Using Audio Description results on YouTube

CaptionSync's Audio Description results can be used on YouTube, along with a screen reader, to listen to the video description. This tutorial shows how.

NOTE: We would recommend employing our Smart Player instead to display Audio Description results, since the YouTube player is not an Extended Audio Description-capable player, and requires the user to pause the video to listen to the descriptions. To use our Smart Player with YouTube videos (even the ones you don't own), you just need to place a captioning submission for the YouTube URL to the video, and then request Audio Description for this submission. Watch a sample of a Smart Player displaying Audio Description results.

Getting the Audio Description file:

Follow the instructions in our tutorial to place an Audio Description request for your YouTube video. Use the Guidance for Describer field to ask the describer: Short and concise descriptions are preferred, as they will not be used with an Extended Audio Description-capable player. Once results are available, download the .ad.vtt file from the Results Email, or from the Audio Description Details page, in your CaptionSync account.

Associating the Audio Description file with your YouTube video:

• Log into your YouTube account, click your avatar and open the Creator Studio:

• Select the Video Manager and open the Edit menu for the video you want to add Audio Description to. Click Subtitles/CC:

• Set the Language for your video, if it wasn't already set. Click Add new subtitles or CC, choose the language, and then select Upload a file:

• Choose Subtitles file, and click Browse. Then click Upload. Label the file Audio Description, to avoid confusion with any existing caption files. Finally, click Save changes. The Audio Description file will be listed under the Subtitles/CC tab.

• You can use the text editor to make changes to the Description text before publishing it. If you do so, ensure you click Publish when you're done.

Listening to the Audio Description on YouTube's player:

• Click the Settings icon, then Subtitles, and select the Audio Description track:

• Start playing the video and select the Audio Description text using your screen reader's controls (usually either the mouse or the tab key). We recommend pausing the video to listen to the Audio Description, when the content is rich in dialog, music, or noise:

Additional Notes:

• There are several screen readers available for both Windows and Mac. For Windows, there is a free reader called NVDA; Macs come with a builtin reader called VoiceOver.

• We have a sample video on YouTube with an Audio Description track available.