Subtitles and captions are essential for video content. Not only do they accommodate those who are hard of hearing, but they’re also beneficial to all viewers. In fact, 80% of people who use captions are not deaf or hard of hearing.
Verizon Media found that 92% of viewers watch videos with the sound off on their mobile devices while 83% watch without sound on their PC. These stats reaffirm the importance of captioning content. Captions make video content easier to understand and accessible to all. Additionally, adding captions enhances the performance of video ads by allowing larger audiences to absorb and retain the information.
Captioning and subtitling videos is critical to accessibility but, clearly, there are other benefits as well. Fortunately, adding captions to videos is simple using SRT files. Most media players and video software support SRT files and you can even create them yourself. Read on to learn about what SRT files are, how they work, and how to use them to make your videos accessible.
- What is an SRT file?
- Subtitles vs. Closed Captions
- How to create an SRT file
- How do you create an SRT file from video?
- How to add SRT files to video
- Reasons to outsource professional captioning services
- VITAC’s Human Touch
What is an SRT file?
An SRT file is one of the most-used formats for subtitling and captioning videos. An SRT file refers to a “SubRip Subtitle” file. It is a plain-text file that contains all the necessary information for adding subtitles and closed captions to a video. It works by extracting (“ripping”) subtitles and timings from a live video, recorded video, or DVDs. The SRT file also includes a written transcript of the audio and the corresponding timestamps.
It’s important to note that SRT files are for web video, not TV. Also, there are various types depending on the platform. For example, Facebook’s SRT captioning is slightly different from YouTube’s process.
Subtitles vs. Closed Captions
SRT files can help generate both SRT subtitles and SRT captions. Although people often use these terms interchangeably, captions and subtitles are not the same. Captions generally refer to a textual representation of all on-screen audio, including sound effects, music, song lyrics, angry dogs barking, spooky doors creaking, or any other sound heard on the audio track.
In contrast, subtitles are a translation of a video’s audio for viewers who might not understand the language, such as in a film from another country or dialogue from a Klingon in an episode of “Star Trek.”
How to create an SRT file
It is possible to create SRT files manually. However, it requires a lot of effort, time, and a few tools. For example, it involves typing the audio, including timestamps, for the whole video. The text file needs to follow a certain format, too. There is a specific structure when it comes to creating SRT files and it must be repeated exactly throughout the whole video. It’s much more efficient to work with a professional captioning and transcription service like VITAC. These services can provide more accurate captions in much less time.
How do you create an SRT file from a video?
The process of creating captions for a video is easy with VITAC. Simply share the video with us and, using our professional captioners and the latest technology, we’ll work with you to create captions in an SRT (SubRip) file format for your content.
How to add SRT files to video
The next step is to add the SRT file to the video. VITAC doesn’t just generate the SRT file; we also help add the file to the relevant platform. While SRT files are the most common choice, VITAC also provides captioning solutions for platforms that require other types of files.
VITAC offers captioning for TV and streaming, as well as videos on social media platforms, including:
With VITAC, it’s easy to caption live and prerecorded video content. As a result, you can provide this critical solution to all viewers. What’s more, captioned video content reaches a wider audience. Considering how many people watch videos without sound or in settings where they can’t hear the audio, captions increase the reach and enhance viewership.
Reasons to Outsource Professional Captioning Services
There are many benefits to outsource captioning to a professional provider like VITAC. Forging a partnership with a professional accessibility company allows you offer quality solutions and meet the expectations of today’s audiences.
Here are a few advantages of working with VITAC:
- Provide audiences with accurate captions
- Meet Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines
- Guaranteed compliance with all accessibility regulations
- Receive support from experts 24/7
- Profanity monitoring service
- Quick turnaround and post-production flexibility
- Options to translate SRT files
- Ability to edit SRT files in real time
Rely on Us
Captioning your content not only enables you to reach a larger, more inclusive audience, but it also helps make your videos more engaging.
With more than 35 years of experience in the captioning and accessibility industry, you can trust us to provide the highest quality captions and services to fit your needs. At VITAC, we take the stress out of the captioning process. Contact our team today to learn how we can help you!