Event live captioning brief
You have decided to offer live captions, and now a caption provider needs a brief that tells them what will be said, by whom and in which language.
The short answer
A live captioning brief tells the provider which sessions need captions, the languages spoken, how audio reaches them, where captions will appear and what terminology to expect. It also says who checks the output and how errors are handled.
Choose captions as one support among several, based on the requests you have received. Ask the provider what they can deliver and in what form; do not state accuracy levels they have not given you.
What the provider needs to know
| Brief item | What to write | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions | List of sessions, times, rooms and any online stream | Captions requested for the event but not per session |
| Languages | Languages spoken and languages for captions | Code-switching between English, Malay and Mandarin not mentioned |
| Audio feed | How the provider receives clean audio, on site or remote | No agreed backup audio route |
| Display | Screen position, size and how online viewers see captions | Captions hidden behind speaker slides |
| Terminology | Names, acronyms, product and place names, speaker list | Sent on the morning of the event |
| Materials | Slides and scripts available in advance, and when | Final slides arrive after the session starts |
| Recording and transcripts | Whether a transcript is needed afterwards and who owns it | Not decided before the event |
Decisions to make before you send the brief
- Which sessions need captions, based on the support requests received and the programme.
- Whether the captions are for people in the room, online viewers or both.
- Whether any session is bilingual or mixes languages, and how the provider handles it.
- Who reviews the transcript and corrects names before it is shared.
Sequence
- Confirm the sessions and rooms, and gather the speaker list and terminology.
- Send the brief to two or three caption providers or your AV supplier and ask for what they offer for each item.
- Agree the audio feed, display position and a test slot with the AV supplier.
- Run a short test with a speaker and a sample slide, and adjust position and size.
- On the day, name one person who receives feedback about captions and passes it to the provider.
Handling errors and changes
Agree in the brief how a delegate or moderator reports a captioning problem, and who contacts the provider. Record any session where captions were interrupted, so the follow-up is specific.
When a session is added or moved, update the brief and tell the provider. Treat the schedule and the brief as one version-controlled set, as in the materials version checker.
Worked example · Fictional example
Captioning brief for a one-day forum
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional manufacturers' federation runs a one-day forum with a main hall and two breakouts. Sessions are mostly in English with some Malay, and the secretariat has received three captioning requests.
It asks for captions in the main hall and one breakout, with a transcript afterwards, and sends the speaker list, a glossary of 60 industry terms and the slide deadline. The AV supplier agrees a clean audio feed and a test slot the afternoon before.
Use this yourself
Live captioning brief template
Copy this into an email or document and send it to the provider. Replace each prompt with your own details.
- Event name, date, venue and online platform if any:
- Sessions needing captions: title, time, room:
- Languages spoken, including any mixing within a session:
- Language and format of captions required:
- Audio feed: how the provider receives it, and the backup:
- Where captions will appear for the room and for online viewers:
- Speaker list and glossary of names, acronyms and terms (with date sent):
- Slides and scripts: when they will be shared:
- Test slot: date, time, who attends:
- Transcript after the event: needed or not, and who reviews it:
- Contact on the day for captions and how problems are reported:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- One room, one language and a provider recommended by the venue or AV supplier.
- Requests are few and you can brief the provider yourself.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Multiple rooms, a hybrid stream or mixed languages.
- Terminology is heavy and speaker materials arrive late.
- You need to coordinate the provider, the AV supplier and the interpretation plan.
Want the captioning brief placed in your AV plan?
An Event Blueprint can set out which sessions need captions, the supplier brief, feeds and display, the test slot and who handles problems on the day, alongside your other supplier requirements. Send the programme and the support requests you have received.
Questions organisers ask
Can we promise a captioning accuracy level?
Only quote what the provider has agreed in writing. Ask for their method and their review process rather than stating a figure yourself.
Is captioning the same as interpretation?
No. Captions show speech in text, often in the same language. Interpretation converts speech into another language. See the interpretation mode page for that decision.
Do we need captions for every session?
Not necessarily. Base it on the support requests, the programme and what the provider can cover, and say clearly which sessions have them.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.