Updating Script-Based Captions to Match Final Audio
Updating Script-Based Captions to Match Final Audio records a distinct W3C-supported accessibility writing task while keeping implementation mechanics and unsupported house-style rules outside the guidance.
When a script is used to start a caption or transcript, edit it so the text accurately matches the final audio content.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
A production script can still be a useful starting point; this guidance only addresses differences that matter to an accurate text alternative.
Further guidance
Content
Compare the available script with the finished recording and change wording where the delivered audio differs from the written script.
Practical Application
Treat a production script as a starting point, not the final caption text. Compare it against the finished recording and edit wording, speaker changes, additions, omissions, and relevant sounds so the delivered captions or transcript represent the actual final audio.
Purpose
The final recording, not an earlier draft, is the accuracy target for captions and transcripts.
Reader Check
Have you checked the text against the final recording rather than assuming the recording followed the script exactly?
Worked Example
If the script says “We launch in May” but the recorded speaker says “We launch in June,” update the caption to “We launch in June” because the final audio—not the draft script—is the accuracy target.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Transcribing Audio to Text — W3C WAI (opens in a new tab)World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative · W3C WAI guidance for identifying speakers and representing relevant audio information in transcripts and captions.