How to Enable Closed Captions in MEDIAL
Closed captions help make video content more accessible and reach a wider audience. In MEDIAL, getting them set up starts with two straightforward decisions: which caption profile to use, and who should have permission to use it.
From there, you can let people request captions manually, automatically caption uploads from selected users or groups, or give designated users responsibility for approving requests. That flexibility means you can build a captioning workflow around the way your organisation manages video.
Here is the complete process, from creating your first profile to requesting, approving, and editing captions.
Table of Contents
1. Create a Closed Captions Profile
Start by logging into your MEDIAL administrator account and opening the dashboard. Select the Closed Captions icon to enter the captioning area.
Your first task is to create a profile. This is the profile people will select when requesting captions, so give it a name that makes its purpose clear.
Open Profiles.
Click New.
Enter a descriptive profile name, such as MEDIAL Auto Captions English US.
Select the language you want the captions to be created in.
Click Save.
Your new captions profile is now created. A clear name is especially useful when someone needs to choose the correct profile during an upload. Including the language helps distinguish it from other available options.
Creating a profile and granting access are separate steps. Next, you need to tell MEDIAL which users or groups can use this profile and how their captioning requests should work.
2. Choose Who Can Use the Profile
Open Permissions in the captioning area, then select the profile you have just created. This is where you assign the access level and choose the people or groups it applies to.
There are three options to consider:
Request Captions: lets selected users or groups manually request captions for their videos.
Automatically Caption: captions videos uploaded by selected users or groups without an additional request step.
Request and Approve: lets selected users request captions and act as approvers for caption requests.
The important distinction is between initiating a request, automatically captioning an upload, and authorising requests. Choose the option that matches the responsibility you want to give each user or group.
For more context on managing access across your setup, see the MEDIAL permission settings guide.
Allow Manual Caption Requests
Choose Request Captions when you want people to request captions themselves rather than have every upload captioned automatically.
For example, to give Rob access, search for his name in the user search bar. Select his account, then use the arrow button to move him into the Selected box.
Rob can now request captions for videos he uploads to MEDIAL. You can also assign this permission to groups, rather than selecting each person individually.
This option keeps the request step with the person uploading the content. They choose to request captions and select the appropriate profile as part of the process.
Automatically Caption Selected Uploads
For a more hands-off workflow, choose Automatically Caption. Videos uploaded by the selected users or groups will be captioned automatically, with no extra request step needed.
To apply this across groups:
Select Automatically Caption as the access level.
Switch the selection area to Groups.
Select the groups you want to include, or select all groups.
Use the arrow button to move them into the selected list.
You can also narrow that selection. For example, if your intended setup excludes student uploads from automatic captioning, select the relevant student groups in the selected list and use the back arrow to remove them.
Check the selected list carefully. It determines whose uploads will be captioned automatically. Starting with all groups can be convenient, but removing any exceptions is an important part of that setup.
Give Users Request and Approval Rights
The third option, Request and Approve, gives selected users both the ability to request captions and access to approve caption requests.
An administrator can assign these authorisation rights to individual users or groups. Those users then have access to the captions area in the video administration site, where they can approve requests from people on the system.
For this example, assign Jade the Request and Approve permission. Search for her account, select it, and move it into the selected box using the arrow button.
Jade can now take part in both sides of the workflow: requesting captions during an upload and accessing the captions administration area to approve requests.
3. Request Captions During a Video Upload
With permissions in place, the next step is to use the profile during an upload. In this example, log into MEDIAL as Jade and upload a video through the media library.
Follow the usual upload process, adding the video title, description, and email address, then choosing a thumbnail. At the caption request stage:
Click Request Captions.
Choose the correct captions profile.
Continue with Next and confirm the upload.
This is where the profile name you created earlier becomes useful. A name that includes the caption language makes it easier to identify the right option without relying on guesswork.
Remember that this manual request step is different from automatic captioning. If you have assigned Automatically Caption to the uploader’s user account or group, the purpose of that setting is to remove the need for an extra request.
4. Approve Caption Requests
Return to Jade’s dashboard. Her captions button now displays a bell icon rather than the usual closed captions symbol, reflecting her access to the captions administration area.
Open that area and go to Overview. The video with the caption request appears here, ready for approval.
Find the relevant video, then click the tick button under Actions to approve the request. This is the approval step enabled by the permissions assigned earlier.
Keeping these roles clear makes the workflow easier to manage: the uploader submits the request, while an authorised approver handles it in the captions overview.
5. Open and Edit Captions
When you need to make changes, use the three-line icon under Actions to open the captions for editing.
Approval and editing are distinct actions. The tick button approves the request; the editing control opens the captions so you can make corrections where needed.
For a broader look at how captioning fits into an accessible video experience, visit the MEDIAL accessibility overview.
A Captioning Workflow That Fits Your Team
Enabling closed captions in MEDIAL comes down to a clear sequence: create a profile, assign permissions, then request or automatically generate captions. Where approval is part of your process, designated users can manage requests from the captions overview and open captions for editing.
The profile establishes the captioning option. Permissions determine who can use it and whether they need to make a request. Set those foundations carefully, and the remaining steps become a straightforward part of your video upload and administration workflow.
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