Accessibility · official-source review · reviewed 2026-10-10
A ten-minute video hides a thousand words of caption work.
Turn a media length, a speaking rate, and line limits into word, character, line, and cue counts.
Teams planning captioning or transcript work for recorded media.
Use the source document or official route that applies to your situation. This guide does not contact another person or verify external information.
Write the running time in minutes. Round up so the estimate covers the whole file.
Write the words spoken per minute. Count a sample minute if the pace varies.
Write the average characters per word including the space. Six is a common planning figure.
Write the maximum characters per caption line for your player or standard.
Multiply the minutes by the rate, then by the characters. Divide by the line limit, then by two lines per cue.
Ten minutes at 150 words a minute with 6 characters a word and a 32-character line is 1,500 words, 9,000 characters, 282 lines, and 141 cues.
Use your own source and details. The example is not a record about a real person or organization.
Described and Captioned Media Program / W3C WAI · reviewed 2026-10-10
What this source supports: Caption quality guidelines recommend keeping line length around 32 characters per line and reading speed below 180 words per minute for general content.
Source limit: Different content types (education vs children) use different timing targets.
These sources support the statements above. They do not show that every person needs this guide. They do not show a specific result.
This guide multiplies the rates you enter. It does not transcribe media or judge caption quality.
Different content types (education vs children) use different timing targets.
Use current instructions from the responsible organization. This guide is a planning aid, not an official decision or a substitute for qualified advice.
Turn a media length, a speaking rate, and line limits into word, character, line, and cue counts.
This App multiplies the rates you enter. It does not transcribe media, write captions, or judge caption quality.
You enter every number yourself. The sources support the method and the limits. They do not produce a result for your specific case. Keep the original documents next to the sheet you build.
The App computes the worked example with your own numbers, in your browser.
APP 1
Turn a media length, a speaking rate, and line limits into word, character, line, and cue counts.
Free · no account · no upload
Open Caption Transcript Word BudgetThe App runs in this browser. It does not send or save entries. Copy, download, or print only when you choose.
This guide uses short, direct instructions as an ASD-STE100-style writing target. It is not a formal certification.
Companion App: Caption Transcript Word Budget. It runs in this browser and does not upload your entries.
This guide is edited for clarity and checked against the sources it links. It is not a substitute for official instructions or qualified advice. A linked source does not show that every person needs this guide.