9.2.3. Obtain a Video Transcript#

Transcripts are required for all videos. Transcripts help learners with hearing impairments understand audio content, and they are helpful for learners who speak other languages.

Transcripts are available to learners in the following ways.

  • Learners can select the Show transcript (”) icon in the video player’s control bar to show the transcript next to the video. The transcript automatically scrolls as the video plays. Learners can select a line in the transcript to jump to the point in the video where that line is spoken.

  • Learners can show the transcript file as overlaid closed captions for the video by selecting the CC icon in the video player’s control bar.

  • You can allow learners to download transcripts so that learners can read the transcripts offline. For more information, see Enable Video and Transcript Downloads.

9.2.3.1. Obtaining a Video Transcript#

To obtain a transcript in .srt format, you can work with a transcript provider such as 3Play Media or cielo24. 3Play Media and cielo24 offer a discounted rate for edX.org partners.

  • If your course is on edx.org and you work with 3Play Media or cielo24, you can use integrated video transcripts in Studio to obtain transcripts and associate them with your videos automatically. For more information, see Integrated Transcripts.

  • If you do not work with 3Play Media or cielo24, or your course is on Edge, or you must obtain transcripts from a third party transcript provider and associate them with your videos manually. For more information, see Non-Integrated Transcripts.

Note

For courses on edx.org, transcripts must be in the SubRip Text (.srt) format. We strongly recommend that you format your .srt files as plain text with no encoding. Encodings such as UTF-8 and ANSI - Western Roman can cause errors.

For courses on Edge, we strongly recommend that your timed transcripts use the .srt format.

If you use a third party transcript provider other than 3Play Media or cielo24, make sure that your finished transcripts are in .srt format.

9.2.3.1.1. Integrated Transcripts#

When you use integrated transcripts, you upload your videos in Studio. The edX processing service then creates transcripts, uploads the transcripts, and links the transcripts with your videos automatically.

To use integrated transcripts, you must make sure that settings are correct for both your organization and for your individual course.

9.2.3.1.1.1. Add or Change Organization Settings#

Important

Usually, an administrator at your organization establishes organization settings with a transcript provider. Do not change any of these settings without contacting your organization’s administrator.

Organization settings for integrated transcripts include the following settings.

  • The transcript provider.

  • The organization’s account credentials for the provider.

To add or change your organization settings, follow these steps.

  1. Contact either 3Play Media or cielo24, and specify that you are an edX partner.

    3Play Media or cielo24 give you credentials that you then enter in Studio.

  2. When you receive account credentials from 3Play Media or cielo24, open your course in Studio, and then select Video Uploads on the Content menu.

  3. On the Video Uploads page, locate and select Course Video Settings.

  4. In the Course Video Settings panel, specify the settings for your organization.

    Important

    If the settings for your course are different from the settings for your organization, make sure that you contact your organization’s administrator before you change these settings.

    • If your organization uses 3Play Media, follow these steps.

      1. Under Automated Transcripts, select 3Play Media.

      2. In the API Key and API Secret fields, enter the credentials that you received from 3Play Media.

        Note

        edX currently supports 3PlayMedia API v1 credentials only. Using v3 credentials will result in a failure when attempting to submit a transcription or translation job.

      3. Select Update Settings.

    • If your organization uses cielo24, follow these steps.

      1. Under Automated Transcripts, select cielo24.

      2. In the Username and API Key fields, enter the credentials that you received from cielo24.

      3. Select Update Settings.

9.2.3.1.1.2. Add or Change Course Settings#

The following settings are specific to each individual course. You can change these settings without contacting your organization’s administrator.

Note

If you change these settings, the changes take effect for all videos that you upload after you make the changes. You cannot change a setting for a specific video.

To add or change course settings, follow these steps.

  1. Open your course in Studio, and then select Video Uploads on the Content menu.

  2. On the Video Uploads page, locate and select Course Video Settings.

  3. In the Course Video Settings panel, specify the settings for your organization.

    • If your organization uses 3Play Media, select the options that you want in the Transcript Turnaround and Video Source Language fields.

    • If your organization uses cielo24s, select the options that you want in the Transcript Turnaround and Transcript Fidelity fields.

  4. Select Update Settings.

9.2.3.1.2. Non-Integrated Transcripts#

If you work with a transcript provider other than 3Play Media or cielo24, or your course is on Edge, you cannot use the integrated video transcript functionality in Studio. Instead, you send your videos to the transcript provider, and the provider sends you the completed transcripts. You later upload the transcripts when you create a video component.

If your course is on Edge, integrated transcript functionality is not available even if you work with 3Play Media or cielo24.

9.2.3.2. Transcript File Naming Conventions#

To prevent errors when you upload your video transcripts, we recommend the following conventions for naming your transcript files.

Note

If your course uses integrated video transcripts, the edX video processing service names your transcripts automatically. For more information, see Integrated Transcripts.

  • Give each transcript file an identifying name that is unique across all of your course uploads, including non-transcript files.

  • Make sure that the transcript contains no special characters, such as ç, å, or ó.

  • Make sure that the file type (.srt) is in lowercase.

  • Do not include periods in file names other than the period before the .srt file type.