Accessible Video Workflow: Record → Caption → Transcript → Publish (SOP for Universities)

An accessible video workflow is a repeatable set of steps that takes a lecture recording from “captured” to “published” with accurate captions and a usable transcript. A simple SOP helps universities do this every term by setting recording standards, clear roles, fixed timelines, and QA gates. Below is a practical “Record → Caption → Transcript → Publish” workflow you can copy, assign, and run.

Primary keyword: accessible video workflow

• Record with consistent audio, clear visuals, and a script/slide plan that reduces caption errors.
• Caption every instructional video, then correct names, terms, and timing.
• Transcript should match the final captions and include speaker labels when helpful.
• Publish in the LMS and on the web with the right player settings, files, and links.

Key takeaways

• A term-by-term SOP removes guesswork by defining who does what, when, and what “done” means.
• Quality starts at recording; good audio reduces caption cost, time, and fixes later.
• Use QA gates (not “best effort”) before anything goes live in the LMS or website.
• Keep one source of truth for each video’s caption file and transcript to prevent drift.

What this SOP covers (and what it doesn’t)

This SOP focuses on making course videos accessible through reliable recording standards, accurate captions, clean transcripts, and careful publishing in an LMS/website. It also includes roles, timelines, and checklists so teams can repeat the process each term.

This SOP does not replace your institution’s disability accommodations process, procurement rules, or legal guidance. If you need a legal baseline for web accessibility expectations, see the WCAG 2.1 guidelines and align your internal policy to your jurisdiction and campus requirements.

Roles and responsibilities (RACI-style)

Accessible video succeeds when responsibilities are explicit. Use the roles below, then map them to job titles on your campus.

Core roles

• Faculty / Instructor (Content Owner): plans the recording, speaks clearly, provides correct spellings (names, acronyms), reviews content-specific terms, and approves the final publish.
• Media Team / Instructional Media: supports recording setup, audio checks, editing, file management, and delivery to the captioning step.
• Accessibility Staff (or Digital Accessibility Office): defines standards, checks compliance, handles exceptions, and performs audits or spot checks.
• Course Designer / Instructional Designer (optional): ensures the video fits course design, slide readability, and that transcripts work as study aids.
• Caption/Transcript Vendor or In-house Transcription Team: generates captions and transcripts, and applies formatting standards.
• LMS Administrator / Web Team: confirms the player supports captions, controls, and transcript placement, and validates publishing settings.

Simple responsibility split (who does what)

• Faculty: correctness of terminology, speaker names, and intent.
• Media team: technical quality (audio/video), edits, file naming, and storage.
• Accessibility staff: standards, QA criteria, and final accessibility gate when required.

Term timeline: a repeatable schedule you can run every semester

The biggest workflow failures happen when captioning is treated as a last-minute add-on. Use a predictable timeline with buffers and clear handoffs.

Recommended cadence (adjust for your campus)

• 2–4 weeks before term: confirm courses using video, set standards, train faculty on recording basics, and confirm who requests captioning.
• Week 0–1: record first lectures, run the first QA gate, and submit batches for captioning within 24–72 hours of recording.
• Weeks 2–12: weekly batching (e.g., every Friday) for steady turnaround and predictable review time.
• Midterm audit: accessibility staff spot-check a sample of videos for caption accuracy and publishing consistency.
• End of term: archive “final” assets (video + caption file + transcript) and note any issues to fix before reuse.

Service-level targets (internal targets, not promises)

• Recording to caption request: within 1–3 days.
• Caption review window: 2 business days after captions are returned.
• Publish window: publish only after QA passes, ideally within 1 week of recording for weekly lecture cycles.

Step 1: Record (standards that prevent caption problems later)

Captions can’t fix poor audio, cross-talk, or missing context. Start with minimum recording standards that faculty can meet without special gear.

Audio standards (most important)

• Use a dedicated mic (lapel, headset, or USB mic) instead of room audio when possible.
• Record in a quiet space and reduce HVAC noise, hallway noise, and keyboard tapping.
• One speaker at a time for Q&A when feasible; repeat student questions into the mic.
• Do a 10-second test before each session and listen back with headphones.

Video and slide standards

• Show the speaker or cursor when pointing to content, so the transcript has context.
• Use readable slide text and say key points out loud (don’t rely on visuals alone).
• Avoid “as you can see here” without describing what “here” is.

Pre-record checklist for faculty (2 minutes)

• Mic connected and selected in the recording app.
• Test recording done and audio is clear.
• Correct course name, week, and topic in the title.
• List of key terms/names ready (for later caption edits).

Step 2: Caption generation (and why “auto-only” usually isn’t enough)

Most teams start with automated captions because they are fast, then add human review and corrections. This can work well if you plan the editing step and define what accuracy and timing must look like.

If you use AI captions, treat them as a draft and plan time for fixes. You can also choose a fully human captioning workflow for higher confidence on terminology-heavy content.

Choose a caption approach: decision criteria

• Subject complexity: STEM, law, medicine, and multilingual names often need more review.
• Audio quality: weaker audio increases edit time for any approach.
• Turnaround needs: weekly lecture cycles may need a hybrid approach.
• Risk level: public-facing marketing videos or compliance-driven programs often require stricter QA.

Caption file formats and basics

• SRT is common for many players and platforms.
• VTT (WebVTT) is common for web players and HTML5 video.
• Burned-in captions (open captions) help in some cases, but you should still keep a text caption file when possible.

For technical guidance on caption file types and web video behavior, the W3C’s WebVTT specification is a useful reference.

