Is audio description the same as a transcript?

No. A transcript records speech. Audio description narrates what is shown, and is delivered as audio or as a script.

Do captions remove the need for audio description?

No. They serve different audiences — captions for viewers who cannot hear, description for viewers who cannot see.

Can audio description be generated automatically?

Parts can be drafted, but deciding what is visually significant remains an editorial judgement.

Who writes audio description?

A describer writes it to fit the gaps in the existing audio, then it is recorded by a narrator or synthesised. The writing is the skilled part, because it has to convey what matters visually within the time available without talking over dialogue.

Definition

What Is Audio Description?

VideoText editorial team. Updated September 13, 2026.

Direct definition

Audio description (AD) is spoken narration that explains important visual information during pauses in the dialogue, for viewers who are blind or have low vision. It is a separate access service from captions.

The sections below explain how audio description is used in transcription and subtitle work, what people often mix up, and which VideoText workflow applies when the next step is a file or review pass.

Key takeaways

AD describes images; captions represent audio.
Ofcom reports AD on a far smaller share of on-demand hours than subtitles.
Audio description is a spoken access service; it is not a caption file or a transcript.

How AD is produced

A writer scripts what to say, when it fits, and how to say it. Extended AD pauses the program when there is no gap. Standard AD fits existing pauses.

What audio description provides

It is a spoken narration of visual information — actions, scene changes, on-screen text, facial expressions — for viewers who cannot see the picture. It is the visual counterpart to captions, and it addresses a different audience entirely.

The narration is written to fit the natural gaps in the existing audio, which is why the script is constrained by the programme rather than free-form.

Standard and extended description

Standard description fits entirely within existing pauses. Where the gaps are too short to carry the necessary information, extended description pauses the video to allow a longer narration, which changes the running time.

Extended description is common in educational material, where completeness matters more than uninterrupted playback, and rare in broadcast, where the running time is fixed.

Frequently asked questions

Is audio description the same as a transcript?: No. A transcript records speech. Audio description narrates what is shown, and is delivered as audio or as a script.
Do captions remove the need for audio description?: No. They serve different audiences — captions for viewers who cannot hear, description for viewers who cannot see.
Can audio description be generated automatically?: Parts can be drafted, but deciding what is visually significant remains an editorial judgement.
Who writes audio description?: A describer writes it to fit the gaps in the existing audio, then it is recorded by a narrator or synthesised. The writing is the skilled part, because it has to convey what matters visually within the time available without talking over dialogue.