Captions
Captions show the spoken words as text and also describe important sounds, so a viewer who cannot hear the audio gets the full meaning. They can be open (always visible) or closed (turned on by the viewer).
Subtitles
Subtitles assume the viewer can hear, and show a translation of the speech into another language. They are the usual tool for reaching an audience that speaks a different language.
Transcripts
A transcript is the full text of the program, usually without timing. It is useful for search, for reading later and for reference. When the transcript is timed, it can drive captions and subtitles too.
A practical order of work
- Get clean audio first
- Produce a reviewed transcript
- Publish captions with the video
- Add subtitles in the languages your audience needs
Review matters. Names and special terms are where automatic text goes wrong, so a person should check them. See Captions & Transcripts.
