We all know that Facebook Live is a hot topic in the social space. Whether a brand is highlighting event activities or providing some “how-to” insight, everyone wants to showcase their content in real time.
In June 2017, Facebook made their live streaming feature a little more all-inclusive. In an effort to encourage live stream participation from the hearing impaired, Facebook added closed-caption functionality.
Similar to the already existing automatic captioning on regular videos and advertisements, the closed captioning feature visually showcases conversation occurring in the stream.
To use this feature, publishers need to use Facebook’s Live API or insert their own closed captions. It’s important to remember that using the Live API for captioning doesn’t mean you won’t see any inconsistencies in how the tool auto-generates the captions.
Community page managers may want to consider working with a third-party captioning company or providing their own captioning if possible. This will help to alleviate any possible inconsistencies. Page managers may want to map out live stream conversations ahead of time or create a script to reference.
Facebook hopes this feature will help boost user engagement by making these videos more accessible. Not only does this update appeal to the hearing impaired, but it allows users to watch the stream when they’re in a noisy environment. It will also help provide clarity to streams that have poor sound quality.
Facebook Live is a great way for brands to gain visibility online, and this update should continue to grow user participation on the platform. If you are interested in utilizing this functionality on your Facebook page, contact The frank Agency!
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