic)".
7. Click the "Edit" button in the upper right of the screen.
8. Edit the captions.
9. Click the Save button.
10. On the "Add new subtitles or cc" page there should now be two captions listed.  Click the "English (automatic)" caption and unpublish it.

Hopefully you used a script when you created the video.  If so, you can use the script as your caption file. 

If you do not have a script, you'll need to create a caption of the video's audio. Luckily YouTube provides tools to make this (relatively) easy.

To create a caption file in YouTube:

1. You must use Chrome or Firefox.  Do not use IE!
2. Log into YouTube.  Check with your department for the account you should use.
3. Click Video Manager.
4. Find your video in the list (or upload it), and click the Edit button.
5. Select Subtitles and CC from the drop-down menu.
6. Click Add new subtitles or CC.
7. Click on English.
8. Click the Transcribe and auto-sync button.

If you have a script:

Copy the text from the script into the Type what's spoken here box.

It's a good idea to listen to the video and edit the script to accurately reflect what you actually said in the video.

If you do not have a script:

Click the play button to watch the video.  Type the audio transcript into the Type what's spoken here box as you listen.

Be sure the Pause video while typing box is checked. 

Use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.  The captions will display in the video exactly as you type them here.  Don't worry about line or paragraph breaks.  YouTube will do all of that for you.

YouTube saves as you type.

13. When you are satisfied with the transcript, click the Set timings button. YouTube will automatically sync your text to the video's audio.  This may take some time, depending on the length of the video.
14. When YouTube is done, you'll be returned to the Add new subtitles or CC page.
15. In MY DRAFTS, click the transcript you just made. It is probably titled English and has a time stamp of whenever you last edited it. This takes you to your transcript, which is now in a closed caption format.  You'll see there are now time stamps next to each line of text.
16. Play the video through and adjust the caption timing as needed.
17. When you are happy with the timing, click the Save button.
18. On the "Add new subtitles or cc" page verify the caption file you created is the only listed in the Published section.  If there is another one, click it and unpublish it.

Each department manages their own transcript library. Check with your department to find out where your video transcript should go and how it should look.

Creating the transcript

If you have a script, that is your transcript.  Talk to your department about converting the script to a transcript.

If you do not have a script, I recommend exporting the caption file and using that to create the transcript.  

Export a caption file from YouTube

1. Go to the Video Manager.
2. Find your video and select Subtitles and CC from the drop-down menu.
3. Click on the caption in the Published section of the page.
4. In the Action drop-down menu on the left, select Download.
5. Choose the Original Format.

Once you have downloaded the caption file, you'll need to remove the time stamps.  I find it easiest to

1. open the caption file with Notepad, and then
2. copy from Notepad to Excel, then
3. find/replace on the time stamps to delete them.

It is best practice to create a media widget asset that includes the transcript link.  This is the preferred method, as the transcript is always included with the video.

The easiest way to create a media widget is to build the video and associated links in a rich text box, then copy the html code into a widget.