These instructions explain how to automatically generate live captions (text of the audio content) in your Chrome web browser for most video/audio that lacks captions, live Collaborate sessions, and more.
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Solution #1: is easier to setup and doesn't require messing with your Windows audio settings, but the captioning isn't as good and it only captions audio/video playing in Chrome. Solution #2 currently provides improved captioning, can caption audio/video playing from any program on your computer, but it's more complicated to set up and involves changing the behaviour of how the sound settings work in Windows.
Solution #1: How to generate automatic live captioning using only Google Chrome
Requirement: Google Chrome web browser
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If you'd like to disable this captioning feature in Chrome, return to the Accessibility section in Settings and disable Get captions for your media.
Solution #2: How to generate automatic live captioning using Web Captioner
Requirements
- Windows (the instructions don't cover macOS at the moment, but the combination of VB-Cable and Web Captioner do work there)
- Google Chrome web browser (Web Captioner uses Google's speech-to-text service, which is only available in Chrome)
- You must have administrator permissions on your computer and be able to install software on your computer
Overview of the Process
The first step is to install a program called VB-Cable. We use VB-Cable to take your computer audio and turn it onto a virtual microphone. Next we will use a free website, Web Captioner, to listen to the virtual microphone and automatically generate live captions and display them in your web browser. To put this another way, Web Captioner will listen to your computer's audio and automatically caption what it hears. Web Captioner is a website, you will grant permission for Web Captioner to listen to your audio, and once you've closed the browser tab that runs Web Captioner it can no longer listen to your audio (until you re-open it).
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Privacy: When using Web Captioner, audio is sent to Google's speech-to-text service and captions are sent back to the browser. For more info read Web Captioner's privacy page.
Steps
Download VB-CABLE. (if you want more info on what this is you can find it here).
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Continue reading the following information that is important in understanding how to use Web Captioner and how to manage your Windows audio settings.
Web Captioner: too quiet warning
Web Captioner often displays a "Too Quiet" warning at the bottom. If captioning is working then you can likely ignore this.
Web Captioner settings
On the Web Captioner page at the bottom right is a Settings button. Click Settings once to open the settings menu. In the settings menu you can Save the transcript, Create a new window, or Clear the transcript. If you click on the Settings button in the settings menu you'll see additional settings including some useful keyboard shortcuts at the bottom.
While using VB-Cable, how to adjust volume settings
While using VB-Cable with the above configuration you will not be able to adjust the volume using the Windows master volume control, but you can still control the volume using the volume control in each program (e.g., Collaborate or YouTube volume slider).
You can also adjust the volume level of your speakers or microphone with the following steps: return to the Sound Control Panel, select the Playback tab, select the device you want to change the volume on, select the Properties button, select the Levels tab, change the volume level to your preference and click OK twice to close the Sound Control Panel.
While using VB-Cable, how to change your audio output device
You want to be able to keep using Web Captioner simply by opening it and pressing the Start Captioning button twice but you also want to switch between audio output devices (e.g. between headphones and speakers).
Steps: Return to the Windows Sound Control Panel. Select the Recording tab, select CABLE Output, select the Properties button, and select the Listen tab. Under Playback through this device, select the device you would like to switch to. Select the OK button twice to exit the Sound Control Panel.
How to stop using VB-Cable and reset your audio settings to how they were before following this guide
Steps: Return to the Windows Sound Control Panel. Under the Playback tab set your preferred speakers or headset to the default. Under the Recording tab select CABLE Output, select the Properties button, select the Listen tab, disable Listen to this device, and select the OK button. While you're still on the Recording tab, set your preferred microphone to the default. Select the OK button to exit the Sound Control Panel.
Web Captioner Troubleshooting
Captioning is working but captioning quality is poor
Although Web Captioner works well in general, it will not be able to accurately caption all voice audio. Captioning works best if
- People speak at a regular pace or slower (not too quickly)
- People speak clearly
- People speak with a good quality microphone. And if they're transmitting their audio live over the internet then they should also have a good quality internet connection and avoid using wireless.
- There is no background music or noise or it's as quiet as possible.
Web Captioner isn't working at all (nothing is being captioned)
- Reboot the computer and try it again.
- If you want to caption a specific program's audio (e.g., Zoom), ensure that the audio output device for that program is set to CABLE Input and that the volume in the program isn't muted.
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