Overview
Harmonize makes it easy to teach with engaging, media-rich content while still keeping accessibility front and center. Record or upload videos, screen recordings, and audio across the platform, then rely on built-in accessibility tools that help more students fully participate. At the same time, these features reduce the extra work instructors often face when supporting accessible multimedia.
When a video, screen recording, or audio file is published in Harmonize, it can include:
- Closed captions, which display spoken audio as time-synced text on the media
- Audio descriptions, which narrate important visual information for users who cannot fully access the visuals
- A transcript, which is a textual equivalent of the video that includes closed captions and (when enabled) audio descriptions
Need to edit?
Go to Edit Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions.
Interactive Tutorial
Use the interactive tutorial below to learn about Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions in Harmonize. If you need or prefer step-by-step textual instructions, proceed to Where you will find these features.
Some tips for using the tutorial:
- Turn the volume up! Alternatively, you can mute the demo to view captions.
- Get ready to interact! When the tutorial pauses and flashes a purple dot, click it to move forward.
- Move at your own pace. When you hover in the upper lefthand corner, you will find "Back" and "Next" buttons that will allow you to jump through the steps more quickly.
Where you will find these features
Closed captions, transcripts, and audio description are available for uploaded and recorded media throughout Harmonize. These features apply to:
- Video recorded in Harmonize
- Screen recordings made in Harmonize
- Audio files recorded in Harmonize (closed captions and transcript, no audio description)
- Uploaded video, audio, or screen recordings
Closed captions
Automatic closed captions
Harmonize automatically generates closed captions for published media. This applies to videos and screen recordings, and closed captions are also created for audio files.
Upload your own closed captions (.srt or .vtt)
If you already have captions, you can upload your own .srt or .vtt file instead of relying on automatic closed captions.
Audio descriptions
Audio descriptions provide narrated explanations of key visual elements in a video, such as gestures, on-screen text, charts, or scene changes.
Harmonize uses extended audio descriptions, which pause the video’s audio and action to insert the description at the appropriate moment. This makes audio descriptions usable even when the video has continuous dialogue or dense visual information.
Audio descriptions can be provided in two ways:
- Manually created audio descriptions (available to everyone)
- AI-generated audio descriptions (available if your institution opts in to AI Accessibility)
Manual audio descriptions
All customers can manually create audio descriptions when needed. This can be helpful if your institution does not have AI Accessibility, or if you want to refine descriptions for a specific learning context.
AI-generated audio descriptions
If your institution has opted in to AI Accessibility, Harmonize can automatically generate audio descriptions for instructor videos and screen recordings.
To learn more about AI Accessibility, go to AI Accessibility at Harmonize.
Transcript
In Harmonize, the transcript is a textual rendering of the media content.
- By default, the transcript includes closed captions.
- If audio descriptions are available and enabled, the transcript can also include audio descriptions interspersed with the closed captions at the relevant times.
This means the transcript can represent textually everything a user would see and hear in the video.
What users experience during playback
Using Closed Captions
When a user plays a video in Harmonize, closed captions display automatically during playback.
Users can toggle closed captions on or off using the CC button. This setting is sticky, and we will "remember" the preference for future videos as well as for audio.
Turning on audio descriptions during playback
If audio descriptions are available for the video, users will find an AD (Audio Description) control next to the CC (Closed Caption) control. Users who are navigating with a keyboard will find this button after the audio controls and before the Closed Caption button.
- Audio description is off by default.
- When a user turns AD on, the video will include extended audio descriptions (pause and insert) as the video plays.
- Turning on audio descriptions during playback turns them on in the transcript (and vice versa).
- This setting is sticky. If the user enables audio descriptions, we will "remember" that preference for future videos.
All users, regardless of course role, can access these controls in the same way.
Navigating audio descriptions during playback
Once Audio Description is enabled, Audio Description Controls will also become available. If there are no audio descriptions currently playing, the controls will be inactive and will appear grayed out.
When an audio description is actively playing, the controls become usable.
