What Are Captions?
Captions are the on-screen text that shows the words spoken in a video, timed to match the audio as it plays.
Captions
Captions display speech as text along the bottom of the video, synced so each line appears as it is said. They let viewers follow along without relying on sound.
They are the visible result of a transcript that has been broken into short, time-aligned segments and placed over the footage.
For example, someone watching on a train with the sound off reads the captions to follow a tutorial.
How Do Captions Work?
- Transcribe – Turn the spoken audio into text.
- Segment – Break the text into short, readable lines.
- Align – Time each line to the moment it is spoken.
- Display – Overlay the lines on the video during playback.
Why Are Captions Important?
Captions add value for both viewers and creators.
- Accessibility – Help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Sound Off – Support viewing in quiet or public places.
- Comprehension – Reinforce speech for non-native speakers.
- Search – Give the text that engines and tools can index.
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