Real Time Captioning: All You Need to Know

Real time captioning plays a significant role in customer experience for any type of live streaming. Just like captioning is highly used by the viewers while watching movies, shows, series, or other VOD content, it is equally important for live events, shows, and other types of live videos. 

Not only does live captioning make a live video accessible to the viewers with hearing impairments, but it makes the live video content comprehensible to the people speaking different languages. Statistics say that 41% of the videos are incomprehensible without sound or captions, while 80% of the people using captions don’t have any hearing impairments. 

While captioning is pivotal to make both types of videos more watchable – live videos and VODs, there are some basic differences between pre-recorded captions and real-time captions. In this blog we will walk you through all you need to know about real time captioning.

What Is Real Time Captioning?

Real time captioning is defined as the process of adding captions in real time to your live videos. Another well-known name is Computer Assisted Real-time Translation (CART) that takes place during the live streaming and is slightly different from the process of automatic live captioning. 

Live captions are also known as live transcription, a real-time process to produce computer-generated texts during a live stream. Live captioning tends to be nearly 98% accurate, and is highly adopted in various types of live videos such as live product launches, concerts, shows, events, and others. 

Unlike the pre-recorded captioning, in live captioning, the captions are generated live during the events. Next we will see the basic differences between professional real time captioning and CART captioning.

Also Read: Live Streaming Must-have Tools in 2022

Professional Real Time Captioning Vs. CART Captioning

In live captioning or real time captioning, the captions are created in real time as per the spoken content of the live streaming. In most of the cases automated real-time captioning solutions are used to generate such captions. While there are a lot of solutions for real time captioning in the market, unless you choose the proper one, the accuracy can be as low as 50%. 

CART captioning on the other hand was first introduced in the 1980s where real time stenography is used. In this captioning process, a trained CART stenographer listens to a live audio feed and simultaneously transcribes it using phonetic shorthand. 

CART captions are mainly delivered via a streaming link for viewing the live captions or through a second screen. While CART captioning is considered more accurate by many, the process needs a proper setup, professionals and training which is a time consuming and tedious task for many of the live streamers. So, automated real time captioning is what is preferred more in the current live streaming sector.

Importance of Real Time Captioning

Now that we know more about the real time captioning, let’s know its importance.

1. Suitable for Audiences from Diverse Demographics

Real time captioning in multiple languages makes your live videos comprehensible to the viewers speaking different languages. If you have a global audience base from different demographics, then it is the best practice to offer multilingual real time captioning so that language can never be the barrier to stop them from watching your live content.

2. Comprehensible for the Viewers with Hearing Impairments

Undoubtedly, real time captioning is the only way that lets the viewers with hearing impairments watch your live videos without any difficulties. Statistics say that 20% of Americans are deaf or have hearing impairments, while 360 million people around the world have disabling hearing loss. 

So, it is obvious that a significant portion of your live video viewers are with such hearing impairments. Real time captioning lets them watch and understand your content easily instead of letting them bounce back from your live videos. 

Also Read: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Live Streaming in 2022

3. Makes the Live Videos Watchable in Public Places

As per the statistics more than 50% of the people who watch videos with sound off in public places use captions. So real time captioning makes your live videos easily watchable in public places without any difficulties. 

Also, Facebook claimed that videos with captions increase the watch time by 12% and your live videos are no exception to this. And that’s not it! According to a recent study, 80% of the viewers claim that they are more likely to watch a video to completion if captions are available. So, adding real time captions ensures higher views for your live videos.

Wrapping Up

Real time captioning is definitely what makes your videos more viewed and easily comprehensible by the viewers irrespective of the languages they speak or whether they have hearing difficulties or not. No matter what type of live streaming you are doing, it is recommended to add real time captioning to make them more purposeful.

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