Definition: A transcript is a full text version of audio or video content: everything that is said, who says it, and the sounds that matter. For audio-only content such as podcasts, it is the usual alternative under WCAG 1.2.1 at Level A [1]. A descriptive transcript also covers the important visual content of a video.
German: Transkript · Also: descriptive transcript · Last reviewed: 27 September 2026
Basic and descriptive transcripts
The W3C distinguishes two kinds [3]:
- Basic transcript: the text of all speech and meaningful sound, with speakers named. This suits podcasts and other audio-only content [4].
- Descriptive transcript: adds a description of what happens on screen that is needed to understand it. A video needs this.
Who they matter to
Deaf and hard of hearing people read what they cannot hear. Deafblind people depend on a descriptive transcript because they can neither hear the audio nor see the picture; they read it on a braille display, for example [3]. Transcripts also help people who take in text faster than speech, and anyone who wants to find or quote a particular passage.
What WCAG requires
| Content | Level A | Level AA |
|---|---|---|
| Audio only (podcast) | transcript (1.2.1) | – |
| Video only (no sound) | text or audio track (1.2.1) | – |
| Video with sound | descriptive transcript or audio description (1.2.3) | audio description (1.2.5), plus captions from Level A (1.2.2) |
For video with sound, then, a transcript on its own is only enough at Level A. At Level AA you need captions and audio description [2].
In code
The transcript belongs right by the player, as text on the page or as a clearly labelled link.
<figure>
<audio controls src="episode-12.mp3"></audio>
<figcaption>
Episode 12: Accessible forms ·
<a href="episode-12-transcript/">
Read the transcript
</a>
</figcaption>
</figure>Common mistakes
- Uncorrected automatic transcription. Names, numbers and technical terms are often wrong.
- No speaker names, so it is unclear who said what.
- Missing sounds and visual content that are needed to understand it.
- Hard to find, on a separate page with no link at the player.
- Download only, for instance as a PDF that is itself inaccessible.
How Reviseberg handles it
Whether a podcast or video has a transcript, and whether it matches, is a question about content. No automated rule can answer it, and Reviseberg has no agent today that checks audio or video. Criteria 1.2.1 and 1.2.3 are therefore manual in Reviseberg's catalogue. They stay "untested" until a person records a result with its method, such as "compared the transcript of every episode with the audio". Guided manual tests set out the procedure step by step, and a recorded result is valid for twelve months.
Related terms
Captions · Audio description · Braille display · Plain language · Manual accessibility testing