Captions, transcripts & audio description

Sound-off viewing is the default on social — but captions aren't a nicety, they're how Deaf and hard-of-hearing people follow your video at all. Pair them with transcripts and, when the picture tells its own story, audio description.

Captions vs. subtitles vs. transcripts

  • Captions convey all meaningful audio — dialogue plus sound cues like [phone rings] or [tense music] — for viewers who can't hear it.
  • Subtitles assume you can hear and just translate the dialogue into another language. They skip sound effects, so they're not a substitute for captions.
  • Transcripts are the full text of a video or audio clip in one block — essential for podcasts and audio-only posts, and handy for anyone who'd rather read.

Open vs. closed captions

Closed captions can be toggled on or off and are styled by the player (uploaded as an .srt or .vtt file). Open captions are burned into the video pixels — always visible, never dependent on player support.

On platforms with reliable caption support (YouTube, LinkedIn), prefer closed captions. Where support is patchy or captions are easily missed, open captions guarantee everyone sees them — a common choice for Reels, TikTok and Stories.

Auto-captions are a draft, not a deliverable

Automatic captions are a brilliant head start and a terrible finish. They routinely mangle names, technical terms, punctuation and homophones — A11y.mv becomes a lily M V, WCAG becomes w cag. Always open the editor and fix them. When you correct captions, also:

  • Add punctuation and sentence breaks so the text is readable.
  • Label speakers when more than one person talks (Irshad: … Guest: …).
  • Note meaningful sound — music, laughter, a doorbell — in brackets.
  • Keep timing tight so captions match what's on screen.

Transcripts for audio-only posts

A voice note, a podcast clip, an audio Space — if there's no video, captions have nowhere to live. Post a transcript in the caption, a linked doc, or a thread. It's the only way the content reaches Deaf followers, and it makes your words searchable and quotable for everyone.

Audio description: for what the eyes catch

Captions cover what you can hear. Audio description covers what you can only see — an on-screen phone number, a silent gesture, text that appears without being read aloud. If a blind viewer would miss key information with their eyes closed, you have a gap to fill. Two easy fixes:

  • Narrate as you film. Say the thing you're pointing at: the button's in the top-right corner instead of tap here.
  • Describe it in the caption or add a described version of the clip.

Don't bury text in fast frames

Text that flashes on screen for half a second — a punchline, a stat, a website — is unreadable for many and invisible to screen readers. Keep on-screen text on long enough to read comfortably, ensure it has strong contrast against the footage, and repeat the important bits in your captions and post text.

Per-platform notes

  • YouTube: upload a caption file or correct the auto-captions in Studio; add a transcript in the description for long videos.
  • LinkedIn / X / Facebook: upload an .srt file with the video rather than trusting auto-captions.
  • TikTok / Reels / Stories: enable captions, then edit them; open captions are the safest bet for reach.
  • Instagram: auto-captions can be toggled and edited before posting — always review them.

Captions are one habit. See the rest — alt text, hashtags, emoji and more — on the accessible social media guide.

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