White Papers & Industry Studies

CVAA Online Video Captioning Requirements and Deadlines

This six-page brief breaks down the legal captioning requirements of the CVAA and clearly lays out which entities and types of content are affected or exempted. If you’re a video content producer or distributor, this brief will help you comply with current FCC regulations and anticipate what is coming down the pike.

Sections 508 and 504: Closed Captioning and Web Accessibility Requirements

This white paper will provide an in-depth analysis and overview of Sections 508 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It provides guidance to help you better understand who is implicated and how you can comply.

Section 508 Refresh Checklist

Use this checklist to stay on top of the Section 508 refresh requirements your organization must meet. This checklist includes the requirements for electronic content, software, hardware, and support. Inside you’ll also find a checklist for applicable exceptions and a WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA checklist.

How to Make Corporate Videos Accessible

This white paper will help you gain a better understanding of how to make videos accessible by covering topics including who has to make videos accessible, which laws mandate video accessibility, how to produce accessible videos, and the many benefits of making your corporate videos accessible.

WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 Compliance Checklist

As you incorporate WCAG 2.0 and/or 2.1 guidelines into your website’s design, use this checklist to ensure you’ve accounted for all of the necessary success criteria.

Section 508 Compliance Checklist

Ensure you meet Section 508 requirements with this accessibility checklist. It outlines key compliance factors and includes curated resources to support your efforts in creating accessible digital content.

ADA Title II Compliance Timeline

This timeline will help you prepare for the April 2026 Title II compliance deadline, with guidance on budgeting, vendor selection, onboarding, and managing backlogs for ongoing accessibility.

ADA Title II Updates: Preparing Public Education

In this checklist, we break down the basics to help your institution prepare including compliance deadlines, exclusions based on content type, and recommended next steps.

Roadmap to Web Accessibility in Higher Education

This white paper covers the best practices for creating an accessible university infrastructure based on in-depth research and advice from university administrators, accessibility coordinators, faculty, and disabled students. Learn about flexible accessibility strategies, implementation designs, applicable laws, case studies, and numerous resources to motivate and guide all educational institutions.

3 Tips to Get the Most out of a Virtual Classroom

This list of three tips will help you get the most out of a virtual classroom.

A Practical Guide to WCAG Video Accessibility Requirements

Video accessibility is a crucial part of WCAG compliance. In this eBook, we cover everything you need to know about WCAG in the context of video accessibility: the requirements, the compliance levels, who they apply to, what the law says about WCAG, and more.

How the ADA Impacts Online Video Accessibility

This ebook examines the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through the lens of online video accessibility. Topics include ADA overview and legislative history, landmark cases supporting captioning and audio description, and online video accessibility standards and best practices.

WCAG 2.0 & Beyond: Modernizing Web Accessibility

WCAG requirements can be intimidating to wade through for novices and experts alike. In this eBook, we aim to help clarify WCAG’s compliance needs and measurements for success. Learn what WCAG is, how versions 2.0 & 2.1 work, key laws referencing WCAG across the world, and more.

5 Web Accessibility Resources Every College Needs

If online video accessibility is a hot topic at your college or university, the resources in these reports will help you build policies that can grow with you. These briefs cover accessibility law, grants and funding, and DIY resources as well as case studies that examine how numerous institutions of higher education have successfully implemented closed captioning policies.

DIY Resources for Closed Captioning and Transcription

This brief will take you through the DIY captioning and transcription workflow. We have compiled the following resources of helpful tools, different workflow strategies, and captioning and transcription standards to help make the DIY process as quick and easy as possible.

How 5 Colleges Cultivated Video Accessibility at Their Institutions

This brief will show you five different approaches to captioning in higher education. You will be able to see how different colleges and universities with different needs have tackled budget, policy development, initiatives to caption more universally, DIY captioning, and working with a captioning vendor.

WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 Compliance Checklist

As you incorporate WCAG 2.0 and/or 2.1 guidelines into your website’s design, use this checklist to ensure you’ve accounted for all of the necessary success criteria.

Sections 508 and 504: Closed Captioning and Web Accessibility Requirements

This white paper will provide an in-depth analysis and overview of Sections 508 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It provides guidance to help you better understand who is implicated and how you can comply.

Solving Web Accessibility: Leaving No One Behind

With so many emerging standards and technical specifications, meeting web accessibility guidelines can be a daunting task. This white paper will provide you with a roadmap of what needs to be done as well as how you can meet your accessibility goals.

Video Accessibility for Societies and Associations

What should you know about accessibility for videos produced and published by societies and associations? This ebook offers a concise overview of video accessibility for societies and associations.

