Edit and Download Captions in YouTube
YouTube can be used in two ways for your instructional video content: it can be used as a location to store your video content for learners to view on demand and/or it can be used as an automatic captioning tool.
This guide will focus on using YouTube as an automatic captioning tool for pre-recorded lectures.
1. Log in to your CSUF Titan Apps Employee account and then go to the YouTube homepage.
You can sign in directly to YouTube with your CSUF credentials or log in through the campus portal. See the link below for details.
2. Once logged into YouTube, go to your profile icon and select YouTube Studio.
- Click on your profile icon at the top right of the screen.
- Select YouTube Studio.
3. Select the Dashboard in YouTube Studio and click Upload Videos.
For more information, view YouTube’s Guide to uploading a video.
- Select the Dashboard menu.
- Then click Upload Videos.
4. Click Select Files to choose a video on your computer to upload. Or you can drag and drop a video file onto the screen.
- Click Select Files to locate the video file on your computer.
- Or you can drag and drop a video file onto this screen to upload it.
5. While your video is being uploaded, an upload assistant screen will appear to guide you through your video settings. On the Details tab, scroll down to indicate whether or not the video is made for kids. Then click More Options.
- Indicate whether or not the video is made for kids.
- Then click More Options.
6. Select English as the Video language. Then click Visibility.
You can make changes to the Video elements information for your video if you wish, but it is not related to captions.
- Choose English as the Video language.
- Then click Visibility.
7. Under Visibility the video can be set as Private, Unlisted, or Public. If you just want to get captions for your video, select Private. Then click Save.
8. Go to the Videos section and click on the video that was just uploaded.
9. Click on the Subtitles menu on the left.
10. There should be an English (Automatic) transcription already available. If not, you may have to come back later to check.
The longer that your video is, the longer it will take to generate the automatic captions.
11. Hover your mouse over the English (Automatic) subtitles. Click on the three dots that appear to view your options.
12. Select Edit on Classic Studio.
Don't delete these captions! If you delete them, you cannot turn them back on. You would have to re-upload your video to get the automatic captions.
13. The automatic captions show up. You will most likely need to make adjustments, so click Edit to modify the text or timing of the captions.
For more details on editing the caption text or timing, view YouTube's guide on editing captions.
14. Once the captions are corrected and you are ready to download them, click Actions and then select the subtitle format you want. The file should automatically download to your Downloads folder.
CSUF recommends the .srt format for videos that will be shared on ShareStream.
- Click Actions.
- Select the format you want (e.g., .srt).
Need More Help?
View the CSUF Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) website for additional information and resources on accessibility.