What are closed captions?
Closed captions are text overlays on video content that display not only spoken dialogue but also relevant non-speech audio information such as sound effects, music descriptions, and speaker identification. They provide accessibility for deaf or hard-of-hearing audiences across languages.
Detailed description
Closed captions are text overlays on video content that display not only spoken dialogue but also relevant non-speech audio information such as sound effects, music descriptions, and speaker identification. Unlike open captions (which are permanently embedded in the video), closed captions can be turned on or off by the viewer.
Closed captions were originally developed for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, but their use has expanded significantly. Research shows that a large percentage of social media video is watched without sound, making captions essential for engagement on platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook. Captions also improve comprehension for viewers watching in noisy environments or in a non-native language.
Multilingual closed captioning involves translating the caption content into target languages while maintaining synchronisation with the video timeline. This requires careful attention to reading speed. Captions must be short enough to read comfortably within the time each segment is displayed, which sometimes requires condensing the translated text.
Caption file formats vary by platform and use case, including SRT, VTT, SCC, and DFXP. Each has different capabilities regarding positioning, styling, and metadata.
LEXIGO produces multilingual closed captions for corporate videos, marketing content, training materials, and public communications, handling transcription, translation, timing, and delivery in the required technical format.
Why it matters
Closed captions serve dual purposes: accessibility compliance and audience reach. Many jurisdictions and industry standards require captioning for video content distributed by government agencies, educational institutions, and broadcasters. Beyond compliance, captions significantly increase video engagement and comprehension across multilingual audiences.
For organisations producing video content targeting CALD communities in Australia, multilingual closed captions are one of the most cost-effective ways to extend reach without producing entirely new video content for each language.
Related questions about closed captions
What is the difference between subtitles and closed captions?
Closed captions are in the same language as the audio and include sound effects, music cues and speaker names for people who cannot hear the audio. Subtitles usually translate the dialogue into another language for people who can hear it.
What do closed captions mean?
Closed captions are on-screen text versions of a video's dialogue and important sounds that viewers can turn on or off. 'Closed' means they are optional, unlike open captions, which are permanently burned into the video.
What is the difference between open and closed captions?
Closed captions can be switched on or off by the viewer. Open captions are part of the video image, so they always display, which is useful on social media where sound is often off.
Who uses closed captions?
Captions are essential for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, and they also help people watching without sound, people learning English, and anyone in a noisy place.
Can closed captions be translated into other languages?
Yes. Translated captions are usually delivered as subtitles in the target language, sometimes with sound descriptions added for accessibility. The timing and reading speed need adjusting because translations can be longer than English.