Find out what are the differences between transcriptionists and captioners in our insightful article. Click here to read more!
Transcripts and captions may seem like mere additions to audio and video content, but their significance extends far beyond words on a screen or document. For the deaf and hard of hearing, they become lifelines to understanding content that was previously inaccessible. These features also extend their benefits to a diverse array of users, enriching the experiences of people who:
In today's digital age, the demand for converting spoken language into written text has grown significantly.
In this blog post, we'll delve into the key differences between these two essential services.
Transcription is the process by which speech or audio is converted into a written document for reading. Transcripts generally do not have any time information attached to them. There are two different types of transcripts and they are:
Since search engines can’t physically watch a video, they have no way of ranking video content and this is where transcripts come in; they let search engines “read” the video’s content, which allows for the video to be properly indexed and ranked on results pages. Additionally, they can be the perfect introduction to creating closed captions in-house and making content fully accessible.
There are many uses for transcripts in other industries and formal settings such as:
In summary, transcriptions serve as invaluable tools for capturing spoken content in written form and preserving valubale information for future reference.
One of the biggest reasons for the use of captioning is the accessibility it gives to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and cannot hear the audio of what they are watching, as well as viewers who prefer to watch content with the sound muted.
Producers place captions at the bottom of the television screen so individuals watching the video can read the captions while simultaneously watching the video. Captions must be synchronized with the audio and displayed in a way that enhances the viewer's experience.
Captions are commonly used in:
There are two different types of captioning that we come across:
There are also many services that use captions within their apps, media tools, or video games for informative, accessibility, and entertainment purposes. For instance, Nagish also uses captions as a part of their phone call experiences within the app, delivering content to users by using text-to-speech software to do so. Captions within the app are also adjustable depending on the user’s preferences.
Captions need to indicate sounds heard on screen. These identifiers, which we call atmospherics, provide visual indicators of non-verbal sounds to viewers. For example:
The ultimate goal of captions is to give the viewer as close to the same experience as the hearing viewer.
Transcription services do not work with visuals, and the captioners work heavily with visuals and need an understanding of the context put forth by the video file in order to procure accurate captioning.
Many transcriptionists also rely on editing software that auto-transcribes recordings which they then edit for accuracy with their listening skills. Transcriptionists mainly use audio playback software, text editing software, and foot pedals to control audio playback. captioners are more focused on using specialized captioning software that enables them to time-sync captions with video content.
One unique thing about captioning is that captioners need to be well versed in breaking captions down into groups for best readability. They also need expertise in timing and synchronization to ensure the captions appear on screen in harmony with the audio.
In summary, while both transcripts and captions play essential roles in converting spoken language into written form, they have distinct structures and cater to different needs. As the world continues to embrace digital content and prioritize accessibility, the demand for skilled transcriptionists and captioners will undoubtedly continue to grow, making their roles ever more critical in our modern communication landscape.