Planning a Webinar? Closed Captioning is a Good Idea

Are you planning on hosting a webinar in the near future? If so, you may want to consider closed captioning.

Closed captioning is a great way to make your webinars more accessible to everyone, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of closed captioning and how to go about getting it set up for your next webinar.

What is Closed Captioning?

Closed captioning is a text version of the dialogue and other sounds in a television program, movie, or other videos. It is displayed on the screen along with the picture.

Mostly, it is used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing or it can also be used by people who want to improve their reading skills or to learn English.

Closed captioning is usually turned on by the viewer using the TV remote control or menu options. Sometimes it is turned on by default.

The closed captioning text is usually white with a black border. It can be placed anywhere on the screen. The text size, style, and color can usually be changed by the viewer.

How to Add Closed Captioning to Your Video?

Now that you know what closed captioning is, you may be wondering how to add it to your videos. Luckily, there are a few different ways to do this.

One way is to use closed captioning services. These services will transcribe your video for you and then provide you with the finished product. This is a great option if you don’t have the time or resources to do it yourself.

Another option is to create your own closed captions. This option will take the most time and effort, but it will also give you the most control over the final product. If you choose to create your own captions, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, make sure to transcribe the audio of your video verbatim. This means including all dialogue, nonverbal sounds, and speaker changes.

Next, create a text file with your transcription. This can be done in any word processing program. Once you have your transcript, you will need to timecode it. This means matching the text with the audio of your video.

There are a few different ways to do this, but one way is to use a video editing program. Simply open up your transcript and video in the same project.

Then, line up the audio and text so that they match. You can do this by manually typing in the timecodes or by using the “sync lyrics with audio” function if your video editing software has it.

Finally, export your video with closed captions. Once you have your timed and formatted transcript, you can export your video with the captions embedded.

This will create a new video file that you can upload to your website or sharing platform of choice.

Benefits of Closed Captioning for Webinars

While most people are familiar with closed captioning for television and movies, many don’t realize that this same technology can be used for webinars.

Closed captioning for webinars offers a number of benefits for both the presenter and the audience.

For a presenter, closed captioning can provide a real-time transcript of the webinar, which can be useful for editing or summarizing the content afterward.

Additionally, closed captioning can help to ensure that all participants are able to follow along and understand the presentation.

For audience members, closed captioning can provide an additional way to process and absorb information.

It can also be helpful for those who are hard of hearing or who speak a different language than the presenter.

Overall, closed captioning is a valuable tool that can enhance the experience of both the presenter and audience alike.

How to Set It Up for Your Next Webinar?

Now that you know the benefits of closed captioning, you may be wondering how to set it up for your next webinar.

The first option is to use a webinar platform that offers closed captioning services. This is a great option if you want to avoid the hassle of setting up closed captioning yourself.

If your favorite platform does not support automated closed captions, another option is to use a third-party closed captioning service.

These services will transcribe your webinar for you and then provide you with the finished captions. This is a great option if you want to have more control over the final product.

To use it, simply sign up for an account and then follow the instructions to transcribe your webinar. Tips for using this kind of service can be found on the software’s website.

Final Words

Overall, closed captioning is a valuable tool that can enhance the experience of both the presenter and audience alike.

If you’re planning a webinar, we encourage you to consider using closed captioning to make it more accessible and enjoyable for everyone involved.