On YouTube, 80% of the views come from outside the US. Subtitles take this even further by opening video content up to audiences around the world. You also add in viewers who might have trouble processing auditory or speech components in media, as well as over a billion second or foreign language English speakers. With captions, you add viewers to your audience who would normally be unable to fully comprehend the video because of hearing impairment. Reaching new audiences is a cornerstone of business success.
Closed captioning definition how to#
Learn how to optimize ROI of Video captions > Why Successful Businesses Invest in Captions and SubtitlesĬaptions and subtitles are invaluable tools for audience expansion, viewer engagement, content retention, and improved video discovery and SEO. Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing take this one step further, providing accessibility to those with hearing disabilities in more than one language. Globalization has increased the use of subtitles, with many video producers seeing the value in making content available in more than one language. Subtitles, on the other hand, were developed to make multimedia available to viewers who may not speak the language used in the video. Even more prevalent these days, captions allow viewers to understand videos that show up on social media news feeds, which play the video on silent by default. For example, captions allow viewers to follow the story when sound can’t be heard, either because of a noisy environment, such as the gym, or because of a sound-sensitive environment, such as a hospital. While captions ensure accessibility, they are useful for a variety of other reasons. These laws and guidelines apply across government, education, entertainment, and business to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the FCC’s CVAA, and the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) all require captions for multimedia. Different Purposes for Captions and Subtitles The International Symbol of Access for Hearing LossĬlosed captioning was developed to aid individuals with hearing impairments. SDHH contain information about background sounds and speaker changes, along with a translation of the script. Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are written for viewers who may not be able to hear the audio. Standard subtitles assume the viewer hears the audio. These accompany foreign films for example.
Subtitles are translations for people who don’t speak the language of the medium. Open captions are different from closed captions in that they are part of the video itself and cannot be turned off.
Closed captions can be turned on or off with the click of a button. They are in the language of the medium rather than a translation to another language.Ĭaptions can either be open or closed. The Differences Between Captions and SubtitlesĬaptions are a text version of the spoken part of a television, movie, or computer presentation. Let’s taken a closer look at the differences and similarities. While both display text on the screen, the purpose for using each is different. Captions and Subtitles - What’s the Difference?Ĭaptions and subtitles are distinct but overlap in many ways.