Auto-Captioning Videos in YouTube: Difference between revisions
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If you haven’t already, sign in and [https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407?hl=en&ref_topic=7505892 upload] your video to YouTube. | If you haven’t already, sign in and [https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407?hl=en&ref_topic=7505892 upload] your video to YouTube. | ||
# In the top-right corner, click on your user profile and select '''YouTube Studio''' from the dropdown menu. This will bring you to your ''' | # In the top-right corner, click on your user profile and select '''YouTube Studio''' from the dropdown menu. This will bring you to your '''Channel dashboard'''. | ||
# | # Click on '''Subtitles '''from the menu on the left. | ||
# Click on the video you wish to edit subtitles on. | # Click on the video you wish to edit subtitles on. | ||
# In the '''Video Subtitles''' tab and under the field '''Subtitles''', select the pencil icon for '''Details'''. | # In the '''Video Subtitles''' tab and under the field '''Subtitles''', select the pencil icon for '''Details'''. | ||
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== Tips for quality captions == | == Tips for quality captions == | ||
* 99% accuracy is the standard, but always aim for 100%. | A video having captions does not automatically mean the video is accessible. Poor captions can be a barrier to users, and not just for those with hearing impairment (according to studies, "98.6% of [college] students find captions helpful"—[https://www.3playmedia.com/resources/rs-student/ 3PlayMedia]). Keep the following tips in mind to ensure that your video captions are beneficial to all. | ||
* 99% accuracy is the industry standard, but always aim for 100%. That 1% makes a big difference. | |||
* Automatic captioning works best when the audio is clear and easy to understand (e.g., background music or certain accents can affect accuracy). | * Automatic captioning works best when the audio is clear and easy to understand (e.g., background music or certain accents can affect accuracy). | ||
* Grammar and punctuation matter! | * Grammar and punctuation matter! | ||
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== Additional resources == | == Additional resources == | ||
* For additional information regarding captioning standards, see [https://www.3playmedia.com/learn/popular-topics/closed-captioning/ 3Play Media's post: The Ultimate Guide to Closed Captioning]. | |||
* [https://www.3playmedia.com/blog/verizon-media-and-publicis-media-find-viewers-want-captions/ Verizon Media and Publicis Media Find Viewers Want Captions] (3Play Media) | |||
* For more information about adding captions to your YouTube video, [https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6373554?hl=en consult the official documentation]. | * For more information about adding captions to your YouTube video, [https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6373554?hl=en consult the official documentation]. | ||
[[Category:Accessibility]] | [[Category:Accessibility]] | ||
Latest revision as of 22:03, 26 June 2026
YouTube has provided a way to auto-create caption files from videos you have uploaded. However, the accuracy of the auto-captions is not 100% reliable, especially for disciplinary terms and other specialized language. Therefore, you need to go to the video manager within your YouTube channel and manually edit the captions. Because of this, we recommend you only use the auto-caption feature for shorter videos.
Instructions for auto-captioning
If you haven’t already, sign in and upload your video to YouTube.
- In the top-right corner, click on your user profile and select YouTube Studio from the dropdown menu. This will bring you to your Channel dashboard.
- Click on Subtitles from the menu on the left.
- Click on the video you wish to edit subtitles on.
- In the Video Subtitles tab and under the field Subtitles, select the pencil icon for Details.
- Test the captions for accuracy by playing the video and reviewing the text concurrently.
- To edit the captioning file, select the line that needs repair in the captioning editor text box.
- Use the + symbol to add and remove captions as needed.
Tips for quality captions
A video having captions does not automatically mean the video is accessible. Poor captions can be a barrier to users, and not just for those with hearing impairment (according to studies, "98.6% of [college] students find captions helpful"—3PlayMedia). Keep the following tips in mind to ensure that your video captions are beneficial to all.
- 99% accuracy is the industry standard, but always aim for 100%. That 1% makes a big difference.
- Automatic captioning works best when the audio is clear and easy to understand (e.g., background music or certain accents can affect accuracy).
- Grammar and punctuation matter!
- Most captions are 1–3 lines of text, are time-synced, and stay on screen for 3–7 seconds.
Additional resources
- For additional information regarding captioning standards, see 3Play Media's post: The Ultimate Guide to Closed Captioning.
- Verizon Media and Publicis Media Find Viewers Want Captions (3Play Media)
- For more information about adding captions to your YouTube video, consult the official documentation.