How to make video and audio accessible

All videos need captions so people who cannot hear the audio can still understand the content.

On this page

• Why video captions are needed
• Types of captions
• When captions are needed
• What to include in captions
• Auto-generated captions
• Captions, subtitles and transcripts
• If someone else makes the video
• Making existing videos accessible
• Accessibility standards

Why video captions are needed

Captions provide a text alternative to spoken audio and include non‑speech sounds needed for understanding a video, such as speaker names, music, sound effects or laughter.

They help people who:

• are deaf or hard of hearing
• are in noisy places or need to watch without sound
• find reading easier than listening
• use screen readers or AI summary tools that rely on caption files (closed captions only)

All pre‑recorded videos with important audio must have captions.

Live video

Live videos are exempt under accessibility regulations, but captions are strongly recommended.

If a live stream is recorded and shared later, captions are required.

Types of captions

Closed captions

Closed captions are added after a video is created and can be:

• read by screen readers
• adjusted for appearance
• turned on or off

Use closed captions whenever possible.

Open captions

Open captions are always visible and cannot be read by screen readers or turned off.

Use them only where closed captions are not supported, such as some social media platforms.

Ensure open captions have good colour contrast and do not block important visuals.

When captions are needed

Pre-recorded video

Add captions to all videos with important audio, including:

• speech
• meaningful sounds (such as laughter)
• off-screen sounds

Aim to add accurate captions within 14 days of publication.

Silent videos or those with only background audio

Captions are not needed if a video:

• is silent
• only includes background audio that adds no meaning

Explain this near the video, for example: “No captions needed. Video has no spoken audio.”

If a video has no audio but contains important visuals or text, it is unlikely to be accessible unless it has:

• an audio description added (preferred)
• a descriptive transcript alongside the video

Live video streams

Live streams do not need captions, but providing them is strongly recommended.

Platforms like YouTube allow auto-generated live captions, which must be enabled separately for each planned stream. They are not retained after the live stream ends.

If a recording of the live stream is published later, accurate captions must be added.

What to include in captions

Captions should provide the same information people get from hearing the audio. They should:

• include all important speech
• include meaningful non‑speech sounds (for example, [laughter], [intro music])
• be accurate, with correct spelling and punctuation
• be roughly in sync and visible for at least one second

Show a change of speaker if:

• the speaker’s identity affects meaning
• the visuals do not make this clear

Auto-generated captions

Some platforms, such as YouTube, generate captions automatically.

Auto‑generated captions are not fully accessible. Always review and correct them for accuracy and missing context.

Creating a YouTube video with captions

This section applies to videos created and uploaded to the council’s YouTube channel.

Before the video is produced

Create a script that explains what the video will show or demonstrate. Use this script to help narrate the video clearly and consistently.

After the video is produced

1. Ask for the video to be uploaded to the council’s YouTube channel.
2. Ask for a copy of the auto‑generated captions (with timestamps).
3. Review the auto‑generated captions and correct any mistakes.
4. Improve the captions by adding:
   • speaker changes (for example, [Narrator]:, [Jane]:)
   • important non‑speech sounds (for example, [laughter], [music])
5. Send the corrected caption file to the Communications and Marketing team so they can update the video.

For help with captions, contact the Communications and Marketing team.

Captions, subtitles and transcripts

Captions are not the same as subtitles or transcripts.

• Subtitles translate speech into another language and usually do not include sound information.
• Transcripts are written versions of audio and important sounds and are provided separately from the video.

Learn when video transcripts are needed

If someone else makes the video

If a supplier or external organisation makes a video, ask them to:

• not burn captions into the video (do not make captions always visible)
• provide the video without captions, with a separate caption file (for example, SRT or VTT).

This allows the Communications and Marketing team to check and update the video captions correctly for the intended platform and accessibility.

Making existing videos accessible 

If a video is already published on our YouTube channel and captions are missing or incorrect, take steps to improve accessibility.

Videos with captions burned in

Captions burned into a video do not make it fully accessible. They cannot be:

In this case, provide the important information from the video in text instead, either as a short written summary nearby or by linking to an accessible web page.

This ensures people can still access the information if the video itself cannot be made accessible.

Accessibility standards

Following this guidance helps more people access council content and supports meeting UK accessibility regulations, including PSBAR 2018.

For more guidance on using captions:

• Captions and transcripts for accessibility (Scope for Business)
• Subtitles and captions: What’s the difference? (Design102)
• Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions (WebAIM)
• Captions/Subtitles (W3C)

If system or format limits stop you from following this guidance, contact the Communications and Marketing team before publishing.