Operational SOP: how to submit for captions

• Media team exports the final-ish edit (trim dead air, remove private chatter, normalize audio if needed).
• Media team uploads the video to the captioning queue (vendor portal or internal system).
• Faculty supplies a “term sheet” (names, acronyms, unusual spellings) with the submission.
• Accessibility staff sets priority rules (e.g., required accommodations first, then core courses).

If you want to combine speed and accuracy, you can start with an automated draft and then add review and corrections. GoTranscript offers automated transcription for fast drafts when that fits your process.

Step 3: Edit captions and produce the transcript (one source of truth)

Editing is where captions become truly usable. The goal is simple: captions should be readable, synced, and correct, and the transcript should match the final captions.

Caption editing standards (practical, not perfect)

• Correct proper nouns: instructor names, guest speakers, citations, tool names, and local places.
• Fix key terminology: course-specific terms, formulas read aloud, and acronyms.
• Remove filler when needed (optional): keep meaning, improve readability.
• Check timing: captions should appear when the words are spoken and stay on screen long enough to read.
• Speaker labels: use them for multi-speaker content when it helps clarity.
• Non-speech sounds: include only when instructional (e.g., “[laughter]” may not help, “[applause]” may not help, but “[doorbell]” usually doesn’t help in class videos).

Transcript standards (what to include)

• Match the final captions so students don’t see conflicting text.
• Include headings when possible (Topic, Section, Q&A) for easier scanning.
• Include timestamps only if your campus standard requires them (they can help studying).
• Include speaker labels for panels, interviews, or group discussions.

“One source of truth” workflow

• Keep a single master caption file (SRT/VTT) per video in a central storage location.
• Generate the transcript from the final caption text, not from an earlier draft.
• Version your files so teams don’t overwrite updates (e.g., “BIO101_Wk03_Lecture_v2_en.vtt”).

If you already have a transcript draft and need a reliable final pass, consider a dedicated review step like transcription proofreading services to catch terminology and formatting issues before publishing.

Step 4: Publish to LMS/website (with QA gates and a checklist)

Publishing is not just uploading a video. It includes player settings, caption tracks, transcript placement, and link checks so students can actually use the content.

QA gates (stop points that prevent broken accessibility)

• Gate 1 — Recording QC (Media team): audio is understandable, video is not corrupted, and the file is labeled correctly.
• Gate 2 — Caption QC (Caption editor or vendor + Faculty spot check): names/terms correct, timing acceptable, and no missing sections.
• Gate 3 — Publish QC (LMS/Web team + Accessibility staff as needed): captions toggle works, transcript is available, and links work on mobile and desktop.

LMS/website publish checklist (copy/paste)

• Video title: includes course + week/module + topic.
• Player controls: captions can be turned on/off and are selectable.
• Caption track: correct language label (e.g., English), correct file (VTT/SRT), and synced.
• Transcript: posted near the video (same page/module) in an accessible format (HTML page or tagged PDF when possible).
• Transcript naming: matches the video title and date/week.
• Links: any referenced resources in the video are linked in the module.
• Audio-only alternative: if you also publish audio-only, it includes a transcript link.
• Mobile check: verify captions display and transcript opens on a phone.
• Privacy/settings: correct course section access, no accidental public exposure.
• Archive: store final assets in the shared repository (video + caption file + transcript).

Where to place the transcript

• Best: on the same LMS page as the video, directly under it, with a clear “Transcript” heading.
• Also good: a separate accessible page linked right next to the video.
• Avoid: hiding transcripts in a different module or a folder students won’t find.

Pitfalls to avoid (what breaks the workflow most often)

These issues cause rework, delays, and student frustration. Build safeguards into your SOP so you don’t repeat them each term.

• Captioning too late: students need access when the lesson is assigned, not weeks later.
• No term sheet: without correct spellings, editors guess and errors spread across the course.
• Multiple “final” files: teams update captions in one place and publish a different version elsewhere.
• Unclear ownership: nobody feels responsible for approving accuracy of course-specific terms.
• Publishing without verification: captions uploaded but not enabled, wrong language track, or transcript link broken.
• Ignoring short videos: even brief announcements can matter, especially if they contain assignments or dates.

Common questions

• Do we need both captions and transcripts?
  Captions support viewers during playback, while transcripts help with searching, studying, and access for some assistive technology workflows.
• Can we publish first and fix captions later?
  You can set an internal policy for drafts, but this often creates confusion and rework; QA gates help you publish consistently and avoid “broken” accessibility.
• Who should approve caption accuracy?
  Faculty should confirm course terms and names, while the media/accessibility teams confirm technical and formatting standards.
• What’s the easiest way to speed up caption editing?
  Improve audio quality, provide a term sheet, and batch submissions weekly so editors work consistently.
• Should we use SRT or VTT?
  Use the format your platform supports best; many web players prefer VTT, while SRT is widely supported across platforms.
• How do we handle guest speakers or panels?
  Collect speaker names ahead of time, use speaker labels, and ask speakers to use microphones to reduce cross-talk.
• What if a student needs a faster accommodation timeline?
  Define a priority lane for required accommodations so those videos move to the front of the queue.

A simple SOP template you can reuse each term

Use this as a one-page summary you can paste into a campus wiki or shared document. Keep it short so people follow it.

• Input: lecture video (edited), course term sheet (names/acronyms), metadata (course/week/topic).
• Process: Record QC → Caption generation → Caption edit → Transcript export → Publish QC → Release.
• Outputs: published video with captions enabled + transcript posted + archived master files.
• Owners: Faculty (content), Media (technical), Accessibility (standards/QA), LMS/Web (publish).

If you want a workflow that’s easier to manage, pairing reliable transcripts with captions can reduce manual cleanup and help students study. GoTranscript can support your team with the right solutions, including professional transcription services when you need accurate captions and transcripts to fit your SOP.