How to Create a Caption file using Otter AI

Do you have videos in your course or on your website? If yes, then it is best practice to ensure accurate captions have been applied to your video. This post is going to walk you through how to create a caption file using Otter.ai (Opens in new tab).

Requires Paid account of www.otter.ai

Shawn

Video Overview

Rather watch me do this instead of reading about it? Check out the video below:

Text Overview

This process can be summarized in just a few steps:

1. Prepare a folder of video files that need to be captioned.
2. Login to your paid Otter.ai account and create a folder for the group of files you are about to import.
3. Select the Transcribe Audio and Video Button
4. Drag all of your videos into the window
5. Edit the conversations for accuracy
6. Export the caption files as SRT

Preparing a folder of video files

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This step is essential as it will help you gather all of the relevant files in a single location. There are various programs that can help you download a video file if you have lost them. If you have uploaded to YouTube or Canvas then you probably have the video files on your computer somewhere. Gather them all in one spot.

I like to create a folder on my desktop and add them all there.

Log in to Otter and create a folder for the video uploads

This step is for maintaining our organization throughout the process. If you have many videos to caption – this step is even more important.

Select the upload media button

Once you are inside the folder you want to upload all of your videos to, select the Transcribe Audio and Video button.

Move all the video files from the folder on your desktop into the otter.ai upload window

Simply drag all of the video files into the upload area.

The files will immediately begin uploading and transcribing

Edit the Conversations for accuracy

Each video upload will create what is called a conversation. This is what Otter.ai calls individual recordings. Each conversation will need to be edited for accuracy.

Select the conversation to edit it, and select the edit button.

Make any changes required to the text of the file. Simply type over the words where updates need to occur.

Prepare for export

With a conversation open, select the options menu and choose export.

This will allow you to choose SRT as an option.

Change the file format to SRT and use the settings for 2 lines and 32 characters per line.

Then, select export.

Summary

This post walks users through how to get organized with their video files that need captions, create a folder in otter.ai for import, transcribe the video files, edit a conversation, and export them as an SRT file.

Using Canvas Studio? Upload the SRT file there!