The advent of podcasts in today's digital age has made them the go-to option for many around the world to engage in their topics of interest. Podcasts are, in a way, an evolution of radio in digital form. They are a series of digitally programmed and recorded episodes that discuss specific themes or topics. They can be about anything, from technology and startups to marriage and personal relationships. Podcasts will exist as long as there's a topic to discuss and an audience curious about it.
The popularity of podcasts comes from the fact that they are very easy to host and listen to. This sudden rise in popularity has made them a market trend in recent times. It doesn't matter if you are old or young; many have their favorite podcasts they listen to or host themselves. Their concept is similar to blogs, where an audience with a similar interest gathers and stays there over time. Podcasts can be from any subject of your choosing, but ideally, topics of interest or that you have expertise about will result in better content.
To attract audiences, podcast hosts must create a unique name for their productions. Introductions and coming up with your own catchphrases also go a long way in helping to attain an interested crowd. The main requirement of a successful podcast series is excellent communication skills to engage with others with similar interests. As for the formats, monologues, interviews, co-hosted, panels, educational, or simple storytelling are some of the most common podcast types you can see online.
There are about 383 million podcast listeners worldwide, and many expect the number of listeners to grow to 424 million by the end of 2022. That is not surprising, considering how versatile and enlightening podcasts can be. Many people love listening to podcasts as they go about their day or when commuting to and from work.
However, for the vast number of listeners out there, we also have to account for people who are deaf or experience mild to profound hearing loss. It may shock some, but these individuals often represent 10% to 20% of podcast listeners. For these individuals, podcast closed captioning is a necessity to be able to enjoy content in the same way others do.
Regardless of media type, the main objective we want to achieve with podcast production is for our information to reach the broadest possible audience. When it comes to engaging as many people as we can, accounting for those who are hard of hearing or deaf with the use of closed captioning for podcasts is crucial. We have to plan ahead whenever we produce content and design it with accessibility in mind by incorporating closed captioning. Providing text alongside your podcast promotes equitable access to your content, meaning it can reach a bigger crowd.
Podcast closed captioning is a text version of the spoken parts of the content. The term "closed" comes from the fact they are usually hidden and need to be switched on from a menu before they are accessible. Closed captioning is similar to subtitles in that it includes a word-for-word transcript of everything said. It mainly differs in the inclusion of sound descriptions and that they are incorporated directly into the media file. Even though closed captions and subtitles are terms many people use interchangeably, they point to two distinct features.
Another point that is very important to consider is making content that is WCAG compliant. The WCAG (or the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is an industry standard for the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with websites. For your content to be WCAG compliant, it needs to have podcast closed captioning that includes audio descriptions. This norm ensures that content remains equally accessible for everyone regardless of their hearing capabilities. It references standard accessibility laws and policies around the globe and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the US.
These guidelines make it mandatory by law for content creators to provide closed captions and audio descriptions alongside their prerecorded and live audio or video content. The guidelines don't specify any exact compliance of metrics for measuring the quality of the captions. Nevertheless, the accepted industry standard is that they must be at least 99% accurate.
WCAG 2.0 took a broader approach to this, and it now simply requires all web content to follow the POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) principle. In essence, your created content needs to be designed to provide users with disabilities an equivalent experience to those without disabilities. Therefore, your aim is to create egalitarian access for everyone.
Automated transcriptions aren't great. In fact, despite their claims, they're often flawed and difficult to read. If you want to attract people with hearing loss to your content, you shouldn't use machine-generated transcriptions. Instead, use human transcripts, which are 99% accurate or better. If you are looking for a podcast closed captioning service that creates an accurate transcription of your content, then GoTranscript is the best choice you can make!
We use human transcribers to implement high-quality closed captions into your content to make it more accessible. If you, the podcaster, want people to enjoy and have a formative time with your productions, publishing them alongside an accurate transcript is a must.
At GoTranscript, you can schedule your podcast closed captioning project with us in mere minutes. Your content will then go through our certified professional transcribers and captioners to catch every nuance and distinct characteristic of your recording. After this, they will turn it into a text file with its speakers clearly identified and each word accurately transcribed.
Taking the free or cheap way out isn't appropriate to assist those with hearing loss. It isn't very respectful since it shows you don't care enough to deliver a quality product, which could impact your content's reach. Choose a quality cc service provider like GoTranscript to show that you care and want to provide the best for your audience!
In podcast closed captioning, quality matters. Have you ever tried to enable automatic captions on a video online only to notice the vast discrepancies between what is being said and what is in the captions? Sometimes the captions don't even make sense. For hard-of-hearing individuals, this can be highly frustrating. If your closed captions are inaccurate, that means your content remains inaccessible.
The WCAG upholds a 99% accuracy standard for the use of closed captions in different media content. The accuracy rate for most automatic closed caption generators and transcription software usually lands between 80% to 95% (if you're lucky.) These captions contain many inconsistencies and grammar and punctuation errors that make them unsuitable for viewers. They can work as a fast, cheap, very rough draft of your content, but that's about it. Apple Podcasts' closed caption generator works like this, and although serviceable, it's hardly an option for quality.
Inaccurate captions mean more work for you, the content creator, and can lead listeners to understand your content poorly. You don't want to mislead or misinform your audience, as this could seriously affect how people view your creative work. Adhering to captioning standards to ensure that all closed captions remain accessible for individuals with hearing disabilities is crucial if you want to succeed in the podcasting world.
Podcast closed captioning services like the ones performed by GoTranscript can save you headaches in the long run and make you reach your audiences in the clearest and most accessible ways. Human closed captioners can outperform automated solutions because they:
At GoTranscript, we understand the importance of accurate closed captions for your viewers and brand. Implementing closed captions in your content can be a labor-intensive task that wastes your valuable time. To reduce your production times and raise the quality and reach of your content even further, why not choose a professional podcast closed captioning service like ours? GoTranscript has an experienced team of over 20,000 certified transcribers and captioners ready to help your project meet its goals.
Want to reach a global audience while at the same time having accessibility standards of the highest order? GoTranscript's podcast closed captioning is the best option for you. Our workforce consists of talented native speakers from around the world ready to help get your closed caption project underway at a reasonable cost.
Ordering your closed captions project with us couldn't be any easier. Our price is highly competitive, and our customers' feedback speaks volumes about our services' quality. We are here to serve your needs 24/7. Contact us today. Our experienced team is ready to assist you with your podcast project right away!
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