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White Papers & Industry Studies

Download white papers, industry studies, research, checklists, and eBooks to get a deeper understanding of the latest industry trends and the benefits of captioning and transcription for your video content.

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US Accessibility Laws

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  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Education

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  • 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.

Media & Entertainment

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  • 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.

Adding Captions and Transcripts

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Podcasts

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Video SEO

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  • 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.

International Accessibility Laws

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  • 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.

Events

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  • 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.

Industry Studies

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  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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