Google unveiled the new YouTube features during the I/O keynote held in May 2022. During this event, Sundar Pichai revealed that YouTube would have new auto-translated captions that support 16 languages.
Developers are also planning to add this feature to Ukrainian updates next month. It will help YouTube users to acquire more information about the Russian invasion.
Sundar Pichai further added that a transcript helps us to get a sense of a video’s content. Thus, they are adding this feature to make YouTube videos more accessible.
Google is using speech recognition technology to transcribe videos. Video transcripts are available on all Android or iOS devices. However, you must install the latest YouTube app to use these two features.
Now, let’s see why Google added auto-translations and transcripts to YouTube videos.
Reasons behind Introducing Auto-Translate and Video Transcription in YouTube App
It’s needless to say that YouTube is one of the easy-to-access video streaming apps. However, it often becomes difficult to understand the video’s content without captions.
This feature will increase the video’s reach and discoverability. According to Mobile Repair Dubai, this is one of the reasons why Google added auto-translations to YouTube.
Wondering why YouTube gets the video transcript feature? Finding specific information from a 10-minute video takes a lot of time. But, you can get that information within a few seconds with YouTube transcripts. This feature will also be helpful for creators and users with hearing disabilities.
Transcripts were available in Youtube’s desktop version, and now you can enable this feature from smartphones and tablets. Unable to find the transcript or auto-translated feature on this streaming app? Open the PlayStore if you are an Android user and update “YouTube”. iPhone owners can upgrade the YouTube app from the App Store to access these new features.
How does YouTube’s Auto-Translate Feature Work & How Can it Benefit the Creators?
Captions are one of the most useful features of YouTube. We are not always in a situation where we can hear the video’s audio. Captions can help you to understand what the video is about in these instances.
But, how does this new YouTube feature works? It uses machine learning algorithms to display accurate video captions.
It is always advised that creators should include professional captions because YouTube may often misinterpret the spoken content due to mistakes in pronunciations. It also generates incorrect captions if there are loud noises in the background. Thus, avoid these mistakes while creating videos for a global audience.
Now, let’s find out how automatic translation will be beneficial for the creators:
1. Captions make YouTube Videos more Accessible
Some content creators choose not to add captions to their videos because of time and effort. However, this can decline the reach of the video. Thus, you should add subtitles to the content to make it easy to understand.
Do you know that most audiences stop watching videos when captions become unavailable? Adding captions is necessary to get more views on the content.
Moreover, many states have imposed laws to include subtitles on video platforms for people with impaired hearing. Almost 71% of people with such disabilities leave a page when they can’t access captions.
Besides, more than 60% of YouTube users are non-English speakers. You need to add captions for them to make the video accessible.
2. Captions Increase the Video’s Watch time & Engagement
Turning on the video’s sound isn’t always possible, especially when you’re in a crowded place. Thus, almost 85% of viewers watch YouTube videos on mute. They might even close the video after 10 seconds if there aren’t any captions in their native language. Thus, adding subtitles to your YouTube videos will improve the watch time.
People will feel more engaged with the content if they understand what it is about. Besides, the viewers may even share the videos if they find them relevant. The more people watch your video, the more views you will get.
3. Captions Improve the YouTube’s Video SEO Ranking
Keywords are not only crucial for blogs or articles, but it’s also important for videos. The texts you include in the YouTube videos help increase its rank in search engines.
The video will get higher if you add video-related keywords to the title. Similarly, subtitles that are added to the videos also increase the SEO ranking.
How to Generate Automatic Video Captions or Subtitles on YouTube?
Adding automatic captions to YouTube videos is pretty easy. First, log in to the YouTube account and tap on the profile picture. Choose “YouTube Studio” and select “Content” from the drop-down list. Find the video you want where you want to add the automatic captions.
Head towards “Details”, choose “Video Details” and opt for “Show More”. Go to “Language” and select the preferred language to generate captions. Click “Save” and go for the “Subtitles” option when the next page opens. Tap on “Add” and then enable “Auto-Sync”.
Enter the subtitles and the timing, check the added captions and make changes if required. Click “Publish” and close the YouTube window. Recess this streaming app and check if the video is showing automatic captions.
How to Edit or Remove Automatic Captions to Your YouTube Content?
You should also check the captions before uploading the video to YouTube. Viewers can’t understand that the content of the captions isn’t transcribed properly.
Do you want to review automatic captions and edit or remove them? Open a web browser and access the YouTube Studio site.
Enter the login details and wait until the new web page opens. Navigate to “Subtitles” and search for the video where you want to add captions. Click “More” to edit the captions.
Do you want to remove captions from the video? Tap “Remove” when the pop-up menu opens and add the correct subtitles.
How to enable the New Auto-Translate Feature on YouTube from Mobile Devices?
Open the YouTube app and search for the video you want to stream. Tap on the “Settings” icon when the video starts. Choose “Subtitles/CC”, and then select “Auto Translate”. A list of languages will be available on the YouTube page. Choose the preferred language to translate the captions automatically.
Is the YouTube video not showing automatic captions? The language you select might not be available for the content. Here is the list of the languages for which the auto-translate feature works:
- Italian
- English
- Arabic
- Japanese
- Russian
- Thai
- Korean
- Indonesian
- Portuguese
- Hindi
- German
- Dutch
- Chinese
- Spanish
What is YouTube’s Video Transcript? How can it be Beneficial to the Creators?
A YouTube transcription contains the text that is conveyed in the video. It works best with 4-5 minute videos with clear pronunciations and high sound quality. This feature uses YouTube’s in-built audio recognition software to generate captions.
However, video transcription is not yet available on Android phones. You can see the transcripts of the video from desktops and laptops.
If you want to turn on video transcripts on YouTube’s web version, open the browser to access YouTube and log in to the account. Play the YouTube video where you want to see the transcript. Click on the three horizontal dots and choose “Show Transcript” afterwards.
You will get the transcript feature on the right of the YouTube video with timestamps. Lastly, choose the language in which you want to transcribe the content.
Now, let’s find out why it’s important to have a transcript of the YouTube video:
Helps Audience to Understand the Video Concept
Transcriptions help students in e-learning environments to learn more about the study-related concept. Oregon State University conducted a survey, where it was reported that 52% of students found captions useful as a learning aid. Transcripts also help to follow and remember the concept easily.
Improves the Video Search and User Experience
YouTube videos with transcripts are more searchable than the ones without them. It not only drives traffic to the videos, but viewers can also find them easily. According to a study by MIT OpenCourseWare, transcripts improve the learning experience of 97% of students. Thus, every creator should add captions to improve viewers’ experience.
Can You Download the Transcript of Videos from the Latest Version of the YouTube app?
YouTube doesn’t allow the users to download the video transcript. However, you can still get the transcript by copy-pasting it to another document. First, enable the “Show Transcript” feature of the video and click “Toggle timestamps”. Right-click the texts that you want to copy from the YouTube video transcript.
Open Microsoft Word or Google Documents and press the “Control” and “V” keys together. Do you want to download the video captions on a Mac device? Hold the “Cmd” and “V” keys simultaneously once you copy the texts. It will help you to move the transcript from YouTube to the selected app.
What are the Add-On YouTube Features You Should Use in 2022?
YouTube recently added the “Shorts Fund” to reward the creators who create engaging content. There is also a “Key Moments” feature to help users analyse the content better. Moreover, Google has also added thumbnails of the videos in the search history. Thus, it will make it easier to find the content the users are looking for. So, update the Youtube app and improve your streaming experience.
