Creating accurate captions supports equal access to all users, improves comprehension, and ensures that content is accessible.

Getting Started: Upload & Add Media in Kaltura

  • Upload a video File: Log into Canvas or MediaSpace, navigate to My Media, click Add New, and select Media Upload. Choose your file, complete the required metadata (Title and Description), and click Save.
  • Add a Youtube Video: In My Media, click Add New and select YouTube. Paste the full YouTube URL into the link box, click Preview to verify the details, and select Save.

Note: Videos must be public, in order to upload. 

Verify or Request Automatic Captions

  • Automatic Machine Captions: Uploaded media automatically receives Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) captions in English, typically reaching 70%–85% accuracy.
  • Manual Caption Requests: If captions do not process automatically, locate the video in My Media, click Actions (or the three-dot menu), select Caption & Enrich (or Reach Captions and Enrich), choose your language, and click Submit.
  • Accuracy Requirement: ASR machine captions are a draft starting point and do not meet ADA/WCAG compliance until manually reviewed and edited to at least 99% accuracy.

Open Kaltura Caption Editor

  1. Open My Media and click on the video title or the Pencil icon (Edit).
  2. Scroll down below the video preview player and click the Captions tab.
  3. Click the Edit Captions button to launch the interactive editor tool.

Review and Edit Captions

  • Identify Speakers: Identify every speaker using proper names when known (e.g., [Dr. Smith]), or generic role titles when unknown (e.g., [Instructor], [Student]). 
  • Revise Text: Correct unrecognized word, pronouns, and sync spoken text with captions word-for-word.  
  • Non-Speech Audio Labels: Describe key background sounds, music, or environmental audio in brackets (e.g., [Upbeat music], [Audience laughing], [Door slams], [Silence]).
  • Correct Punctuation: Add proper capitalization, commas, and periods to convey the rhythm and tone of spoken language clearly.
  • Save Frequently: Select the Save in the top-left corner every few minutes.

Save and Final Steps

  1. Select Save in the top-left corner, once all of the edits have been completed. 
  2. Adjust the accuracy to 99 percent to indicate the video is accessible.

Additional Resources

Kaltura's Help Center

Resource type
Multimedia & Alternative Text