How to configure closed captioning and transcription

Configuring closed captioning and transcription in Zoom involves enabling the features at the account, group, or user level within the Zoom admin portal and adjusting settings for live transcription, third-party captioning services, and cloud recording options. Begin by accessing the Zoom web portal as an administrator, navigate to Account Management, and then modify the appropriate settings related to closed captioning and transcription.

Prerequisites

• Account owner or admin privileges in Zoom.
• Zoom Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education account.
• Understand the difference between live transcription, manual captioning, and third-party captioning services.

Enable Closed Captioning and Live Transcription at the Account Level

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management, then Account Settings.
3. Click the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), locate the Closed Captioning setting.
5. Click the toggle to enable closed captioning.
6. Verify the checkbox to allow meeting hosts to type closed captions themselves.
7. Verify the checkbox to allow use of a third-party closed captioning service.
8. Locate the Live Transcription setting.
9. Click the toggle to enable live transcription.
10. Verify the checkbox to show transcript on the side panel in-meeting.
11. Select if you want to allow meeting hosts to save the transcripts.
12. (Optional) Lock the settings by clicking the lock icon to prevent users at the group or user level from changing them.

Enable Closed Captioning and Live Transcription at the Group Level

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management, then Groups.
3. Click the name of the group you want to modify.
4. Click the Meeting tab.
5. Under In Meeting (Advanced), locate the Closed Captioning setting.
6. Click the toggle to enable closed captioning. If the setting is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed there.
7. Verify the checkbox to allow meeting hosts to type closed captions themselves.
8. Verify the checkbox to allow use of a third-party closed captioning service.
9. Locate the Live Transcription setting.
10. Click the toggle to enable live transcription. If the setting is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed there.
11. Verify the checkbox to show transcript on the side panel in-meeting.
12. Select if you want to allow meeting hosts to save the transcripts.
13. (Optional) Lock the settings by clicking the lock icon to prevent users at the user level from changing them.

Enable Closed Captioning and Live Transcription at the User Level

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator or user.
2. If you are an administrator, in the navigation menu, click User Management, then Users.
3. Click the name of the user you want to modify. If you are a user, click Settings.
4. Click the Meeting tab.
5. Under In Meeting (Advanced), locate the Closed Captioning setting.
6. Click the toggle to enable closed captioning. If the setting is grayed out, it has been locked at the account or group level and needs to be changed there.
7. Verify the checkbox to allow meeting hosts to type closed captions themselves.
8. Verify the checkbox to allow use of a third-party closed captioning service.
9. Locate the Live Transcription setting.
10. Click the toggle to enable live transcription. If the setting is grayed out, it has been locked at the account or group level and needs to be changed there.
11. Verify the checkbox to show transcript on the side panel in-meeting.
12. Select if you want to allow meeting hosts to save the transcripts.

Configure Cloud Recording Settings for Transcriptions

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management, then Account Settings.
3. Click the Recording tab.
4. Under Cloud Recording, ensure that Audio transcript is enabled. This will automatically generate a transcript of the meeting audio when recording to the cloud.
5. Choose whether to display the transcript as closed captions during playback of the recording.
6. Customize other cloud recording settings as needed, such as download access and recording layouts.

Using a Third-Party Closed Captioning Service

1. Enable the option to use a third-party closed captioning service as outlined in the previous sections (Account, Group, or User level).
2. During a Zoom meeting, the host can click the Closed Caption button in the meeting controls.
3. Select Assign a participant to type. Or I will type. Or Use a 3rd party CC service.
4. If Use a 3rd party CC service is selected, Zoom will provide a URL.
5. Provide the URL to the third-party closed captioning service. The service will use this URL to stream the captions into the Zoom meeting.
6. The URL for the caption stream can be copied by the meeting host and shared with the third-party provider.

Enabling Call Live Transcription for Zoom Phone

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management, then Policy.
3. Click the Policy tab.
4. Click on the policy you want to enable Call Live Transcription on.
5. Scroll to Call Live Transcription and enable the toggle.
6. Click Confirm

Common Issues

• Closed captioning or live transcription options are missing: Verify that the features are enabled at the account, group, or user level in the Zoom web portal. If they are locked at a higher level, you will not be able to modify them at the lower level.
• Live transcription is inaccurate: Live transcription accuracy depends on audio quality and clarity. Ensure participants speak clearly and minimize background noise. AI Companion can help enhance the clarity of live transcriptions.
• Third-party captioning service not working: Double-check that the correct caption URL is provided to the third-party service and that the service is properly configured to stream captions to Zoom.
• Closed captions not appearing in Zoom Rooms: Confirm that the Zoom Rooms version is 5.1 or higher. Check the settings within the Zoom Room controller to ensure captions are enabled.
• Audio transcript isn’t generating for cloud recordings: Make sure the “Audio transcript” option is enabled in the cloud recording settings. Allow sufficient time for the transcript to be generated after the recording is processed.