Non-native speakers may benefit from video transcripts.
What's the difference between subtitles and captions?
Captions are meant for hearing-impaired individuals who can view video images but can't hear the soundtrack. Captions use words to communicate:
- The video's spoken content.
- Song lyrics.
- "Atmospherics," or sound effects that are part of the story.
On the other hand, subtitles are intended for viewers who can hear the language but can't understand it. So, atmospherics aren't part of subtitling services unless, for some reason, they don't translate into a different culture or language.
Captioning is similar to transcription. The captions are merely a written version of what's being said (or sung) in a viewer's own language. Subtitles are trickier to produce than captions because subtitles must translate the nuances of a spoken and written language into the viewer's language.