The audio description controls can:
- Pause (⏸️) or Play (▶️) the individual audio description
- Go back (⏮️) to the beginning of the individual audio description
- Skip to end (⏭️) of the individual audio description
What users can do in the transcript area
Below the video, users will find a button to open or close the transcript.
Once the transcript is open:
- The transcript includes closed captions by default.
- If audio descriptions exist for the video, users can include them in the transcript by toggling Audio Descriptions on.
As the video plays, the transcript will advance through the closed captions (and audio descriptions, if enabled).
- A dark box around a closed caption or audio description indicates it is currently being played.
- Bolded text guides the user to read along in real time.
Extracting the Captions or Transcript
Download Captions
To download the captions as a .vtt file, expand the transcript, open the kebab menu, and then select a caption file to download.
Copy Transcript
Once the transcript is expanded, the instructor will be able to access a button labeled "Copy All." Students will not be able to access this control.
- To copy the closed captions, make sure the audio descriptions are toggled Off, and then click Copy All.
- Copy and paste the text without formatting into the word processor of your choice, such as Google Docs or Word. The file will contain the captions with their associated timestamps. We will try to chunk the captions together in logical segments.
- To copy the closed captions and audio descriptions, make sure the audio descriptions are toggled On, and then click Copy All.
- Copy and paste the text without formatting into the word processor of your choice, such as Google Docs or Word. You will find both caption and audio description cues with their associated timestamps. Each cue will be labeled "CC" or "AD."
Removing Timestamps or Converting Transcripts to VTT
If you need your transcript in a different format, we recommend using a university-approved LLM to reformat the text. You can prompt the LLM to remove timestamps, for example, or convert text with both closed captions and audio descriptions into a VTT file that could be uploaded to a different platform.
WARNING: Do not paste transcript data into an LLM unless that specific LLM is approved by your university for handling this kind of data.
Related articles
- Edit Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions
- AI Accessibility at Harmonize
- Alt Text and Media Captions
- Create a Harmonize Page
FAQ
How can I get AI Accessibility enabled for my school?
- Go to AI Accessibility at Harmonize to learn more about what we offer and how your school can opt in to these features.
Do I still get closed captions and transcripts without AI Accessibility?
- Yes. Automatic closed captions and transcripts are available in Harmonize for all customers.
Can I edit closed captions, transcripts, or audio descriptions?
- Yes. You can review and edit all of these inside Harmonize. Go to Edit Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions for steps.
Can I upload my own closed captions file?
- Yes. If you already have captions, you can upload your own .srt or .vtt file instead of using machine-generated closed captions.
Can I download a transcript and/or a .vtt file that includes both the closed captions and the audio descriptions?
- Not at this time. However, you can copy the transcript, which includes both closed captions and audio descriptions, and then use a university-approved AI tool to convert the text into the format of your choice.
- WARNING: Do not paste transcript data into an LLM unless that specific LLM is approved by your university for handling this kind of data.
Are audio descriptions available without AI Accessibility?
- Yes, manually. All customers can add audio descriptions manually when needed.
- AI-generated audio descriptions require your institution to opt in to AI Accessibility at Harmonize.
Why can't I find the AD toggle during playback?
- Audio descriptions might not be available for that media. If the video does not have audio descriptions (manual or AI-generated), the AD option may not be present.
Why can't I find a transcript for my media yet?
- It may still be processing. If you just published the media, give it a little time and refresh later.
Why aren’t AI-generated audio descriptions available yet?
- They may still be processing. Processing time varies with media length, complexity, and system load. In general, processing can take up to the length of the recording (videos in Harmonize can be up to one hour). AI-generated audio descriptions often appear shortly after captions, but can take longer.
- Wait for the notification. If your institution has AI Accessibility enabled, instructors receive an in-app and email notification when AI-generated audio descriptions are ready for review.
- If AI-generated audio descriptions never become available, go to AI Accessibility at Harmonize to learn more about these features and how to get them at your school. If you believe AI Accessibility is enabled and you still do not have audio descriptions after about two hours, contact Harmonize Support.