Creating quality video content or presentations requires a lot more than a camera and a tripod. You need to have a design plan in mind before the cameras start rolling. However, the most important factor is your viewer.
People who watch your video want to understand and learn from the content. In most cases, captions or subtitles can make this possible. Fortunately, Otter.ai allows you to add captions to video content with one simple tool.
Though many people use the terms interchangeably, “captions” (also known as “closed captions” or “closed captioning”) and “subtitles” are two very different things. Captions provide a word-for-word text transcription of the spoken words in a video or audio file. Whether you’re watching a movie on TV or viewing a live-streamed video, captions appear (usually at the bottom of the screen) to provide a text version of everything that is said.
Subtitles serve the same function but in a different way. While captions provide visual transcriptions in the same language as the original content, subtitles translate the words into a different language. For example, if you’re watching a video in which one or more people are speaking English and you want to read the video transcription as you watch, you would need to add “captions.”
Alternatively, if you’re watching a video in which people are speaking in Japanese and you want to have the words translated and transcribed in English, the resulting transcription would be considered “subtitles.”
Video captioning is not just about accessibility (although this is a factor). There are a number of reasons to add subtitles to a video or caption your video.
Sometimes, you just don’t have the right audio quality for your viewers to hear and understand every word. Perhaps you’re conducting a conference and the camera or recording device is too far away to pick up the sound. In any case, captions ensure that your video doesn’t lose value due to poor audio.
Your video may include content that is difficult to understand for a variety of reasons. Maybe one or more people are speaking quickly, using technical jargon, or covering complex issues. Captions can help viewers understand content that they may not be able to digest with video and audio alone. Subtitles can also help non-native speakers make sense of content in another language.
Assisting the hearing impaired is one of the primary functions of closed captioning software. If your video does not have captions or subtitles, you’re making it either difficult or impossible for hearing-impaired viewers to understand your content. Thus, captions and subtitles ensure that a larger audience can consume your content.
Captions and subtitles simply make video and audio content more professional. If you’re giving a live presentation that requires video content, you could improve the overall experience by transcribing what’s being said. Captions also reduce the risk of audience members asking you to replay sections of the video that they missed.
During a presentation or live video stream, it can be difficult for viewers to take diligent notes without missing key elements. The same applies to recorded videos. If viewers can see and hear the words as they’re spoken, it makes it easier to jot down important notes for later.
At the end of the day, some people just prefer to view content differently than others. Some people absorb new information by listening, others by reading, and others by a combination of both. Captions and subtitles provide more options for all viewers, regardless of their native language.
If you want to add accurate transcriptions to both live and recorded videos, there’s only one tool you need: Otter.ai. Otter.ai provides transcription solutions for teams and individuals, making it a versatile platform to meet a wide variety of needs.
Most captioning software does the bare minimum to provide transcribed text. Poor transcriptions are a waste of time and money. If you choose free captioning software or a company that uses poor transcription tech, you’ll have to spend the time and effort to correct the transcriptions. If you’re conducting a live presentation, you’ll just have to deal with poorly-transcribed videos.
With Otter.ai, you simply integrate your existing video recording software with the Otter.ai platform. Once you’re ready to go, Otter.ai takes care of the rest. You can stream a live video or presentation with accurate captions.
The same applies to pre-recorded videos. Simply upload your video to Otter.ai and let the software work its magic. You don’t need to worry about the complicated processes that come with other captioning services.
Otter.ai does things a little differently than most other captioning software companies. So, let’s look at a few of the advantages of captioning videos with Otter.ai:
Adding captions with Otter.ai just requires three simple steps:
You might not be convinced that Otter.ai is the right fit for your needs. Maybe you want to try some of the free captioning software that’s readily available. Let’s take a look at a few of the free captioning and subtitling platforms on the market:
Adding captions or subtitles to videos doesn’t need to be a pain. Rather than working with inaccurate transcriptions or spending time transcribing your content manually, you can just rely on Otter.ai. With Otter.ai, you get accurate video captions in a platform that integrates with dozens of translation services to provide both captions and subtitles for your videos.
Do you need help figuring out how to add captions to videos? Do you want to get your content in front of a wider audience with translated subtitles? Finally, do you want an all-in-one transcription and project management platform? If so, contact Otter.ai today for more information!