Popular social media platform TikTok announced that, starting in November, all its uploaded videos will include captions by default.
TikTok currently has an auto-caption option that creators can turn on or off when uploading a video. Beginning next month, the option to “allow auto-generated captions” will be removed from the post page and the privacy settings and captions will be automatically displayed on every uploaded video.
The company said that creators will have the ability to edit or delete captions after posting and can modify caption status for any video that has been posted before November. TikTok video viewers will still have the ability to turn captions on and off within their personal settings.
“TikTok places high importance on enhancing user experience and breaking down language barriers by focusing on accessibility features to ensure that videos are understood by everyone,” the company said in a notification shared with users. “This ensures that TikTok is inclusive and everyone can enjoy the app without language limitations.”
TikTok and other social media platforms have helped normalize captions for young media consumers, who now see captions and subtitles as a regular part of their streaming habits.
TikTok reached more than 1.7 billion active users worldwide by the end of 2022. Nearly 420 million of those, or 38.5%, were between the ages of 18 and 24.
A recent survey by YPulse showed that 59% of respondents in the Gen Z age bracket prefer watching content with subtitles and captions turned on, while 52% of Millennials polled said they, too, click on captions.
The growing popularity of captions and subtitles means more accessible content. Content creators, broadcasters, and producers have taken notice and understand that captions and subtitles aren’t just appreciated as an add-on feature for a portion of the audience, they’re expected by a growing majority of the audience.
VITAC offers captioning, subtitling, and localization services to a wide variety of media and entertainment clients. Learn more about how we can help make your content – broadcast or social – more inclusive to all viewers and help you reach a larger audience.