Real-Time Closed Captioning Services
Real-time closed captioning for school board meetings, city council sessions, public hearings, planning commission meetings, commencement ceremonies, and live broadcasts. Three accuracy tiers from AI through professional human CART.
Real-time closed captioning services overview
Recap Innovations delivers real-time closed captioning services that convert spoken audio into synchronized text during live meetings, hearings, and broadcasts. Attendees read captions on their own device, in a meeting platform, or on a venue display without waiting for a post-event recording.
Choose the accuracy tier that matches your event: fully automated AI for routine sessions, AI with live human editing for formal public meetings, or professional CART when procurement requires a qualified human captioner. Post-event transcripts archive automatically for public records and FOIA compliance.
What are real-time closed captioning services?
Real-time closed captioning services provide synchronized text captions during live audio and video. The term is often used interchangeably with live captioning or CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation), though CART specifically refers to human-powered real-time transcription.
This is different from post-production closed captioning, which adds captions to recorded video after an event ends. Real-time services are required when attendees need to follow a live school board vote, council deliberation, or commencement address as it happens.
Recap bridges all three approaches: AI captioning for speed and scale, hybrid AI plus human moderator for RFP language requiring real-time human oversight, and professional CART for your highest-stakes events.
Why organizations need real-time closed captioning
ADA and WCAG compliance
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.2.4 requires captions for live synchronized media. Government agencies face ADA Title II deadlines; schools must meet Section 504 obligations for public meetings and livestreams.
Civic transparency
City councils, school boards, and planning commissions serve diverse communities. Real-time closed captions let deaf and hard-of-hearing residents participate in public hearings and follow policy discussions as they unfold.
Employee accommodations
Deaf and hard-of-hearing employees need real-time captions in virtual meetings. Recap supports Zoom, Webex, and Teams with accuracy tiers that match accommodation requirements.
Public records
Every live session produces a searchable transcript exportable as SRT, VTT, or plain text. Usage tracking reports support billing verification and procurement reporting.
Real-time closed captioning for government and education meetings
Language drawn from common government and education RFPs for real-time captioning services.
School board meetings
Live captions for policy votes, budget hearings, and public comment periods. Custom dictionaries improve recognition of district names and local terminology.
City council meetings
Caption live council sessions streamed on YouTube Live, Granicus, or custom encoders. Works alongside your existing government streaming platform.
Public hearings
Ensure residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can follow testimony and staff presentations during zoning hearings, budget hearings, and town halls.
Planning commission meetings
Caption technical land-use discussions with discipline-specific terminology. AI plus human editing or CART tiers handle complex vocabulary and multiple speakers.
Commencement ceremonies
Professional CART for graduation ceremonies with dozens of student names. 99%+ accuracy when every word matters for families watching in person or online.
Lectures and livestreams
Caption Panopto, Kaltura, Canvas, and Echo360 live streams via RTMP. Deliver captions to YouTube Live or a personal viewer link for hybrid classrooms.
Three accuracy tiers for every live event
Match captioning accuracy to your RFP requirements and event stakes.
Fully automated AI
Real-time AI captioning with instant setup. Best for routine internal meetings, district livestreams, and events where speed matters most.
AI with human editing
AI captioning with a live human moderator correcting errors in real time. Satisfies RFP language for AI-assisted captioning with human oversight.
Professional CART
A qualified human captioner transcribes in real time. Required when accommodation letters or procurement specs mandate a certified captionist.
Benefits of Recap real-time closed captioning services
Tiered accuracy
Choose AI, hybrid, or CART per event without switching vendors.
Platform integrations
Zoom, Webex, YouTube Live, Panopto, Kaltura, Canvas, and RTMP streams.
Multilingual captions
Real-time translation in 100+ languages with optional voiceover.
Compliance ready
WCAG 2.1 AA, ADA Title II, Section 508, and CVAA aligned workflows.
Scales to any audience
QR codes and personal viewer links serve in-person and virtual attendees without per-seat limits.
Post-event transcripts
Searchable transcripts and caption file exports in the same platform as your archived video.
How real-time closed captioning services work
Audio input
Connect meeting platform audio, RTMP stream, or room microphone.
Caption engine
AI, hybrid moderator, or CART captioner converts speech to synchronized text.
Delivery
Captions relay to Zoom, Webex, YouTube Live, or a viewer link.
Audience
Attendees read captions on any device; transcript archives after the event.
Platform integrations for live closed captioning
Webex
CART API relay or automated meeting bot for caption delivery.
Microsoft Teams (launching soon)
Personal caption viewer link alongside Teams; post-meeting transcript import via Graph API.
Panopto and Kaltura
Live caption delivery via RTMP stream output; archival workflows on the same platform.
Canvas and Echo360
Embed accessible video with live and archived captions in your LMS workflow.
Accessibility and compliance
- WCAG 2.1 AA: Success Criterion 1.2.4 (Captions Live) for synchronized live media
- ADA Title II: Real-time captions for government public meetings and livestreams
- Section 508 and CVAA: Caption quality, synchronization, and display requirements
- SOC 2 Type II: Enterprise security for meeting audio and transcripts
Frequently asked questions about real-time closed captioning services
What are real-time closed captioning services?
Real-time closed captioning services convert spoken audio into synchronized text during live meetings, broadcasts, and events. Unlike post-production closed captioning for recorded video, real-time services deliver captions as the event happens.
How accurate are Recap real-time closed captions?
Three tiers: AI at 95–98%, AI with live human editing at 97–99%, and professional CART at 99%+. Government and education RFPs commonly require 98–99% accuracy; our moderated and CART tiers meet those thresholds.
When is professional CART required instead of AI?
When an accommodation letter specifies a qualified human captioner, or when RFP language mandates human oversight for legally mandated communication access. Commencements and high-stakes board meetings often require CART or AI with live human editing.
Which platforms do you support?
Native relay for Zoom and Webex, YouTube Live caption egress, RTMP for Panopto and Kaltura, and a personal caption viewer link for Teams, in-person events, and any platform without native relay.
Do these services help with ADA and WCAG compliance?
Yes. WCAG 2.1 SC 1.2.4 requires captions for live synchronized media. Real-time closed captioning helps meet ADA Title II, Section 508, and CVAA requirements for public meetings and broadcasts.
Can I get a transcript after a live event?
Every session produces a searchable transcript. Export as SRT, VTT, or plain text. Moderated and CART tiers deliver polished transcripts within one business day.
How much does real-time closed captioning cost?
Pricing depends on tier, event length, and frequency. See our pricing page or book a demo for a quote.
Related resources
Buyer's guide
Evaluate real-time closed captioning vendors for government and education RFPs.
Read the guideReady to get started with real-time closed captioning?
Whether you need captions for a single commencement or ongoing council meetings, we will help you choose the right tier and meet your accessibility requirements.