Writing Caption Music Descriptions
Writing Caption Music Descriptions records a distinct W3C-supported accessibility writing task while keeping implementation mechanics outside the writing guidance.
Describe music in captions when it is important to understanding the content, using objective wording that communicates the relevant character or role of the music.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Background music that is not important to understanding does not need exhaustive description, and subjective judgments about whether music is “beautiful” should not replace useful information.
Further guidance
Content
Include a concise music description when the music carries meaning; use lyrics or another more specific treatment when the words themselves are important.
Purpose
The caption should convey the audio information a user needs without adding subjective praise or unnecessary interpretation.
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.