Facebook Live is a great way to broadcast live video to your followers on Facebook. Whether you’re hosting an interview, sharing breaking news, or streaming an event, Facebook Live allows you to connect with your audience in real time.
One useful feature of Facebook Live is the ability to add subtitles. Subtitles make your broadcasts more accessible to viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles also help your content reach a wider audience, since people can watch without sound in places like the office or public transportation.
Adding subtitles to your Facebook Live videos is easy and only takes a few simple steps. Here’s a guide on how to enable subtitles for your next Facebook Live broadcast.
Enable Subtitles in Facebook Live Producer
The easiest way to add subtitles to Facebook Live is by using Facebook Live Producer. This is the preferred method if you’ll be broadcasting from a computer.
Here’s how to enable subtitles in Facebook Live Producer:
- Download and install the Facebook Live Producer app on your computer if you haven’t already.
- Open Facebook Live Producer and login with your Facebook account.
- Click on the Settings icon in the bottom left corner.
- Under “Accessibility” check the box next to “Subtitles.”
That’s it! Subtitles will now be enabled for all of your future Facebook Live broadcasts through Producer. The subtitles will be automatically generated by Facebook’s speech recognition technology.
Enable Subtitles in the Facebook Mobile App
If you want to go live from your mobile device, you can still add auto-generated subtitles:
- Open the Facebook app on your iOS or Android device.
- Tap on the Live icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Swipe over and select “Subtitles” to enable them.
The subtitle option is right next to the comment and reaction icons when you’re setting up a mobile broadcast. Just toggle it on before you start streaming.
Use a Third-Party Service
For more accurate, customized subtitles, consider connecting a third-party subtitle service like Rev. Here’s how:
- Sign up for a Rev account and download the app.
- Open Facebook Live Producer or the Facebook Mobile app.
- Start your live video but don’t go public yet.
- Open the Rev app and connect it to your live video.
- Rev will transcribe and add subtitles to your video feed.
- When you’re ready, click Go Live in Facebook.
Rev provides more accurate, real-time subtitles than Facebook’s auto-generated captions. However, it does come with a cost. Pricing starts at $0.10 per minute for individuals.
Add Subtitles to Recorded Videos
If you already have a prerecorded video you want to add subtitles to, there are a couple of options:
- Use Facebook Live Producer’s caption editor to add and format subtitles.
- Upload your video to a third-party platform like Rev or Amara, where you can create and embed subtitles.
- Add an SRT subtitle file to your video before uploading to Facebook.
While Facebook Live videos don’t natively support subtitle files, you can embed captions in your recorded video file before uploading.
Formatting Tips for Subtitles
To maximize readability and viewer experience, follow these subtitle formatting best practices:
- Use simple sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica.
- Aim for a font size around 30-40 pts so subtitles are legible on small screens.
- Use all uppercase for emphasis sparingly, like 1-2 words per sentence max.
- Place subtitles at the bottom of the frame to avoid blocking visuals.
- Display subtitles in a semi-transparent black box for readability.
- Limit subtitles to 1-2 lines at a time for better comprehension.
- Leave subtitles on screen for at least 3 seconds for adequate reading time.
Proper formatting makes your subtitles easy to follow. And don’t forget to break up long subtitles into multiple lines for better readability.
Promote Your Accessible Live Videos
Now that you know how to add subtitles to your Facebook Live videos, here are some tips for promoting accessible broadcasts:
- Highlight subtitles when advertising your video so the intended audience knows it’s available.
- Use captions to increase video views and reach beyond sound-required watchers.
- Boost subtitle videos with Facebook Ads Manager for greater visibility.
- Call out accessibility features when sharing videos to community groups and pages.
Raising awareness of your subtitles helps more people discover and benefit from your content. Promoting accessibility improves viewer satisfaction and community goodwill.
Troubleshooting Facebook Live Subtitles
In some cases, you may run into issues enabling subtitles for Facebook Live. Here are some common problems and fixes:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Subtitles aren’t appearing during broadcast. | Double check the subtitle option is toggled on in the broadcast setup window. |
| Subtitles stop working after some time. | Internet issues can disrupt the speech recognition. Try improving connectivity. |
| Subtitles are inaccurate or nonsensical. | Background noise makes transcription difficult. Move to a quiet location. |
| Can’t get third-party app subtitles to work. | Make sure the app has permission to access mic audio during setup. |
Test out subtitles before going live to troubleshoot any issues. Reach out to support if problems persist across multiple broadcasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Facebook Live subtitles only available on some videos?
Subtitles have to be manually enabled by the broadcaster for each Facebook Live video. Auto-captions don’t come on by default. Broadcasters have to opt in to accessibility features.
Do I have to subtitle my Facebook Live videos?
There is no legal requirement to add subtitles for accessibility. However, including them makes your content usable for more people. Subtitles greatly benefit deaf, hard of hearing, loud-area, and multitasking viewers.
Can I broadcast live subtitles on Facebook from my phone?
Yes, you can enable auto-generated subtitles for Facebook Live videos broadcast from the Facebook mobile app on both iOS and Android. Just select the subtitle option before starting your live stream.
Do Facebook video captions cost extra?
Facebook’s built-in speech recognition subtitles are free to use. However, third-party services like Rev that provide live transcription and subtitles charge a fee based on minutes used.
How accurate are Facebook’s auto-generated captions?
The accuracy of Facebook’s speech recognition tech varies depending on audio quality, background noise, vocabulary, and speed. Auto-captions work best in ideal conditions but may be 80% accurate at times.
Conclusion
Adding subtitles is a great way to make your Facebook Live broadcasts more accessible and discoverable. Enable auto-captions using Facebook’s tools or connect a third-party app for higher accuracy. Promote your accessibility features to expand your reach. With the right setup, you can easily add subtitles to livestreams from desktop or mobile.