Crowdcast offers live captions for Pro plans and above to make live events easier to follow and more accessible. Native captions are available whether you're broadcasting in-browser or streaming to Crowdcast using RTMP. Once enabled, attendees watching from the audience can choose whether to display them and select the subtitle size that works best for them.
For Hosts: Enable Captions Before Going Live
Captions need to be enabled by the host before starting the broadcast.
Broadcasting from the Crowdcast Studio
Before you go live:
Enter the greenroom for your event.
After you select Go Live, locate the enable live captions option before you Go Live Now. You can also choose to make this your default.
When you're ready, Go Live Now.
Once your broadcast begins, attendees watching from the audience will have the option to display or turn off the generated captions.
Broadcasting via RTMP
If you're using OBS, Ecamm, vMix, or another RTMP broadcasting tool, you can also enable Crowdcast's native captions.
Before starting your RTMP broadcast:
Open the Crowdcast event and enter the RTMP Studio.
Locate the Captions option.
Enable Captions.
Set up your RTMP broadcast as usual.
Crowdcast will generate captions from the live broadcast audio for attendees watching from the audience.
For Attendees: Viewing Captions
When the host has enabled captions, attendees watching from the audience can choose whether they want to see them.
You can:
Turn captions on or off
Choose small, medium, or large subtitle text
Your subtitle settings only affect your own viewing experience, so you can change them without affecting anyone else watching the event.
Current Limitations
There are a couple of limitations to be aware of:
Captions are currently available to audience members only. Participants who join the Gallery or Stage will not have access to captions while participating there.
Automatically generated captions cannot currently be edited or corrected.
We're continuing to improve this feature and working on adding more functionality.
Other Live Caption and Translation Options
In addition to Crowdcast's native captions, you can use captioning and translation features available through your browser, computer, or mobile device.
These can be particularly useful if you need:
Live translation into another language
Captions while participating in the Gallery or Stage
Additional accessibility or customization options
Google Chrome
Google Chrome offers built-in Live Caption functionality that can automatically generate captions for audio playing in your browser.
To enable Live Caption:
Open Chrome Settings.
Select Accessibility.
Turn on Live Caption.
Once enabled, captions can automatically appear for supported audio playing in Chrome, including Crowdcast events.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge also includes live caption functionality.
Open Edge Settings.
Select Accessibility.
Turn on Live Captions.
Captions will appear for supported audio playing in Edge.
Captions on Your Computer
Windows 11
Windows 11 includes built-in Live Captions that can transcribe audio playing on your computer.
Go to Start → Settings → Accessibility → Captions.
Turn on Live Captions.
A caption window will appear with a real-time transcription of the audio.
You can move and resize the caption window and customize its appearance.
macOS
On supported versions of macOS:
Go to Apple menu → System Settings.
Select Accessibility.
Select Live Captions.
Turn on Live Captions.
A caption window will appear while supported audio is playing on your Mac, including while watching a Crowdcast event.
Captions on Mobile Devices
Android
Many Android devices include built-in Live Caption functionality.
Depending on your device, you may be able to enable it by:
Pressing the volume button and selecting the Live Caption icon
Going to Settings → Sound & vibration → Live Caption
Going to Settings → Accessibility → Live Caption
Availability and settings vary depending on your device and Android version.
iPhone and iPad
Apple devices also provide accessibility features for captions and subtitles.
Go to Settings → Accessibility to see the captioning and Live Caption options available on your device.
Availability may depend on your device, language, region, and version of iOS or iPadOS.
Live Translation
If you need captions translated into another language, you can continue to use the translation options available through supported browsers and devices.
Translation availability and supported languages vary depending on the browser, device, and operating system you're using.
Which Option Should I Use?
For most attendees, Crowdcast's built-in captions are the easiest option because they're available directly within the event and don't require you to enable a separate browser or device feature.
You may prefer your browser or device's captioning tools if you:
Need live translation or additional captioning options
Are participating in the Gallery or Stage
Prefer the accessibility settings provided by your own device
Need More Help?
If you're having trouble using captions during a Crowdcast event, reach out to us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help. For more accessibility tips for hosts, please visit this article.
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