Creating a Transcript File

Transcripts are required for all Wells Fargo video contentthat includes spoken words. These are guidelines provided by YouTube for captioning. There may be additional requirements for caption/subtitle graphics in-video which are not captured here. For in-video captions and/or subtitles reach out to your V-Net partner.

YouTube only allows one file which serves as both transcript (which appears below the video) and closed captioning (on top of the video at the bottom). What follows are instructions for creating the most basic .txt file that,when uploaded, is synced with the video.

Constraints

YouTube does not currently support transcripts/captions that explain what is happening visually within a video. Transcripts represent sounds. For example, a video that has only music and conveys all other information visually cannot be effectively represented in a transcript. Transcripts should not attempt to convey visual and auditory information as YouTube can’t sync the transcript files to the video properly and can oftentimes fail to process.

We are working with our Accessibility SMEs to establish requirements/processes to better support how visual content can be represented for visually impaired users.

Creating a Basic Transcript File

Source:

Type the text of what was said in your video and save it as a plain text file (.txt). You can do this by converting other formats (like Microsoft Word, HTML, PDF) into a plain text file or you can use native programs on your computer like TextEdit or Notepad.

In order to get the best results, use these formatting tips:

  • Use square brackets to designate background sounds.
  • [music] or [laughter]
  • Identify who is speaking; reference them the same way you do in the lower third.
  • E.g. If only using the team member’s last initial, do the same in the transcript
  • Add > to identify speakers or change of speaker.
  • > Steve K.:
  • The person speaking you never see is identified as:
  • <Voice-over: Samantha always dreamed of owning her own home.
  • Use a blank line to force the start of a new caption.
  • Transcripts should faithfully represent what a person says…even if they use poor grammar.
  • <Samantha: Where’s the house at?
  • The above said, use correct spelling. Misspellings appear to be a transcription error.
  • Appropriate: nothing
  • Inappropriate: nuttin’

Here's an example of what your transcript file might look like:

> ALICE: Hi, my name is Alice Miller and this is John Brown
> JOHN: and we're the owners of Miller Bakery.
> ALICE: Today we'll be teaching you how to make
our famous chocolate chip cookies!
[intro music]
Okay, so we have all the ingredients laid out here

For non-English language transcript files, we recommend saving the file with UTF-8 encoding to improve display accuracy:

For advanced captioning options and more informationsee:

COMMON MISTAKES:

-Sending .doc, .rtf or .pdf files

-Including things not spoken or heard in the sound track (see below)

-Including superfluous content in the transcript (see below)

-Not incorporating [ music ] into transcripts that include other dialogue/voiceover*