There’s no escaping video content nowadays! YouTube tutorials, Facebook reels, business webinars, entertainment shows, you name it! However, have you ever watched a video in a loud basement or gym, or had the sound turned off, and because of the text at the bottom, you could still understand it all?
Well, that’s what closed captioning is! A recent study found that 80% of viewers are more likely to complete a video when they have captions available. Closed captioning is more than just a convenience; it is necessary.
Not only does it make the content available to those who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, but it also boosts video SEO, gets viewer engagement, and improves overall user experience.
Regardless of whether you are a content creator, marketer, business owner, or just curious, knowing the role of closed captioning can elevate your video game.
Let’s take a closer look at captions and understand their importance!
What Is Closed Captioning?
Closed captioning is the presentation of words on a video that corresponds to the audio content, which includes spoken dialogue (like whatever a presenter is saying), sound effects, and sometimes even sounds in the background.
The term “closed” distinguishes this feature from open captions, which are always on, since you may choose to turn closed captions on or off.
Closed captioning was designed to serve the needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing population to help them make sense of the audiovisual content, but now everyone uses it, from people riding public transportation and watching videos silently to a person learning a new language and using multilingual subtitles.
So next time you’re watching a video and words pop up at the bottom of the screen telling you what was said—and sometimes even that a door slammed or music was playing—then you’ll know you’ve viewed closed captions!
Types of Closed Captioning
Closed captions are not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Here are the different types of closed captioning you can expect:
1. Offline Captions
These captions are pre-recorded, and they are added in post-production. These are the captions you see on YouTube videos, TV shows, and movies.
2. Real-time Captioning
These captions are produced on the spot during broadcasts, webinars, or events. These are usually made with speech recognition software or human transcriptionists.
3. Pop-on Captions
These captions present text one sentence at a time, making them easier to read.
4. Roll-up Captions
These captions have the text scrolling upward and are typically used for news or live events.
5. Paint-on Captions
These are captions that present one word or character at a time; they are compatible with the many possible motion effects.
6. Multilingual Subtitles
These are translated captions and can help improve understanding for non-native speakers.
All of the above types of captions have their purpose and their audience, depending on the content that you want to show and the platform that you want to share it on.
Why Closed Captioning Is Crucial for Your Videos?
Here are the facts: adding captions is no longer solely about accessibility. It’s about reach, impact, and inclusion. First and foremost, it means your videos are accessible to over 430 million people globally who experience disabling hearing loss.
That is a significant audience!
But it doesn’t stop there: Captions allow people to consume video content in public, where they can’t turn up the sound (think restaurants, cafes, trains, subways, etc.). They often increase engagement, as they can hold viewers’ attention for a longer period.
They are an advantage for people learning a new language. They even help with understanding when a speaker has a strong accent, uses technical terms, or when the audio is not clear.
Plus, let’s not forget that captioning helps your content comply with legal requirements like ADA compliance (Americans with Disabilities Act), which is especially important for educational institutions and organizations.
How Closed Captioning Works?
Are you curious about what happens behind the scenes when captions magically appear?
Here’s how it works:
1. Audio Transcription
The spoken component is transcribed into a text script, either by a human or with speech recognition technologies.
2. Time Synchronization
The text creates time-coded material that syncs with the video perfectly.
3. Formatting
Styling can be applied, including line breaks, punctuation, speaker identification, etc.
4. Embedding or Uploading
Captions are either embedded into the video file or uploaded in an individual file in a sidecar fashion (e.g., .srt, .vtt).
5. Quality Check
This process ensures no inaccuracies in the spelling, timing, and readability.
There is the option for auto-subtitling on some platforms, but the unfortunate reality is that most need some kind of additional manual editing to ensure quality.
We are still reliant on human intelligence as AI has not reached the point of perfection – yet!
Best Practices for Creating Effective Closed Captions
Quality captions go well beyond typing what you hear. If you want to the best of your abilities, follow these practices:
- Keep sentences short and readable (no longer than 2 lines at a time).
- Be careful to synchronize your caption with the audio output accurately.
- With captions, you should practice correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
- When more than one speaker is present, identify who the speakers are.
- When there are important non-verbal sounds, be sure to describe them in brackets (e.g., [music playing], [door creaks]).
- Make sure there is a contrasting difference between the text and the background.
- Review and proofread your captions to check for issues with transcription.
- Choose a font size and style that is easy to read on all screen sizes.
Common Mistakes in Closed Captioning
Even the best of intentions with captions can go astray. Avoid these common mistakes:
- Replacing all human intervention in the captioning process with auto-captioning and not making any edits.
- Not paying attention to sync—captions that fall out of sync annoy.
- Not incorporating important sound effects or background audio.
- Using complicated or overly lengthy sentences.
- Forgetting to indicate tone (e.g., sarcasm, laughter).
- Not responding to multilingual subtitling when targeting a global audience.
- Not using enough contrast, so the caption is hard to read.
- Captioning is meant to help, not confuse or distract—so quality is important!
Tools and Software for Closed Captioning
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, here are some awesome tools to help you caption your content like a champ:
1. YouTube Studio
Free auto-captioning with manual editing options.
2. Rev
A paid transcription & captioning service with human accuracy.
3. Otter.ai
AI-based speech recognition with real-time captioning.
4. Amara
A user-friendly resource for community-based captioning and translation.
5. Kapwing
An online video editor with auto-subtitles and other functions.
6. Description
Advanced audio/video editing with transcribing and captioning functions.
7. Adobe Premiere Pro
The key for professionals who are creating long-form content that requires an extensive captioning process.
8. Subtitle Edit
Open-source software is particularly useful for manual syncing and editing.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution—choose what aligns best with your budget, timeline, and project requirements.
How Closed Captioning Impacts Video SEO
Now let’s discuss the business aspect—video SEO. While search engines like Google cannot “watch” your videos, they can read text. And that is where captions provide an incredible SEO advantage for your video:
1. Indexing
Search engines index your captions and transcription so that anyone can find your content.
2. Keyword Optimization
When your spoken keywords are included in captions, it helps with ranking.
3. User Experience
Higher engagement rates lead to better dwell time.
4. Multilingual Reach
Multilingual subtitles open your video up for international audiences.
5. ADA Compliance
Captioned videos follow accessibility standards, which boosts your credibility.
In short, closed captioning helps your videos rank better, reach more people, and get more clicks—what’s not to love?
Final Thoughts
At this point, you have a thorough understanding of what closed captioning is and how it can dramatically improve any video content you create today.
From making video content more accessible and inclusive to allowing video SEO benefits and increasing engagement, there is a lot that closed captions will do for you behind the scenes.
At Naarg, we believe that accessibility and engagement can go together. Wherever you publish content, whether you are producing educational videos, marketing content, or entertainment, we will work with you to deliver expert closed captioning and localization services that convey your message effectively and to the widest possible audience.
Would you like to enrich your video content with high-quality, accurate captions?
Contact us today to learn more about how our professional captioning will elevate the experience of your collateral.