Sources of Grants and Funding for Closed Captioning of Online Video

This brief will show you five different approaches to captioning in higher education. You will be able to see how different colleges and universities with different needs have tackled budget, policy development, initiatives to caption more universally, DIY captioning, and working with a captioning vendor.

WCAG Around the Globe

Around the world, a number of countries have adopted some form of WCAG in their respective accessibility laws. In this guide, we’ll take a look at how WCAG is being implemented worldwide, and which legislation or documentation references it.

Questions to Ask an AI Dubbing Vendor

This checklist will help guide you on what questions to ask AI dubbing vendors to find the best solution for your needs. This includes FAQs on topics such as pricing, quality, workflow, and more.

Captioning Best Practices for Media & Entertainment

This eBook was created to help you discover captioning best practices, standards, and legal requirements for media and entertainment video content broadcast via television and streaming platforms.

The Ultimate Guide to Subtitles: Different Types, How They Work, and When to Use Them

This eBook offers an in-depth exploration of the different types of subtitles, their functionality, and how they compare to captions. Using this knowledge and helpful use case examples, you’ll be able select the perfect subtitling solution for your media based on your viewers’ needs.

Caption Reformatting Checklist

As you prepare to distribute your existing content to other networks and platforms, it is critical to ensure your closed captions or SDH subtitles are up to date. This checklist will help you determine whether or not you require a reformat and offers efficiency tips to better inform your budget and timelines.

FCC Updates for Closed Captioning of Online Video: Are You Compliant?

This white paper provides a detailed overview of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) closed captioning requirements and all subsequent updates made to the rules in recent years.

Dubbing Checklist

As you prepare to begin the dubbing process, we’ve compiled this checklist of things you need to consider when adding voice-over or dubbing to your projects. All elements included on the checklist will help determine costs and timelines for your next dubbing project.

The Complete Guide to Caption Encoders

This eBook serves as your comprehensive guide to caption encoders – what they are, when and why you need them, and which encoder to use – to help you create accessible and engaging video content.

How the ADA Impacts Online Video Accessibility

This ebook examines the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through the lens of online video accessibility. Topics include ADA overview and legislative history, landmark cases supporting captioning and audio description, and online video accessibility standards and best practices.

CVAA Online Video Captioning Requirements and Deadlines

This six-page brief breaks down the legal captioning requirements of the CVAA and clearly lays out which entities and types of content are affected or exempted. If you’re a video content producer or distributor, this brief will help you comply with current FCC regulations and anticipate what is coming down the pike.

5 Essential Resources for FCC Closed Captioning Compliance

2014 marked a year of numerous FCC mandates for closed captioning of online video, including rulings on video clips and caption quality. In addition to these FCC rulings, the latest requirement of the CVAA was phased in in March. We have compiled a collection of resources that will help you determine your closed captioning requirements as we head into 2015.

ROI Analysis of Transcription & Captioning

In this ebook, we’ll examine 3 real-world case studies to understand the positive impact of captioning & transcription on search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine rank. Using this insight, we also conduct an ROI analysis on the potential earnings to be gained from making transcripts & captions available to online viewers.

[Checklist] Subtitles vs. Dubbing: Which Is Right for You?

This ebook guides you in choosing between subtitles and dubbing for content like cinematic, training, and marketing videos. You’ll learn key factors to consider and work through a detailed checklist to help align your choice with your goals, resources, and audience preferences.

Video Translation Budget Planner

This planner will help you build your video translation budget, including outlining your project scope, tracking expenses, and evaluating language costs.

5 Security Questions to Ask Your Closed Captioning Provider

This ebook provides practical advice for ensuring a closed captioning vendor fits your security needs. Captioning vendor security is essential for protecting your company’s sensitive information, data integrity, and even your organization’s operations.

Beginner’s Guide to Captioning

This ebook serves as your comprehensive beginner’s guide to closed captions – what they are, how to create and upload them, and legal captioning requirements based on industry – to help you create accessible and engaging video content.

How to Create an SRT File on Mac and Windows

SRT closed caption files are compatible with many media players. This ebook shows you how to create a “SubRip Subtitle” file, also known as SRT (.srt) with ease on both Mac and Windows operating systems.

How to Create a WebVTT File on Mac and Windows

A “Web Video Text Track” file, also known as WebVTT (.vtt), is a popular subtitle and caption file format. This ebook shows you how to create a WebVTT file with ease on both Mac and Windows operating systems.

8 Benefits of Transcribing & Captioning Online Video

This ebook discusses the top 8 reasons why video transcription and captioning are beneficial for both your organization and your viewers.

8 Benefits of Transcribing & Captioning Online Video

This ebook discusses the top 8 reasons why video transcription and captioning are beneficial for both your organization and your viewers.

