Writing Captions for Lyrics
Writing Captions for Lyrics records a distinct W3C-supported caption-writing task while keeping implementation mechanics and unsupported house-style rules outside the guidance.
When words in music are important to understanding, W3C WAI recommends captioning the words and marking the musical passage with a musical note at the beginning and end of each caption.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Use this treatment when the words themselves matter; music that matters only for mood can be handled with an objective music description instead.
Further guidance
Content
Caption meaningful lyrics rather than replacing them with a generic music label, and use the documented musical-note cue to show that the words are sung.
Practical Application
When sung words are important to understanding, caption the actual lyrics and use the documented music cue convention so users know the words are sung rather than spoken.
Purpose
This preserves the verbal content of the music for users who cannot hear it.
Reader Check
Would replacing the sung words with a generic “[music]” label remove verbal information that matters to the scene or message?
Worked Example
For an original line that matters to the scene, caption it as “♪ Home before sunrise ♪” rather than reducing the whole passage to “[music].”
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.