Do you want to make your YouTube videos accessible to a broader audience but are unsure where to begin? Our blog will help you navigate all available options for YouTube Closed Captioning!
Captions serve as the textual representation of your video. The dialogue and all sound effects are displayed on the video in real-time for the subscribers to read, helping them surpass various limitations imposed by their circumstances.
Does YouTube Have Automatic Closed Captions?
Before we discuss how to add closed captioning to a video, here’s what you must know first. YouTube does have automatic CC for videos. It uses speech recognition technology, which automatically analyses the audio and generates the CC. But, it may not always be accurate. If the audio quality is poor, the accent is tough to understand, or there is any other technical difficulty, you will have to edit the auto-generated captions later.
Understanding Closed Captions
Your YouTube video consists of spoken dialogues and audio elements; closed captions are overlay text that provides information to accompany it. Closed captions give viewers the option to turn them on and off according to their preference. These captions transcribe speech and can also aptly describe background sounds.
Closed Captions help viewers retain more information, making them highly useful in educational, tutorial, and unboxing video niches. On YouTube, viewers can adjust the font size, providing them with more control.
How Are Closed Captions Different From Open Captions?
Closed captions are flexible text overlays that cater to diverse audience needs. You can manually enter the preferred language, allowing the audience to choose their option. Furthermore, they can use them as needed. They include all the essentials sound descriptions. Open captions are embedded directly into the video, meaning they are always visible. Choosing between open and closed captions depends directly on your content goals.
What Are the Benefits of YouTube Closed Captioning?
You can have several Advantages of YouTube Closed Captioning, including
- Expand Reach – Closed captions allow users to consume your content without worrying about language barriers.
- Boost SEO – It directly feeds YouTube algorithms the textual content of your video.
- Improve Accessibility – The YouTube platform encourages differently abled subscribers to engage with your content.
- Supports Silent Viewing – Allows individuals to watch your videos even in situations that demand “device silencing.”
- Enhances Watch Time – With increased accessibility and the ability to understand the video more effectively, viewers will stay engaged for longer.
How to Add Closed Captioning On a YouTube Video?
YouTube Speech Recognition saves the day for creators who want to add subtitles without investing time in finding tools! YouTube helps creators with automated captions! Let’s explore how to add closed captions to a video!
1. Activate YouTube Closed Captioning for Specific Videos
- Visit your profile on YouTube Studio, and click on the left “menu.”
- Choose “Subtitles” and select the desired videos.
- Locate “Add Language” and choose your preferred language.
- Choose the options like Upload file, Auto-Sync, Type Manually, or Auto generate.
- Review and edit the captions for accuracy.
- Tap on Publish to make the captions live.
2. Make Automated Captions a Default Setting for All Videos
- Navigation: To access your YouTube Studio account, click on the circular display icon at the top right and then choose “Settings.”
- Option Settings: Click “Playback and performance” and tick the following options: “Always shows captions” and “Include auto-generated captions (when available).”
3. Add Closed Captions to YouTube Videos During Upload
- Upload a newly produced video to your YouTube Studio.
- Now, under the “Details” section, click “Add subtitles.”
However, YouTube’s auto-translate feature fully relies on Google’s faulty translation services, which is unreliable!
Manually Craft Crisp Closed Captions on YouTube TV
YouTube’s auto-generated captions are inefficient, which begs the question: How to add closed captions to a YouTube video manually? Read on for more details!
- Transcribe And Export: You will have to write all the dialogues spoken in your video; you can use transcribing tools for this. Then save and export your document as an SRT file.
- Using files: You can use tools to embed the SRT file in your videos, which will count as open captions. You can also create closed captions by simply uploading the SRT file on your chosen platform while publishing the video.
Tools to Pace up the Process of YouTube Closed Captioning
Now that you are familiar with adding closed captions to a YouTube video let’s walk you through free tools that relieve your burden!
1. Descript (Transcribing):
- Setting up Tool: Visit their website, download the app, and create your account.
- Automatic Captions: Drag & drop your video before getting it transcribed.
- Editing: The software will present you with an audio file, which allows you to see how each dialogue was converted into text – You can make changes wherever necessary.
2. Animaker (AI-generated Captions):
- Upload the desired video.
- Click on “auto-subtitle.”
- Further, adjust the subtitles to meet your needs.
While we have restricted our research to two free tools, creators still have more options to explore!
What are the Benefits of YouTube Closed Captioning?
We have walked you through all the steps on how to add closed captioning YouTube. Let us now discuss the benefits of adding CC to a YouTube video. It has numerous advantages for creators and viewers. Firstly, it enhances accessibility for viewers with hearing disabilities. The content becomes inclusive for all audiences. Captions also help non-native speakers better understand the dialogue, broadening the video’s global reach.
Adding captions to videos also increases viewer retention and keeps viewers engaged even in loud public places. Therefore, add closed captioning to video so your content improves in discoverability and visibility but also improves the video’s ranking on YouTube SERP, boosting SEO. Overall, closed captions create a user-friendly experience, increase watch time, and help videos perform better.
Conclusion
Adding closed captioning to video is no longer an add-on feature. It’s a powerful tool for engagement and accessibility, helping you grow your channel. From boosting your content’s SEO to creating an inclusive experience for your viewers, closed captions are YouTube’s built-in tool that you should start using immediately. Start captioning your video today to reach a wider audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Where is the closed caption setting on YouTube?
You can access the closed caption option when playing the video. Tap on the bottom right of the video player to toggle captions on or off.
Q2. How are subtitles different from closed captions??
Closed captions would have to be embedded manually into the video and wouldn’t be translated into different languages, unlike subtitles.
Q3. What are the rules for captions?
The rules for YouTube captions are to use Oxford commas and use ellipses for a significant pause. Furthermore, you can add quotation marks and italics for voice-overs.
Q4. Why add closed captions to the video?
Adding closed captions to a YouTube video helps provide viewers with accessibility, leading to increased engagement and a more inclusive experience.
Q5. How to Disable Closed Captions on YouTube TV?
To turn off closed captions on YouTube TV. Head to your YouTube Studio account. Navigate to the “Settings” and Untick the “Always Show Captions” option to remove subtitles.
Summary
- YouTube offers automatic closed captions using speech recognition technology, but these captions may require editing for accuracy.
- Creators can activate closed captioning for specific videos by using YouTube Studio to add languages and review captions before publishing.
- Manually adding closed captions involves transcribing dialogues, exporting them as SRT files, and uploading them to YouTube.
