Are you ready to make your Thinkific videos accessible to a wider audience? Adding closed captions is the perfect solution! Not only do they provide a visual representation of the audio for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they also make your videos more accessible for non-native speakers and viewers in noisy environments.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the simple process of uploading a pre-existing caption file to your Thinkific videos. By the end, you’ll understand the benefits of closed captions and how to add them to your Thinkific content like a pro! Let’s get started.
What are Captions? Understanding Closed Captions in Videos
You may have encountered closed captions if you notice some text under any video you’re watching, whether it’s a streaming service like YouTube and Netflix or a TV channel. Closed captions, in simple terms, are the text equivalent of the audio in a video. But what exactly are closed captions, and why should you consider using them in your online video content? Let’s take a closer look.
Closed Captions By Definition
Closed captions are text representations of audio in a video. They provide a visual representation of what certain speakers are saying in a video for viewers, especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Since its standardization in the 1990s, closed captions have been a great accessible tool to everyone when it comes to watching different kinds of audiovisual content, such as TV and online video services.
Additionally, closed captions are useful for those who watch your content in environments with a lot of noise. It can also benefit non-native speakers of the language used in the video. The addition of closed captions can greatly enhance the accessibility and engagement of online video content.
Benefits of Using Closed Captions
Adding closed captions to your online video content is a game-changer. Not only does it make your videos within closer reach to a wider range of viewers, including disabled folks, but it also enhances the overall viewing experience for all of your audience. Here’s how:
First and foremost, closed captions make your videos accessible to everyone, regardless of their hearing abilities. The inclusion of captions not only improves the user experience for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but it also makes your content more inclusive for everyone else who’s subscribed to your content.
Secondly, closed captions can make your videos more engaging for non-native speakers and viewers in noisy environments. Viewers struggling to understand the audio in your videos can now follow along easily, making it easier for them to retain the presented information.
Finally, closed captions can also help improve the discoverability of your videos on social media platforms and search engines. The algorithms can understand and index the text in your closed captions, making it easier for viewers to find your content when searching for related keywords.
Closed Captions vs. Subtitles
Just like closed captions, subtitles are a form of text displayed on a screen to provide additional information for audiovisual content. You may have seen or heard the term “subtitles” interchangeably with “closed captions.” But while they are, indeed, similar in objective, they are quite different from one another.
The main difference between closed captions and subtitles is that closed captions are specifically designed for the hearing-impaired, providing dialogue, sound effects, and other audio cues. Examples of closed caption texts in certain videos include sound descriptions such as (SQUEAKING) and (WOMAN TALKING).
Meanwhile, subtitles only display dialogue and do not provide additional audio information. As mentioned above, you may encounter subtitle texts without audio descriptions.
In summary, subtitles are for viewers who speak different languages than the audio content, whereas closed captions are primarily for a wider range of uses, including accessibility.
> > Click Here to Start Your Free Trial < <
Adding Captions to Thinkific Videos to Enhance e-Learning
Thinkific is a course creation platform that allows users like you to create and sell meaningful and interactive course content to your target audience. It’s also where you can build fully-functioning websites so your students can navigate your courses and other products without leaving.
Out of all its native features, Thinkific’s video hosting capabilities make it easy for you to upload and share videos that you can use between your courses and sites. But what happens when your videos are not accessible to all of your learners? That’s where closed captions come in.
Adding closed captions to your Thinkific videos can enhance the e-learning experience for all your student subscribers and customers, regardless of their hearing abilities or language backgrounds.
How to Add Closed Captions to Your Thinkific Video
Speaking of adding closed captions to your Thinkific videos, you can do all this from your Video Library, given that you already have uploaded videos to your course and website content. Incorporating text into your videos is easier than you would expect. Whether you already have a caption file or need to create one from scratch, Thinkific has got you covered!
File Format Requirements
Before you upload your captions or subtitles, ensure they meet Thinkific’s file format requirements. As of this writing, Thinkific only supports the SubRip (.srt) format. You may choose to hire freelancers to make the file for you.
