How Auto-Generated Subtitles Can Improve Accessibility and Drive Business Growth
Introduction: why your videos need subtitles
In today’s digital landscape, video content has become a cornerstone of communication for both businesses and creators. Whether used for marketing, education, or entertainment, videos are a powerful tool for engaging audiences across the globe. But with the rise in video consumption comes a critical challenge: how do you ensure that your content is accessible to everyone?
Accessibility is about ensuring that your message reaches the widest possible audience, regardless of their ability, language, or viewing environment. Subtitles play a key role in breaking down these barriers. They provide access to individuals with hearing impairments, non-native speakers, and viewers in sound-restricted environments, making your content more inclusive and far-reaching.
For businesses, this is especially important. Subtitles not only increase engagement but also expand your global reach, improve video watch times and can play a role in SEO discoverability. By making videos more accessible, businesses can capture untapped markets and enhance their brand reputation in a world where inclusivity is a growing priority.
At Dailymotion, we’ve simplified this process through auto-generated subtitles, powered by cutting-edge machine learning and advanced artificial intelligence . In this article, we’ll explore how auto-generated subtitles are transforming the way businesses and creators make their content more accessible, scalable, and impactful.
Challenges: Addressing Four Critical Barriers to Accessibility and Engagement
Accessibility gaps
Without subtitles, millions of people with hearing impairments, as well as individuals with cognitive impairments, neurodiverse conditions, or difficulties processing audio, are unable to engage with video content. For businesses and creators aiming for inclusivity, this leaves a significant part of the audience disconnected from their message, reducing overall engagement and reach.
Language barriers and global limitations
Many videos are restricted to a single language, limiting accessibility for non-native speakers. In a global marketplace, failing to offer subtitles limits reach into international markets, making it difficult to connect with audiences who find the content relevant but inaccessible.
Technical limitations
In situations where viewers can’t or prefer not to use sound—whether due to their environment, device settings, or accessibility needs—relying solely on audio can result in incomplete communication. Without subtitles, businesses risk losing their message entirely, especially when audiences consume content on mute or in settings where listening isn’t an option.
Lower engagement and business impact
For businesses, neglecting accessibility in video content can limit the effectiveness of campaigns, leading to missed opportunities and less impactful marketing efforts. Subtitles play a crucial role in maximizing engagement and ensuring that video content reaches its full potential.
8 Benefits: How Auto-Generated Subtitles Can Help Overcome These Challenges
Accessibility: Reaching Everyone, Everywhere
- 1.5 billion people with hearing impairments: Subtitles are essential for ensuring that people with hearing impairments can access and engage with video content. Auto-generated subtitles bridge this gap by making videos inclusive without extra effort. This means that your content reaches more people and doesn’t leave anyone out.
- Making content accessible in challenging environments: In regions where connectivity is unstable or for viewers relying on mobile networks, audio may be difficult to hear or unavailable altogether. Subtitles bridge this gap by ensuring the message is clear, even when sound cannot be relied upon. This is especially important for audiences in areas with spotty coverage or those watching in settings where listening isn’t an option.
- Reaching global markets: More than 67% of online content is consumed in languages other than English, meaning that videos limited to one language miss out on global opportunities. Subtitles in multiple languages allow businesses to connect with international audiences, breaking down language barriers. This makes it easier to reach new markets and expand your audience.
- Improving viewer retention and engagement: Subtitles keep viewers engaged. Research shows that time spent on videos with subtitles is 47% higher. Subtitles make it easier for people to follow along, even if they are distracted or in a noisy environment. For businesses, this leads to stronger connections with viewers and better performance for video campaigns.
- Boosting SEO and discoverability: Subtitles can improve video rankings by keeping viewers engaged for longer periods, which search engines, like Google, interpret as a sign of high-quality content. This increased watch time positively impacts SEO performance, particularly for younger audiences who tend to prefer watching videos with subtitles. As video metadata and search algorithms continue to evolve, the role of subtitles in enhancing discoverability will likely grow even further.
- Maximizing engagement in silent environments: According to Newton Technologies, 69 % people view video with sound off in public places. So, viewers often rely on subtitles to understand the content. Auto-generated subtitles ensure your message gets through, even when the sound is off, allowing your videos to remain effective and engaging in any environment.
- Overcoming language barriers: Subtitles enable creators to reach a much wider audience by providing translations in different languages, ensuring that valuable content isn’t missed due to language differences. Additionally, same-language subtitles support language learners, helping them engage more effectively with content in another language. This approach expands reach and enhances accessibility for diverse viewers.
- Equal access to information and entertainment: Subtitles not only break language barriers, but also make sure that everyone—regardless of where they live, what language they speak, or their abilities—can access the same content. Creators ensure that their content reaches its full potential by making it available to a more diverse and global audience.
How Dailymotion delivers accurate and effortless subtitles for global reach
As a global platform, Dailymotion has always considered accessibility as a critical factor for video content. Autogenerated subtitles play a key role in ensuring that videos are accessible to all, regardless of language, location, or ability. With Dailymotion, both businesses and creators benefit from highly accurate, scalable, and efficient subtitle solutions powered by cutting-edge machine learning.
1. What Makes Dailymotion’s Autogenerated Subtitles Stand Out?
- No Additional Effort for Creators
Dailymotion’s autogenerated subtitles require no extra action from creators. Once a video is uploaded and meets the eligibility criteria, subtitles are generated automatically and can be viewed in the player on dailymotion.com, allowing creators to focus on content creation while we handle accessibility.
- Accurate, Fast and Efficient Processing
Subtitles are instantly available after the video is fully encoded. This seamless process ensures that creators can immediately share their content with global audiences, complete with subtitles, maximizing accessibility and reach without any delay.
2. Eligibility for Autogenerated Subtitles
Dailymotion currently provides autogenerated subtitles in seven key languages: French, English, Spanish, Turkish, German, Arabic, and Italian.
3. Effortless Control for Viewers
Viewers can easily toggle subtitles on or off, whether they are using the Dailymotion app on Android, iOS, or on dailymotion.com, they are also available for partners who embed our Player technology.
Conclusion : Stay Competitive in a Video-Driven World
In today’s digital landscape, creating videos isn’t enough. To stay ahead, your content must be discoverable, accessible, and engaging for a global audience.
With Dailymotion’s autogenerated subtitles, you can seamlessly reach diverse audiences—whether by enhancing accessibility for hearing impairments or offering multilingual subtitles for international markets. These subtitles not only improve engagement but also boost discoverability, retention, and global scalability.
Whether you’re looking to grow your audience, improve search rankings, or expand globally, Dailymotion provides the tools to ensure your content thrives in a competitive environment.
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