Transcript

A transcript is the written version of audio or video content, accessible independently from the player. It reproduces the spoken words, identifies speakers, describes significant sounds, and for videos, the visual information necessary for understanding. WCAG requires it from level A for all prerecorded audio-only content (criterion 1.2.1).

Your podcast has thousands of listens. But a deaf person cannot listen to it, and a search engine cannot index it. Without a transcript, your audio content does not exist for them.

#Transcript and captions: two different things

The confusion is common. Captions appear in the video player, synchronized with the stream. A transcript is a standalone document: an HTML page, a text block below the player, a downloadable file. You can read it without launching the video.

This distinction has a direct consequence. Captions require watching the video. A deafblind person using a braille display cannot access captions. They need a transcript. This is why the WAI distinguishes two levels:

  • Basic transcript: words, speaker identification, significant non-verbal sounds.
  • Descriptive transcript: everything above, plus description of visual information (gestures, displayed graphics, scene changes).

For audio-only content (podcast, voice message), a basic transcript is sufficient. For a video, a descriptive transcript covers all disability situations.

#What WCAG concretely requires

Criterion 1.2.1 (level A) requires a transcript for all prerecorded audio-only content. No exceptions. This is the minimum.

Criterion 1.2.3 (level A) offers a choice for videos with audio: either audio description or a complete text transcript. Many teams ignore this second option, which is nonetheless simpler to produce.

At level AAA, criterion 1.2.8 requires a transcript for all prerecorded synchronized media, without alternative.

#How to structure a good transcript

The Canadian government guidelines provide a clear format:

<details>
  <summary>Text transcript</summary>
  <p>[Introductory music]</p>
  <p><strong>Marie</strong>: Today, we're talking about keyboard navigation.</p>
  <p>[Marie shares her screen and opens a contact form]</p>
  <p><strong>Paul</strong>: The first field receives focus automatically.</p>
</details>

Brackets for sounds and visual actions. Speaker names in bold. The transcript placed just below the player, or linked by a visible link.

The most common mistake: providing a transcript that contains only the spoken words. If your video shows a graph while the presenter says "as you can see here", a person reading the transcript sees nothing at all. Describe what appears on screen.

#In summary

A transcript is a standalone document, accessible without launching the media. For a podcast, it reproduces the words and sounds. For a video, it adds description of visual information. WCAG requires it from level A, and it often remains the simplest solution to make media accessible.

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Synchronized Audio Description

Synchronized captions are a text version of the dialogue and sounds of a video, displayed in real time in the player. They are not limited to dialogue: they identify who is speaking and describe significant sounds such as music or a door slam. WCAG requires them at Level A for pre-recorded videos (criterion 1.2.2).

Synchronized Audio Description

Synchronized audio description is a voice narration inserted during pauses in a video to describe visual elements that the soundtrack does not convey. It enables people who are blind or visually impaired to follow the action, scene changes, and on-screen text. WCAG requires it at level AA for all prerecorded video content.

Time-based media

Time-based media is content whose understanding depends on time flowing: audio file, video, or both combined. In accessibility, each type of time-based media requires specific alternatives: transcription, captions, audio description. WCAG devotes nine success criteria to it (guideline 1.2).