Body
Environment
Canvas
MiVideo Mediaspace
Issue
What is an audio description (AD) and how can it be added to videos in Canvas and MiVideo Mediaspace?
Video must be uploaded to your My Media in Canvas or Mediaspace to use this service.
Resolution
What is an Audio Description (AD)?
Audio description (AD) is a verbal portrayal of visual content in media injected between spoken dialog. AD can assist blind and visually impaired people by describing key visual content necessary for comprehension of the media.
Listening to AD in the Kaltura Media Player
Videos with audio description have a separate audio track for the AD which combines the existing audio with a spoken description of onscreen action where no other speech exists. Only one audio track can be played at a time in the Kaltura media player.
Canvas and Mediaspaces with upgraded players
Audio tracks can be changed in the Kaltura media player by clicking the gear icon in the lower right corner of the player and selecting a different audio track.
Mediaspaces with legacy players
Audio tracks can be changed in the Kaltura media player by clicking the musical note icon in the lower right corner of the player and selecting a different audio track.
Example Video with Professional AD
Sing A Song of Six Pants Audio Description Example
Professional Human-generated AD (English to English)
Kaltura contracts with 3PlayMedia to generate audio descriptions for videos. This is a premium fee-based service. It is not free.
There are two ways to order AD:
- With a shortcode
- Disability accommodation through the SSD office
Important Notes
- AD by 3PlayMedia is only generated during gaps in audio (not including music or other background noise); for best results your recording should have pauses in the dialog. To learn more about Extended Audio Description which pauses the video to describe the scene, see the Order Extended Audio Descriptions (EAD) for Media article.
- The AD script is created by a professional AD captioner.
- The AD voice is a male sounding machine-generated voice.
- AD is returned as a second audio track that is a combination of the original audio and the description.
Ordering Professional AD with a shortcode
Professional audio descriptions can be ordered with a shortcode. Please complete the MiVideo Captioning, Transcription & Audio Descriptions Request Form.
- Video must be uploaded to your My Media in Canvas or Mediaspace to use this service.
- AD requests produce a separate audio track.
- The cost is based on the length of the recording (not the number of minutes of audio description created) and the turnaround time.
- The recording length can be edited down as necessary, see the Utilizing Video Editor article.
- The ITS-MiVideo team will need a shortcode and authorized signer approval to place the order.
- The ITS-MiVideo team will email the requester once the order is completed.
Disability Accommodations through the SSD Office
Professional audio descriptions can be ordered on request for disability accommodations through the SSD office. Please complete the MiVideo Captioning, Transcription & Audio Descriptions Request Form.
- Video must be uploaded to your My Media in Canvas or Mediaspace to use this service.
- AD requests produce a separate audio track.
- The recording length can be edited down as necessary, see the Utilizing Video Editor article.
- Instructor instructions for ordering captions on media with and without musical performances are provided by the SSD office.
User-generated AD
User-generated audio descriptions are not supported by Kaltura, however the ITS-MiVideo team can assist with user-generated AD requests for free. You must create your own voice over audio track to use as the AD.
The Video Editor in MiVideo does not have the capability to add voiceover. Instead use video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Rush. See the Add Voiceover to a Video Using Adobe Premiere Rush article for details on how to create an MP4 video with voiceover. Other video editing software applications can also be used to add a voiceover track in a similar fashion.
Both videos must be uploaded to your My Media in Canvas or Mediaspace to use this service. See the following section for best practices when creating your own AD. Please complete the MiVideo Captioning, Transcription & Audio Descriptions Request Form.
Best practices for creating AD
- Audio description is a separate audio track with the AD voice over injected into the original audio track; AD audio tracks are not played in conjunction with the original audio track
- Inject AD only when necessary for the listener to understand important visual detail.
- Inject AD during gaps in audio (not including music or other background noise); for best results your recording should have pauses in the dialog.
- Adjust the audio level of the original audio in sync with the voice over.
- 3PlayMedia website has a list of Quality Audio Description Standards.
Additional Information
Closed captions, extended audio descriptions, language translation captions, and language translation dubbing are separate services; see related articles.
Resources and Questions
For additional questions, please contact the ITS Service Center