Using YouTube to make subtitles and/or closed captions
Uploading
Create your video using one of the following file formats: 3GPP, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG4 (aka .mp4), MPEGPS, WebM and WMV. Saving it to one of these formats is done in the software you are using to create the video-- sometimes it happens automatically.
Here are specific instructions on how to upload your video file: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
Note: an easy way to “sign in to YouTube” is to first sign in to your Whitman email in a web browser, then click on the “Google Apps” icon in the upper right hand part of WhitMail screen. It looks like this:
Be aware that it can take several minutes or up to hours to process and upload a video, so plan accordingly.
Access
Depending on what you are sharing, you may have (or need to have) differing approaches regarding access. In YouTube, you have the option to designate a particular video as Public, Unlisted, or Private.
Public is the default setting and means anybody can search for and see your video.
Private means only those you invite to view the video can view it (they must have their own Youtube accounts and the maximum number is 50 usernames). All Whitman students have YouTube accounts, using their @whitman.edu email as part of the institution’s GSuite license.
Unlisted (Recommended at Whitman) means your video will not come up in search results or on your channel either. Only those who know the link can view it, and you can share the link with anyone, even those who do not have a YouTube account.
Share your video
If you have chosen for your video to be Private, you will need to then share the link with those who you want to view the video.
In YouTube Studio, go to your Videos.
Hover over the video you are sharing, and click on the pencil icon "Details" or select the video and click on the pencil icon “Details” on the left-hand menu.
In the upper right hand corner, there are three vertical dots. Click on that, and you'll see the following options: Download, Delete, and Share Privately.
Click "Share privately" and you'll get a new tab where you can select "Let everyone at whitman.edu view" or limit to specific email addresses.
If your video is set to Unlisted, you can just share the link to those who you would link to view your content.
Accessibility
Captioning/Subtitles
There are different captioning options in YouTube: Automatic, Edited, Manually-entered and Community Contribution.
Automatic captions do not meet ADA Section 508 standards, but are better than not providing captions. The auto-generated captions are created using artificial intelligence, so depending on many factors, such as the audio quality, whether/if there are multiple voices at once, and if the subject matter includes specialized language/acronyms, etc. the results can vary greatly in quality.
When you upload your video, select the language and YouTube will run auto-captioning automatically. Set the language in the window that shows up when you start the upload process. Scroll to the bottom of the window and click “More options.” It can take google a while to process the auto captions, so don’t fret if you do not see them right away.
Strongly consider enabling “community contributions” to your automatic subtitles. Doing this will allow people who view your video to make edits to the subtitles, hopefully with the intent of improving the auto-generated content. To do this, make sure you are in studio.youtube.com and you’ve clicked on “Videos” in the left hand column. Click on “Subtitles” on the left. You will now see a “Community contributions” area where you can enable this feature.
After you have auto-generated your captions, you can create a higher-quality Edited file in order to correct misspellings or misunderstandings:
Make sure you are in studio.youtube.com and you’ve clicked on “Videos” in the left hand column.
In your list of videos, click on the pencil icon that appears next to the video you want to work on. Then on the left side of your screen, click “Subtitles”
The Subtitle screen should list something like “English (Automatic).” On the right side of the screen move your mouse over the word “Published” and click on the three vertical dots. Click on “Edit in Classic Studio”
This will open a new window or tab, with the auto-captions and time signatures listed on the left and your video on the right, so you can replay certain sections or resync timing if needed. If you see something that needs to be corrected, click “Edit” and simply make the edits in the Editor. Don’t forget to click “Save changes” when you’re done.
Another option is to Manually enter or supply a transcript.
Make sure you are in studio.youtube.com and you’ve clicked on “Videos” in the left hand column.
In your list of videos, click on the pencil icon that appears next to the video you want to work on. Then on the left side of your screen, click “Subtitles”
The Subtitle screen should list something like “English (Automatic).” On the right side of the screen click on “ADD”
This opens up the following options:
Upload a file (you can use a transcription service),
Transcribe and auto-sync (Type or paste in a full transcript of the video and subtitle timings will be set automatically.)
Create new subtitles or CC (Create subtitles and closed captions by typing them in as you watch the video.)
This video of Deaf YouTuber Jessica Kellgren-Fozard gives a great overview of these subtitles/closed caption options in action.
Overwhelmed? If you are feeling overwhelmed with subtitles, Enable Community Contributions (see above) and send or share the link with Antonia and she will edit your file. You will need to go back to your YouTube Studio to publish the contributed file.
Other Considerations
Use thoughtful descriptions of what you are demonstrating. Could someone with a visual disability still understand what concept you are demonstrating or explaining? Or have you inadvertently used vague descriptors like “Now I’m going to do this, and there’s the answer!”