Adobe - Let's Talk Inclusivity. It's 2022 and Rush Should Have a Closed Captions Feature.

[deirdrel93133292]

I've seen many 10-step tips and tricks to add captions to Rush videos. But no creator should have to take that many steps on an app we pay for when free apps offer captions at no cost. 

“We all have a responsibility to ensure that our workplace and society are places where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion." 

Your CEO said this two years ago, and yet there is two years' worth of questions in this community asking about adding a captions feature - -  on an app promoted as an All in one solution video editing app that lets you quickly create social content.

Digital Accessibility is everyone's responsibility - especially the makers of video editing apps. 

[ProDesignTools]

Hi Deirdre,

While it would be nice to have closed captions, adding subtitles to a Rush video is not 10 steps, and is not too hard:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-rush-discussions/how-to-add-subtitles-in-premiere-rush/m-p/1...

This is primarily a user-to-user forum, but if you'd like more in Rush then you can submit your feedback directly to the team at Adobe by voting & commenting on this requested feature here:

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/916423-premiere-rush/suggestions/44402982-add-captions-subt...

[DWhetter]

I have to admit I was a little bothered by the dismissive tone of the response to this post. 

Deirdrel93133292 is absolutely right - captioning is a VITAL feature not only for accessibility for people who cannot hear or rely on captions/subtitles, but also for all online engagement in general.

Over 80% of online videos on social media are viewed with the sound off. The failure to incorporate captioning and subtitling in Rush as a prominent, easy-to-use feature means Rush creators are getting far fewer views, clicks and likes that they could otherwise get from their video posts.

Moreover,  the link posted in the reply is a workaround, not a solution, and a clunky one at best. 

I do appreciate the link to vote on adding this feature to Rush - it is just shocking to me that this vote is even necessary with an Adobe product. This should be a basic, must-have feature in every leading video editing app.

As Deirdrel93133292 says, Digital Accessibility is everyone's responsibility

[ProDesignTools]

Well, I suggested a popular solution to add subtitles in the current version of Rush, and then the official channel to submit feedback directly to Adobe engineers. As a volunteer on this forum, that's about all I can do.

[Warren Heaton]

This feature request exists and has 255 votes as of November 8, 2022: How can we improve Premiere Rush? > Add Captions, subtitles to movie

(ProDesignTools kindly already linked to it, but I figured it's important enough to be repeated.)

It would be great if Adobe Premiere Rush could import common subtitle and closed caption files or had an automated process  similar to Premiere Pro's Speech to Text.

Could you share some links to the free apps that offer captions at no cost?

I'd love to compare those to what I currently use (Rev.com and Premiere Pro).  Telestream CaptionMaker is the industry standard, but very expensive.  Final Cut Pro X is cabable, but seems best suited for projects delivered with Final Cut Pro.  I've always had great results with Rev and Premiere Pro's Speech to Text is an excellent starting point.

While subtitles and captions have long been workflow steps that happen after the editng process is completed, there are editing tools that take advantage of transcribing source footage video (especially helpful in documentaries and interviews, but also very helfpul for finishing with subtitles and captions later in post production).  Fortunately, background transcription of source media clips using Premiere Pro's Speech to Text is in development and can be tested in the Premiere Pro beta.

I agree with it being important to empower video content creators to povide accurate captions.  Who knows, maybe Apple's Live Captions will become ubiquitous across devices used to play video and audio and having to rely in being done at the source will be a thing of the past?  It could not happen fast enough.