How to Select the Right Closed Captioning Vendor: 10 Crucial Questions to Ask

Whether your purpose is to meet legal requirements, provide more accessible content, boost your SEO, or make your videos searchable, the 10 crucial questions in this white paper will help you compare your options and discern what qualities you should look for in a prospective captioning vendor.

Video Accessibility Checklist

Accessible video includes captions, transcripts, audio descriptions, and an accessible media player that supports these features.
Unfortunately, many video players fail to meet the essential elements of an accessible video player.
Use this checklist to ensure you are meeting all the requirements for accessible video.

10 Tips for Making Web Video Accessible

This white paper is designed to equip you with knowledge and current best practices necessary to make your web videos accessible to all users.

A Beginner’s Guide to Accessible Social Media Videos

This ebook was made to help you create accessible videos for social media. It serves as a resource to empower you to share content that is more accessible and more engaging.

Accessibility in the eCommerce Era

What should you know about accessibility for eCommerce videos? This ebook offers a concise overview of the current state of videos published by eCommerce brands and how to make them accessible.

Accessibility in the Digital Publishing Era

What should you know about accessibility for digital publishing videos? This ebook was created to help you discover the power of accessibility for your digital publishing videos.

Video Accessibility for Societies and Associations

What should you know about accessibility for videos produced and published by societies and associations? This ebook offers a concise overview of video accessibility for societies and associations.

3 Tips to Get the Most out of a Virtual Classroom

This list of three tips will help you get the most out of a virtual classroom.

How to Set Up Live Auto Captions for Zoom Meetings and Webinars

If you’re hosting an upcoming meeting or webinar on Zoom and want to ensure it’s live captioned, follow these steps!

How to Set Up Live Auto Captions for YouTube Live Streams

Are you hosting an upcoming live stream on YouTube? Do you want to ensure it’s live captioned? If so, this checklist is just for you!

Accessibility in the On-Demand Fitness Era

As on-demand fitness continues to rise, it’s important that it’s accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This eBook will show you how to make your fitness video content more accessible.

Ultimate Guide to Accessible Zoom Meetings

The following guide will walk you through the steps to provide accessible Zoom meetings and webinars.

Understanding Live Automatic Captioning Quality

This white paper, was written by 3Play Media in collaboration with Speechmatics. The brief will highlight the various types of live automatic captioning solutions, and provide data as to how they compare. At the end of this white paper, you will be able to make an informed decision on adding live captions to your video content.

Incorporating Translation into Your Video Production Process

This checklist goes over the most important things to consider, whether you’re going the DIY route or using a translation vendor. This checklist goes over the most important things to consider, whether you’re going the DIY route or using a translation vendor.

The Complete Guide to Caption Encoders

This eBook serves as your comprehensive guide to caption encoders – what they are, when and why you need them, and which encoder to use – to help you create accessible and engaging video content.

How to Add Closed Captions & Subtitles to YouTube Videos

We’ve created a one click solution that allows you to embed a YouTube video with captions or interactive transcript in no time! This helps make YouTube videos accessible, searchable, and interactive! Learn how by downloading this free step-by-step instructional guide that will walk you through the simple steps to add captions and subtitles to your YouTube videos.

WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 Compliance Checklist

As you incorporate WCAG 2.0 and/or 2.1 guidelines into your website’s design, use this checklist to ensure you’ve accounted for all of the necessary success criteria.

Questions to Ask a Translation Vendor

This checklist provides the essential questions to ask when evaluating a translation vendor, covering pricing, quality, support, workflow, and key features.

How to Add Subtitles to Videos in Adobe Premiere & Adobe Encore

This step-by-step guide walks you through how to create, add, and export closed captions and subtitles in Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Encore.

Tips For Creating an Accessible Podcast

This guide provides an overview of how to make your podcast accessible at every stage – from pre-production, publishing, to promotion by adding transcripts and other tools.

How to Start a Podcast

This checklist provides an overview of what to consider when starting a podcast.

YouTube SEO Checklist

Ensure your videos perform well against YouTube’s algorithm using this helpful SEO checklist. Learn how YouTube’s algorithm works, how to create engaging videos on YouTube’s platform, and how to optimize your YouTube videos for better discoverability.

Transforming Video SEO with Transcripts and Captions

This 42-page e-book provides an in-depth guide to implementing a video SEO strategy with the help of transcripts and captions. Complete with case studies, an ROI analysis, and numerous tips, this e-book clearly lays out what you need to know about video SEO and gives you proven tactics to increase video traffic, engagement, and search rank.

