How do I add captions to my videos in Kaltura?

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Instructions | Troubleshooting | Next Steps |

Video captions are crucial for accessibility, helping to ensure all students, including those with hearing impairments, have equal access to educational content. Captions benefit a wide range of learners, including non-native English speakers and those in noisy environments. This guide covers how to use automatic captioning in Kaltura, edit captions for accuracy, and review edits to ensure quality and compliance with CSU Accessible Technology Initiative and federal accessibility standards.

Prerequisites

To add captions to a video in Kaltura, you'll need the following:

• A video uploaded to Kaltura for which you wish to edit or review captions. Need a video? See our create media in Kaltura guides.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Automatic Captioning in Kaltura

To ensure your videos in Kaltura are automatically captioned, do the following:

1. Upload your video to Kaltura. If it’s a Zoom recording, Kaltura will use the Zoom Audio Transcript for captioning (Note: the Zoom Audio Transcript must be enabled). For other videos, Kaltura REACH provides automatic captioning.
2. Be aware that automatic captions may not always be accurate. For critical content, consider using the Technology Equity and Inclusion department's captioning service, though availability may vary.

If your video did not receive automatic captions, you can request them through the Caption & Enrich menu:

1. Go to My Media from Kaltura or Canvas.
2. Open the video without captions.
3. Select Actions [1] > Caption & Enrich [2] > Order Captions & Enrichment Services [3].
4. Select the appropriate captioning language.
5. Select Submit to generate captions [4]. This process can take a while, depending on the length of the video.

Editing Captions in Kaltura

The Technology Equity and Inclusion (TEIN) department offers a captioning service for videos, however their schedule may not always permit captions to be ready in time for a video to be posted for students.

To edit captions in Kaltura for improved accuracy, follow these steps:

1. Access your Kaltura Media through Canvas or through Chico State's Kaltura Mediaspace.
2. Find the video for which you want to edit the captions on and click on its title or thumbnail to open it.
3. Below the video player, you should see a series of tabs and an Actions drop down. Select Actions > Edit > Captions.
4. In the "Captions" tab, you will see a list of available caption files for the video. Select Edit Captions to open the captions editor.
5. In the caption editor, you can make changes to the captions. You can modify the text [1], adjust the timing [2], add or remove captions [3], and perform other necessary edits.
   
6. After making the desired changes, be sure to save your edits by clicking on the Save button, located at the top of the caption editor.
7. Once you've saved the changes, the updated captions will be applied to the video. You can close the caption editor and return to the video player to see the changes.

Reviewing Caption Edits

After editing your video's captions, it’s essential to review your changes:

1. Play the video with the edited captions.
2. Watch it in its entirety to ensure the captions accurately reflect the audio content and are properly synchronized.
3. Make any further edits if necessary to ensure the highest quality captions for your viewers.

Troubleshooting

• Caption Accuracy: If captions still seem inaccurate after automatic captioning, manually review and edit them for precision.
• Synchronization Issues: Should captions not properly sync with the video, adjust the timing in the caption editor.

Next Steps

Now that your video has accurate captions, share it with others by

• Turning your video into an interactive quiz
• Embedding your video in Canvas
• Submitting your video as a video assignment
• Getting your video's embed code for sharing outside Canvas

Still need help? If you run into problems or still need help, reach out to the Technology & Learning Program.