How to Add Captions & Subtitles to Google Hangouts & Google Meet Recordings

RevBlogResourcesCaptions & SubtitlesCaption & Subtitle Video ConferencesHow to Add Captions & Subtitles to Google Hangouts & Google Meet Recordings

For many people, Google has become a go-to source for video meetings and calls. The technology giant’s Google Meet and Google Hangout tools are extremely popular. It takes just minutes to set up a video chat, class, or meeting.

If you’re a Google user, you have likely experienced the power of these video tools. But have you ever wished that you could review the content of a video meeting after it ends? With closed captioning, you can achieve that goal.

You don’t need to spend hours listening to video recordings and typing out conversations. Instead, you can turn your videos over to professionals and receive a text file with captions for your video. For videos, less than 30 minutes, closed captioning is typically available in under 24 hours. 

Do you use Google video tools? If so, you should know how to save your recorded videos, and how to acquire closed captioning for them. Whether you use Google for business or personal video calls, you can get extra value out of every conversation.

Google Meet vs. Google Hangouts: What’s the Difference?

At first, you may find it confusing that Google has two different video platforms. But Google Hangouts and Google Meet do have distinct audiences.

Google Hangouts is a consumer-facing tool that is accessible via the Gmail sidebar. With Google Hangouts, you have the option of calling, texting, or launching a video call. The Google Hangouts service is free and can accommodate up to 25 users in a video meeting. Note that Google Hangouts doesn’t have a built-in recording feature. To record a video call, you need to use a third-party application.

By contrast, Google Meet is a professional-grade video conferencing tool. With Google Meet, up to 250 people can join a video call at once. Also, you can record a Google Meet session onto Google Drive for future use or broadcast. Today, Google Meet has more than 100 million users, with 3 million users added each day, according to recent statistics.

Closed Captions Add Value to Your Google Hangout & Google Meet Recordings

Recording video meetings can be helpful for many reasons. For example, if a team member missed the meeting, he or she can review the content at a later time. Also, you may use videos for educational or marketing purposes. Adding closed captions amplifies the value of every recorded video and enhances accessibility.

How to Add Closed Captioning to Google Hangout & Google Meet Recordings

After recording a video, you can order Google Hangouts & Google Meet recordings captions and subtitles. There are four easy steps to follow:

Step 1: Share or Upload Your Recorded Video

Remember that recording functionality is available from within Google Meet. But you’ll need a third-party recording tool for Google Hangouts. You can post videos to your website or upload them to YouTube, Vimeo, or another site.

To submit them for closed captioning, you have several alternatives. You can upload your video file or copy and paste a link to where it’s housed on the web. If you plan to order closed captions regularly, you can also establish an automated upload. The video submission process is quick and intuitive.

Step 2: Let Professional Captioners Work Their Magic

Professional closed captioners are available to work on your video around the clock at Rev.com. That means your video receives prompt attention whenever it’s submitted–day or night.

Many closed captioning projects require a turnaround time of 24 hours or less. That’s true even if you have multiple speakers, varied accents, or difficult video. If you have a longer video, more captioning time may be necessary. Keep in mind that Rev.com services guarantee 99% accuracy to ensure the highest-quality results for your projects.

Step 3: Receive and Review Your Captions

After captioning is complete, you’ll receive your captioning files via email. You should dedicate time to review and finalize any corrections with our world-class caption editor. On occasion, you may need to tweak minor details, such as speaker names. If necessary, you can also easily share your video with other reviewers. 

Step 4: Add Your Caption File to Your Video

You are now ready to add captions to your video. There are many ways to accomplish this.

Option 1: Use Video Editing Software

You can use video production software to add your closed caption file to your video file. Here are two guides to help you with that process

Read our full guide on adding captions through other video editing and social media platforms here.

Option 2: Rev Adds Captions Straight to Your Video Recording for You

Rev now offers burned-in captions (open captions). Just check the “burned-in captions” box at checkout and you’ll receive a video with permanent, hard-coded captions added straight to your video. Also available for foreign language subtitles!

Burned-in Caption pricing

Option 3: Add Captions Via Google Drive

For this approach, you will need to upload your video to Google Drive. Then follow these steps to add your caption tracks:

  1. Click “More” (the three dots symbol), then click “Manage Caption Tracks”
  2. Click “Add New Captions Tracks”
  3. Click “Select File,” then choose your caption or transcript file.
  4. Select a language for your captions and name the track.
  5. Click “Upload”

Make the Most of Every Google Meet & Google Hangout Video

Without a doubt, video conferencing is booming. In fact, Tech Crunch reported that people downloaded conferencing apps more than 62 million times in a single week. If you use these tools, you’ll want to know how to maximize the value of every video. And closed captioning is an excellent option.

Do you rely on videos for personal use? Or are you part of a class or small organization? If so, you may want to know how to add captions and subtitles to Google Hangouts videos. The good news is that you don’t need to take on this task yourself. Just submit your videos to professionals to receive accurately captioned videos in a short time.

The same is true if you want to add captions and subtitles to Google Meet recordings. You don’t need to invest time in learning new skills. Professional captioners are few clicks away.

Google’s tools make video conferencing accessible to consumers and professional users alike. It’s simple to record your Google videos and order captions for each one.  With captioned videos, you gain assets that you can review and reuse in the years ahead.