Last updated August 18, 2021
Learn how to add video captions, audio transcripts, and audio description to your pre-recorded content.
Professional captioning and transcription services (pre-recorded)
Review the comparisons on pricing and turnaround time. Services will deliver ADA compliant content. Pre-recorded content should be above 99% accuracy.
How the process works:
- Set up an account and billing with the vendor of your choice
- Provide the vendor access to your media. The vendor will send or make available your caption, transcript, or audio description to upload to your media player.
Vendor options
New UW–Madison captioning, transcription, and audio description negotiated pricing contracts will take effect January 1, 2022 with 3Play Media, Automatic Sync Technologies (AST)/Verbit, and Cielo24. You are welcome to use any vendor you would like for captioning and transcription, but UW–Madison has negotiated discounted rates with the following vendors. See the Captioning, transcription, and audio description vendor rate comparison for more information.
CaptionSync (AST)/Verbit
The CaptionSync (AST)/Verbit self-service experience has some accessibility barriers. Refer to CaptionSync (AST) Accessibility and Usability Information for details.
3Play Media
The 3Play self-service experience has some accessibility barriers. Refer to 3Play Accessibility and Usability Information for details.
Cielo24
New non-English captioning and transcription negotiated pricing contract began January 1, 2022.
The Cielo24 self-service experience has some accessibility barriers. Refer to Cielo24 Accessibility and Usability Information for details.
Do it yourself captioning
The following are the basic steps to adding captions to your pre-recorded video content.
- Record a video
- Upload the video to the captioning service or tool
- Use the auto-captioning function or add a transcript you already have
- Review and edit the results for accuracy
- Share the appropriately captioned video
Captioning and transcription format
Captions and transcripts should include the following:
- Punctuation
- Who is speaking in brackets at the start of a new speaker
- Ambient sound in brackets if applicable to media content
- Vocal or emotional tone in brackets if applicable to media content
- For video, any on-screen text that is not read aloud in brackets
Learn more about bracket content format.
Add captions in Kaltura
Kaltura is a set of UW–Madison supported tools that allow you to pre-record your video (using Kaltura Capture) and then upload your video (to Kaltura MediaSpace) and add captions. Kaltura video player is an accessible player that is easy to use.
Steps for editing captions in Kaltura MediaSpace
- Install Kaltura Capture to record your video.
- Record your video/screen capture in Kaltura Capture using these best practices.
- Log in to Kaltura MediaSpace with your NetID and upload the video to Kaltura MediaSpace.
- Use the machine captioning function in Kaltura MediaSpace (“ordering machine captions”) to generate auto-captions. The results are approximately 75% accurate and are best recorded with a dedicated headset/microphone, and when there is a single speaker with no overlapping speech. Upon generation of machine captions, the suffix “auto-generated” will append to “English” in the caption options of the player.
- Review and edit the machine captioning results for accuracy and correct punctuation. In brackets, state who is speaking at the start of a new speaker and indicate relevant ambient sound or emotional tone if applicable. Editing on average takes 3.5 times the duration of the video. Once proofed for accuracy and edited, update the caption suffix by removing the term “auto-generated.”
- Share the captioned video to Canvas using Kaltura MediaSpace or using Kaltura My Media within Canvas.
Editing captions and transcripts from a recorded meeting
Some web conferencing platforms will allow you to download a transcript or caption file from a recorded event. If you use auto-captioning, this file will need to be edited for accuracy.
For more information about captioning live events, see Live captioning and sign language interpreting.
Webex
More information about Webex accessibility
Zoom
More information about Zoom accessibility
Microsoft Teams
More information about Teams accessibility
Audio descriptions
If your pre-recorded event has important visual content (such as presentation slides not described by the presenter, or visual action happening in a film) there needs to be an audio description of the visual experience.
You can add audio descriptions in two ways:
- Add audio descriptions yourself.
- Get professional audio descriptions. You are welcome to use any vendor you would like for audio description, but UW–Madison has negotiated discounted rates with 3Play.
For information on how to add audio descriptions, read about the audio description of visual information or see the Described and captioned media program’s description Key.
3Play Media
New negotiated pricing contract began January 1, 2022.
The Center for User Experience
At the Center for User Experience, we are committed to working with you to make digital spaces more accessible, usable and inclusive for all students, faculty and staff at UW–Madison. We help the university follow its Digital Accessibility Policy by offering free evaluation and consultation services to all UW–Madison community members.
Get in touch
- Meet with us: Book a quick chat with one of our team members to ask any questions you have.
- Start a project with us: We support accessible design and development. Fill out our Let’s Connect form to begin working with us on your project or to request an accessibility evaluation.
- Email us: Not sure if you’re ready to meet? Email us to start talking and figure out what to do next.