You may also create the entire thing yourself, whether you have experience or not. You can check out this post to better understand how to make accurate captions. While you upload the SRT file with your captions, ensure that the text and timing are in sync with your video.
> > Click Here to Start Your Free Trial < <
Step-by-Step Process for Uploading a Caption File
Once you have the SRT file with your caption or subtitle ready, follow these simple steps to upload it to Thinkific:
- Log in to your Thinkific account.
- Select the video you want to add captions to from your admin dashboard.
- Once you have found your video, select “Edit.” You will adjust the appearance, video thumbnail, preview, analytics, and, most importantly, captions.
- From the provided settings, click on the “Caption” tab. This section is where you will upload and add your caption file to your video.
- Click “Upload,” then choose the right SRT file for your video from your computer.
- Once the file is uploaded, set the appropriate language for your captions. For example, you must choose English if the text is in English. Your students will notice this option immediately when they click on the captions icon.
- You may choose to toggle on “Auto-show captions” if you want the captions on by default every time the video plays.
- Once you’re all set, click “Save” at the top of the section to make your captions live.
Thinkific also allows you to upload not just one but multiple SRT files to your video at once. This feature is helpful if your audience speaks or understands more than one language. Apart from English, you can set the appropriate languages for other caption files, such as Spanish, French, Portuguese, and more.
It’s that simple! Your captions will now be displayed in sync with your video, making your content more accessible, engaging, and discoverable.
Troubleshooting Tips for Uploading a Caption File
If you encounter any problems uploading your caption files as an administrator, here are a few troubleshooting tips that might help:
- Check your file format: Make sure your caption file is in a supported file format. Thinkific supports SRT files, but it cannot accommodate other caption file types, such as the DVD subtitle and transcript file (.txt), WebVTT (.vtt), and Quicktime Timed Text (.qt.txt).
- Check the format and spacing of your caption file: Thinkific may only read your caption files if it follows the appropriate formatting and spacing. Make sure that everything is in plain text – no HTML or other settings that may change how the captions look.
- Check the timestamps: To make your captions look more accurate during playback, keep an eye out for the timestamps to match the appropriate dialog. Additionally, set the start of the timecode at 00:00:00:00.
- Check your internet connection: A slow or unreliable internet connection can cause problems. When you upload the caption files, ensure that your connection is stable enough to successfully add to your video.
If you still need help uploading your caption file, contact Thinkific’s support team for assistance via ticketing or chatbot. They’ll be happy to help you get your captions up and running in no time.
> > Click Here to Start Your Free Trial < <
Thinkific Captions: Conclusion
In summary, adding closed captions to your Thinkific videos offers numerous benefits for your audience and your content. Whether it be increasing accessibility for people with hearing impairments, improving engagement for non-native speakers or viewers in noisy environments, or increasing discoverability on social media platforms and search engines, the advantages are clear.
Adding closed captions to your Thinkific videos using a pre-existing caption file is very simple! Follow our step-by-step guide, and in no time, you’ll be on your way to delivering more accessible and engaging content to a wider audience.
So, what are you waiting for? Start adding closed captions to your Thinkific videos and see the magic happen! Your content will be more enjoyable and accessible, and you’ll reach new viewers and expand your reach online. The possibilities are endless!
FAQ
Is there a limit to the number of closed captions I can add to a Thinkific video?
No, there is no limit to the number of SRT files you can add to a single Thinkific video. You can add as many as 50 captions in one video, especially if you have student subscribers worldwide.
What if I change my existing closed captions to my Thinkific videos?
There is no direct way to edit captions within Thinkific after they have been added to your video. Instead, you can download the SRT file you want to edit, make a few changes, and upload the revised version following the instructions we just showed you.
Is there a fee to add closed captions to my Thinkific videos?
There are no additional costs for adding closed captions to your Thinkific videos. This feature is already included as part of your Thinkific subscription.