Livetekstitys

Livetekstitys is the real-time transcription of spoken language into written captions as speech occurs. It is used to provide immediate access to audio content for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, as well as in noisy environments, for non-native speakers, and in situations where sound is restricted. Live captions appear on screen with time alignment and often include speaker labels.

Traditionally, live captions are produced by professional captioners who use stenotype machines and specialized software. Increasingly, automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems are used to generate captions in real time, sometimes in combination with human editors who correct errors live. This hybrid approach aims to balance speed with accuracy and legibility.

Captioning workflows cover television news, sports, parliamentary proceedings, webinars, and live streams. Captions may include punctuation, capitalisation, and indications of overlapping speech or laughter, as well as non-speech events. Platforms may offer multilingual captions, search, and accessibility overlays, depending on the infrastructure.

Quality is commonly measured by accuracy metrics such as word error rate, though real-time constraints can limit perfection. Challenges include audio quality, strong accents, rapid speech, crosstalk, and specialized terminology. Livetekstitys is regulated in some jurisdictions as an accessibility service, reflecting commitments to inclusive communication.