It’s no secret that video is one of the most popular content mediums on the internet. In fact, Cisco predicts that by 2023, 82% of all internet traffic will be video. That’s a lot of videos! If you’re not already using video as part of your marketing strategy, now is the time to start.
And if you are using video, you should definitely consider adding closed captions. Closed captions can help improve your audience reach by making your videos more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of closed captions for businesses and explain how to add them to your Vimeo videos.
What is Closed Captioning?
Closed captioning is the process of displaying text on a screen that corresponds to the audio of a program. This text can include dialogue, sound effects, and other important auditory information. Closed captioning is typically used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but it can also be beneficial for people who are in noisy environments or who speak a different language from the person speaking on-screen.
Closed captioning can be displayed in real-time as the program is airing, or it can be added to pre-recorded videos. In either case, closed captioning provides an important service for many people. Thanks to advances in technology, closed captioning is now more accessible than ever before.
Vimeo Closed Captioning
Vimeo closed captioning is a service for its video content through a partnership with 3rd party company. Users can upload their own captions or transcripts or can choose to generate captions automatically.
Automatic caption generation is powered by speech-to-text technology, which converts the audio track into text captions. This type of service is generally more accurate for well-recorded audio tracks, such as those found in professional videos.
However, it is important to review the generated captions carefully before publishing them, as errors can occur. Once the captions have been generated, they can be edited. Closed captioning services are an important part of providing accessible video content, and Vimeo is committed to offering users a variety of options for adding captions to their videos.
The Benefits of Closed Captions for Businesses
As more and more businesses move online, it is becoming increasingly important to consider the needs of all potential customers. According to a report from the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, over 38 million adults in the United States have some form of hearing loss. That’s one in eight Americans. For businesses, this means that closed captions are no longer just a nice option, but a necessity.
There are several benefits to closed captions for businesses. First, it ensures that all customers have equal access to your content. Second, it can help you reach a wider audience, as many people who don’t have hearing loss also prefer to watch videos with captions.
Finally, captioned videos are simply better for SEO. Search engines like Google give preference to videos that are captioned, which means that closed captions can help you attract more viewers and get ahead of your competition.
In today’s competitive landscape, businesses can’t afford to ignore the needs of any potential customer base. Closed captions are essential for ensuring that all customers have access to your content.
How to Add Them to Your Vimeo Videos
Adding captions to your Vimeo videos is easy, and there are a few different ways to do it.
If you have a video that is already captioned, you can upload the captions as a ‘.srt’ file. To do this, go to your Video Manager on Vimeo and select the video you want to add captions to. Under the ‘Subtitles and CC’ tab, select ‘Add New Subtitles or CC’. Choose your language and upload your ‘.srt’ file.
If you don’t have a captioned video, you can generate captions automatically or transcribe them yourself. To do this, go to your Video Manager and select the video you want to add captions to. Under the ‘Subtitles and CC’ tab, select ‘Add New Subtitles or CC’. Choose your language and select ‘Create new subtitles or CC’.
If you want to transcribe the captions yourself, select ‘Transcribe and timecode manually’. If you want to generate them automatically, select ‘Generate automatically’. Once you’ve chosen your preferred method, follow the instructions on-screen to finish adding captions to your video. Because of the important purpose of using closed captioning on Vimeo, there is no charge for using this feature.
Conclusion
Closed captions are an important part of providing accessible video content. They can also help businesses reach a wider audience and improve their SEO. Adding captions to your Vimeo videos is easy, and there are a few different ways to do it. Whether you transcribe them yourself or generate them automatically, closed captions are a valuable addition to any video.