ROI Analysis of Transcription & Captioning

In this brief we’ll examine how these studies help to understand the impact of captions and transcripts on SEO, as well as how we can use them to do an ROI analysis.

How to Make Corporate Videos Accessible

This white paper will help you gain a better understanding of how to make videos accessible by covering topics including who has to make videos accessible, which laws mandate video accessibility, how to produce accessible videos, and the many benefits of making your corporate videos accessible.

Accessibility in Ontario: How the AODA Impacts Web and Online Video

This 12-page brief focuses on the AODA standards and requirements that relate to online video and web content. It provides deadlines for different types of organizations, compliance strategies, and best practices for making online video accessible.

WCAG Around the Globe

Around the world, a number of countries have adopted some form of WCAG in their respective accessibility laws. In this guide, we’ll take a look at how WCAG is being implemented worldwide, and which legislation or documentation references it.

Web Accessibility and Closed Captioning in Australia & New Zealand

This white paper traces the evolution of web accessibility laws and standards in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the forces that put both countries on a trajectory to a more inclusive digital landscape.

UK Web Accessibility and Subtitle Regulations

This ten-page white paper explores the legal requirements and provides recommendations for subtitling online media in the UK. Understanding subtitling requirements is essential for those managing online video content for businesses, broadcasters, filmmakers, government offices, and institutions of higher education based in the United Kingdom.

WCAG 2.0 & Beyond: Modernizing Web Accessibility

WCAG requirements can be intimidating to wade through for novices and experts alike. In this eBook, we aim to help clarify WCAG’s compliance needs and measurements for success. Learn what WCAG is, how versions 2.0 & 2.1 work, key laws referencing WCAG across the world, and more.

WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 Compliance Checklist

As you incorporate WCAG 2.0 and/or 2.1 guidelines into your website’s design, use this checklist to ensure you’ve accounted for all of the necessary success criteria.

Beginner’s Guide to Audio Description

What is audio description? How much does it cost? How is it published? This comprehensive beginner’s guide to audio description will answer all of your questions in one place.

How to Select the Right Audio Description Vendor: 10 Crucial Questions to Ask

This checklist is designed to help you select an audio description vendor that will best fit your needs. These 10 crucial questions in this checklist will help you compare your options and discern what qualities you should look for in a prospective audio description vendor.

Video Accessibility Checklist

Accessible video includes captions, transcripts, audio descriptions, and an accessible media player that supports these features.
Unfortunately, many video players fail to meet the essential elements of an accessible video player.
Use this checklist to ensure you are meeting all the requirements for accessible video.

How to Host a Virtual Event

The following guide will walk you through the steps to hosting your own virtual event.

Event Planning Workbook

This workbook is designed to help you organize and execute a successful conference. It includes customizable templates and planning tools like budgeting spreadsheets, scheduling outlines, and to-do lists.

2025 State of Automatic Speech Recognition

In order to closely follow trends with captioning accuracy, and because ASR is such a critical part of our process, we are constantly testing to ensure we are using the best ASR engine. The results of our research are published annually in the State of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) Report.

2024 State of Captioning

Our annual State of Captioning report tracks current and upcoming media accessibility trends across industries. Here, we present fresh data focused on media accessibility habits, frequently used services and tools, and predictions for the future industry landscape.

2023 Report
2022 Report
2021 Report
2020 Report

How Closed Captions and Interactive Transcripts Impact Student Learning

In this report by the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) gives new insight into student’s uses and perspectives of captions and interactive transcripts in online courses. The accessibility committee at USFSP committed to learning more about the impact of accessibility on students, whether they have a disability or not.

National Research Results: Student Uses and Perceptions of Closed Captions and Transcripts

Download this free 52-page report to get results from the largest IRB-approved study on student usage and perceptions of closed captions and transcripts. Using data collected from 2,124 student participants from across 15 public and private colleges and universities, the results are carefully analyzed and broken down by different student subgroups. This report sheds light on many critical issues surrounding accessibility and the rapidly growing usage of video in higher education.

National Research Results: Implementation of & Solutions for Closed Captioning in U.S. Institutions of Higher Education

Download this free 70-page report to get results from the largest IRB-approved study on institutional implementation of closed captioning. The data was collected from 47 higher education institutions in the U.S., including public and private institutions across 4-year, 2-year, and professional schools. This report sheds light on many critical issues surrounding accessibility and the rapidly growing implementation of closed captioning in higher education.

Download the infographic (PDF)

Survey Results: Closed Caption Use

At 3Play Media, we love captions! We wanted to know if our followers find captions as great as we do, and if so, what they use them for. That’s why we decided to create a survey on caption use! We had 165 people respond to the survey, which was almost entirely distributed via social media.