Video caption editing services

How the service runs

1. 01

   Term list

   Names, products and specialist words.

   Output: Glossary

2. 02

   Draft

   Automatic captions or transcript.

   Output: Draft text

3. 03

   Check and time

   Every line against the audio.

   Output: Checked captions

4. 04

   Format

   Caption file or burned-in style.

   Output: Formatted captions

5. 05

   Deliver

   Files per platform.

   Output: Final captions

The term list

Product names, people's names, place names, acronyms and industry terms are where captions can go wrong. A short list from you lets the editor get them right first time and spell them consistently across every video. Add to it as new terms appear.

Caption outputs

Checking and timing

The editor listens to the full video, corrects every error, splits text into short lines at natural pauses and times each line to appear with the speech. Overlapping speakers, quiet speech and background noise need particular care.

Burned-in styles

For social clips, a consistent burned-in style, with font, size, colour, background and position, keeps captions readable and recognisable. The style should be tested on a phone so captions sit clear of platform buttons and labels.

Warning signs in a caption service

• Automatic captions passed off as checked

  Errors remain.

• Long caption blocks

  Hard to read on phones.

• Inconsistent spelling of names

  No term list used.

• Captions under the interface

  Not checked on a phone.

Example: a back catalogue for a training provider

What you should receive

Uploading captions

YouTube's help explains that caption files can be uploaded in YouTube Studio, with or without timing. The service can supply files ready to upload, or upload them for you if given access.

Briefing the service

Share your term list, the videos or links, the platforms they are on, whether you need files, burned-in versions or both, and any style guide.

Turnaround

Caption checking takes time in proportion to the length and complexity of the speech. Agree a turnaround per video and, for back catalogues, a batch schedule that starts with your most important or most watched videos.

Speaker labels and sound descriptions

For videos with several speakers, the service can add labels or position captions to show who is talking. For viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, important sounds, such as applause, music starting or a phone ringing, can be described in brackets. Agree whether these are wanted, since they suit some videos more than others.

Transcripts

A clean transcript, produced from the checked captions and lightly edited for reading, can sit alongside a video on your website. It helps people who prefer to read and can be searched.

Other languages

Captions in other languages are a translation task. If needed, ask whether the service works with fluent translators or quote this separately.

Ownership

Caption files and transcripts should be yours to reuse. Keep them with each video's master files, so captions can be reattached if videos are re-uploaded or moved to a new platform.

Accessibility

Accurate captions are an important part of making videos accessible. If you have accessibility requirements from customers or funders, share them with the service.

Your review

You may want to review captions for important videos before they are published, especially for names and claims. Agree how corrections are sent and how quickly they are made.