12 Closed Captioning Jobs That Allow You to Work From Home

The other night, my hubby and I snuggled down to have some quiet time in front of the TV when it occurred to us that the closed captioning feature was activated on one of the channels. As we fiddled with the remote, I wondered: How do all the shows and movies get these captions? Better yet, is this a potential job opportunity that would allow me to work from home? After a little research, to my surprise, the answer was YES!

Not only can you work from home watching classic TV shows, movies, and YouTube videos, but many of these closed captioning positions also pay well. Talk about a win-win.

Where can you find these fantastic closed captioning jobs that allow you to work from home? No worries; we’ve done the research and the work for you.

Below, we’ve found some of the best companies that hire for closed captioning jobs that allow you to work at home.

A work from home captioner wearing headphones and working on a computer.

What is Closed Captioning?

Before we dive into where you can find captioning jobs that allow you to work at home, we thought it might be helpful to get a quick overview of what closed captioning entails and what you could be working on in this position.

You might already know that closed captioning is the written descriptions that appear at the bottom of a TV screen during a show or movie. These captions help deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals understand the content of the program.

Businesses, TV broadcasters, and OTT platforms believe closed captioning is highly valuable because it helps their content reach more people.

Additionally, closed captioning allows TV networks to meet legal requirements for video accessibility. That makes jobs in this field necessary for the companies and an in-demand possibility for you.

Closed Captioning vs. Subtitles

Although these two terms are often used interchangeably, they don’t mean the same thing. Subtitles are the written version of spoken dialogue. However, the purpose of subtitles is to assist people who can hear the video but may need help understanding a foreign language or following especially fast speaking.

In contrast, closed captioning provides additional information to help people who cannot hear the video. Instead of simply providing the dialogue in written form, supplemental details such as background noises and other sound effects are included in closed captioning.

Working at Home as a Captioner: What You Can Expect

As a captioner, you’ll watch shows or videos (how fun is that?!) and type what you hear.

Closed caption jobs transcribe the spoken words (dialogues) and other sound effects in a show or movie (e.g., “clapping hands” or “doorbell rings”) into written words so that hearing impaired or deaf viewers can follow what is happening. 

The companies then synchronize the text with the audio so viewers can easily follow what is happening as they watch. 

To be successful as a captioner, you need a few things, including: 

  • A strong command of punctuation and grammar to accurately format the captions
  • An eye (and an ear) for detail to accurately translate spoken words and sound effects
  • Strong translation skills to convey both audio and visual elements in a scene
  • Fast typing skills with high accuracy – some captioners can type around 225 WPM (words per minute)!
  • Reliable internet connection and headphones

Types of Captioning

There are also two types of positions you should be aware of as you start your closed captioning work at home adventure:

  • Offline captioning
  • Live captioning (real-time captioning)

Offline captioners are what many of the companies below want. These transcribers caption pre-recorded TV shows, movies, or educational videos. If the program isn’t “live” on the air, it’s noted as offline captioning. 

In general, recorded television programs are less demanding than live captioning because you can take your time transcribing the audio. And it offers the most flexibility, allowing you to set your schedule since the shows are pre-recorded. 

Real-time captioners, on the other hand, provide captioning to live broadcasts. Think meetings, newscasts, events, speeches, conferences, court reporters, etc. These positions require that you type extremely fast and generally require a professional certification or schooling.

Companies frequently hire freelance closed captioning jobs as remote work; some even provide training or a “practice run” before hiring.

What Equipment is Needed for Closed Captioning Jobs?

Similar to transcription jobs, you’ll need a good computer, a dependable internet connection, and headphones. In addition, some companies may require you to use captioning software and pedals that connect to the computers. 

12 Companies That Hire for Remote Closed Captioning Jobs

Ready to earn some cash watching TV? Sounds crazy, I know, but believe me, it’s all true!

Check out these companies hiring captioners below.

1. Aberdeen

Aberdeen