Are Subtitles the Same as Closed Captioning?

With video content, it’s important to ensure that everyone has access to the information, regardless of language barriers or hearing impairments. Closed captioning and subtitles are two tools that make content more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who speak a different language than the audio. 

However, many people use these terms interchangeably, not realising that they serve different purposes. Here, we’ll explore the differences between closed captioning and subtitles, and answer the question: are subtitles the same as closed captioning?

Closed captioning is a form of text that appears on the screen to provide a visual representation of spoken words, sound effects, musical cues, and other audio information in a video. Closed captioning is intended for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who have difficulty understanding the audio. Closed captions are typically provided in the same language as the audio, and they can be turned on or off by the viewer.

Closed captioning can be created in several ways, including:

A person listens to the audio and transcribes it into text, which is then synchronised with the video.

A computer program uses algorithms to transcribe the audio into text, which is then synchronised with the video. ASR is less accurate than human transcription and may require editing to correct errors.

A person speaks the audio into a microphone, and the text is transcribed and synchronised with the video in real-time. This method is often used for live broadcasts.

Closed captioning is required by law in the UK and US for many types of video content, including broadcast TV, cable TV, and streaming video services. This includes both live and pre-recorded programs.

Subtitles, like closed captioning, provide text on the screen to aid understanding of audio information. However, subtitles are intended for a different audience: people who speak a different language than the audio. Subtitles translate the audio into a different language, allowing viewers to understand the content even if they don’t speak the original language. This allows video content to reach a wider demographic, and not be limited only to viewers in its country of origin.

Subtitles can be created in several ways, including:

A person listens to the audio and translates it into text in the target language, which is then synchronised with the video.

A computer program uses algorithms to translate the audio into text in the target language, which is then synchronised with the video. Machine translation is less accurate than human translation and may require editing to correct errors.

Subtitles can be turned on or off by the viewer, just like closed captioning. However, subtitles are not required by law in the same way that closed captioning is.

The short answer is no, subtitles are not the same as closed captioning. Although both provide text on the screen to aid understanding of audio information, they serve different audiences and purposes. Here are some of the key differences between closed captioning and subtitles:

Closed captioning is required by law for many types of video content, while subtitles are not.

While the terms closed captioning and subtitles are often used interchangeably, it’s important to understand their differences to ensure that video content is accessible to all viewers, regardless of their language or hearing abilities. For example, only including subtitles in your video may mean that those with hearing difficulties miss out on key information or audio cues, which will affect their ability to engage with the content.

Closed captioning and subtitles are important tools for making audio and video content accessible to all viewers, regardless of language or hearing abilities. While they both provide text on the screen to aid understanding of audio information, they do serve distinct purposes. If you want to make sure your video content is inclusive and reaches as wide an audience as possible, it is recommended that you include options for both closed captioning and subtitles in multiple languages if possible.
If you need help with creating or editing a brand video that everyone in your target audience can engage with, then please get in touch.