Do you watch videos with the sound off? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of people watch videos without sound for a variety of reasons for example when they don’t just want to listen to an audio or when they are in places where they can’t listen. Whatever the reason, it’s important to make sure your videos are accessible to everyone by adding captions and subtitles. This blog post will discuss the importance of video captions and subtitles and how they can benefit your business!
What are Video Captions And Subtitles?
Video captions are text descriptions of the audio content added at the bottom of a video and users have an option to activate them especially if the video is posted on YouTube. Subtitles are text translations of the dialogue in a video.
Both captions and subtitles can be used to increase accessibility for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing and for viewers who don’t speak the language in which the video is filmed. In addition, captions and subtitles can provide additional information about the video’s content, such as identifying speakers or describing sound effects.
Five Best Video Captions And Subtitles Software
You’ll need good video captioning and subtitling software if you want to make your videos more accessible or add some cool text effects. Here are five of the best:
- HappyScribe: HappyScribe offers the most accurate and affordable transcription services. They offer a wide range of features to make your captioning and subtitling process easy and efficient. If you also would like to transcribe mp3 to text, this is a great tool that you can use.
- Aegisub: a free, open-source, cross-platform subtitle editor that supports various file formats and languages. It’s packed with features like typesetting, timing, and karaoke support.
- Amara is a free online tool that makes creating and editing subtitles easy. You can collaborate with others on your project, export your subtitles in multiple formats, and even embed them directly into your videos.
- Subtitle Edit: this is another free, open-source subtitle editor with support for many popular file formats
9 Reasons Why Video Captions And Subtitles Are Important
Video captions and subtitles are important for several reasons. These includes:
Captions and Subtitles Can Help People With Hearing Impairments
Video captioning and subtitles can be extremely beneficial for people with hearing impairments or who are hard of hearing. By providing a written record of what is said in a video, captioning and subtitles can help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to follow along and understand the content.
Additionally, captioning and subtitles can be used to provide translations of foreign-language videos, making them accessible to a wider audience. In many cases, captioning and subtitles are also required by law to provide accessibility for people with hearing impairments. As a result, captioning and subtitles can be important tools for ensuring that all viewers can enjoy and understand videos.
They Can Also Help People Who Don’t Speak the Same Language As the Video’s Audio Track Understand the Content
Video captions and subtitles help people who don’t speak the same language as the video’s audio track understand the content. Providing written information about what is being said in the video can help learners better understand and retain the material.
Captions and Subtitles Can Be a Valuable Learning Tool for People Who Are Studying a Foreign Language
Video captioning and subtitles can be a valuable learning tool for people studying a foreign language. Research has shown that captions and subtitles can help learners improve their comprehension, recall, and overall understanding of the material. Additionally, captions and subtitles can provide valuable exposure to authentic language use, helping learners develop their listening skills.
For these reasons, many language teachers now incorporate captioned and subtitled videos into their classes. So whether you’re watching a foreign film or TV show, keep an eye on the captions and subtitles – they just might help you learn something new.
Captions and Subtitles Can Improve Comprehension for People Who Are Watching Videos in a Noisy Environment or Where There Is Background Noise
Watching videos with captions and subtitles can be a major benefit for many people. This is especially true for those trying to watch in a noisy environment or where there is significant background noise. The captions and subtitles can help provide a clear understanding of the video, even when other sounds are present.
Also, they make it possible for viewers to watch videos without sound if they do so for any reason (e.g., at work or on a bus. Ultimately, the benefits of captioning and subtitling videos are clear, and they can be a major help for those trying to learn in difficult situations.
Captions and Subtitles Increase View Time
As the popularity of online video continues to grow, so does the demand for captioning and subtitling services. Captions and subtitles can improve engagement and view time. This is because captioning and subtitling make videos more accessible to viewers of all categories.
But they also provide a way for viewers to follow the video even if they can’t or don’t want to listen to the audio. Captioning and subtitling also make videos more searchable, which can help you reach a wider audience.
They Help Videos Rank Higher in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)
Adding captions and subtitles to your videos can have many benefits, both in terms of ranking higher in search engine results pages and terms of engagement with your audience. Search engines are increasingly prioritizing video content, and adding captions and subtitles can help your videos stand out.
Having the video appear on the search results means that many people can watch your videos.
Follow Along With a Video if You Are Watching It at a Faster or Slower Speed Than Intended
Video captioning and subtitles can be extremely beneficial for viewers who want to watch a video at a different speed than intended. By providing captions and subtitles, viewers can control the pace at which they watch the video without missing any important information. This can be especially helpful for those who want to watch a video more slowly to understand it better or for those who want to speed through it to save time. In either case, captions and subtitles can make it much easier to follow a video, making the viewing experience more enjoyable and effective.
Provide Context for The Visuals in a Video
Captions and subtitles can provide a valuable context for the visuals in a video. By captioning or subtitle videos, viewers can follow the action even if they cannot hear the audio. This can be especially beneficial when viewers are watching a video in a noisy environment or if the audio is difficult to understand.
Can Help Businesses Reach New Markets and Customers
Video captions and subtitles are an excellent way to reach new customers who don’t speak your language. Adding captions and subtitles to your videos makes them accessible to a much wider audience.
Also, because captioning and subtitling your videos helps it rank on top of search engines, it makes it easier for customers looking for your services on search engines to find your business. Furthermore, video captioning can help improve the comprehension of customers who don’t understand your language.
Additionally, captioning and subtitling can make your videos more accessible to people with hearing impairments or who otherwise have difficulty understanding audio (as we have seen above), it means that you can reach out to everybody, and those people might be the ones interested in your product.
Tips for Captioning and Subtitling a Video
If you’re thinking about captioning and subtitling your video, here are some tips to help you get started:
- Decide whether you want to caption or subtitle your video. Captioning provides a full transcript of the audio in your video, while subtitles provide a summary of the key points.
- Choose a font that is easy to read. Sans serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica are generally best for captions and subtitles
- Make sure your text is large enough to be legible. A minimum font size of 12 points is usually best
- Use a high contrast color for your text, such as white on a black background. This will make it easier for viewers to read
- Use proper grammar and punctuation. This will help viewers understand your video more easily
- Keep your captions and subtitles short and to the point. Viewers will appreciate not having to read a lot of text on the screen
- Place your captions and subtitles strategically on the screen so that they are easy to read
- Preview your video with captions or subtitles to make sure everything looks correct.
Following these tips ensures that your captions and subtitles are clear and easy to read. This will make it easier for viewers to follow your video and make it more accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Conclusion
There you have it! Nine compelling reasons why video captions and subtitles are important for your videos. We hope this information has helped to underscore the importance of adding captions and subtitles to all of your marketing videos.
