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To caption a prerecorded sermon in a continuous YouTube live stream, send caption data to YouTube while the sermon plays. Use either embedded EIA-608/CEA-708 captions in the outgoing video or a synchronized caption feed delivered over HTTP by supported software. Uploading an SRT file to a regular YouTube video does not caption a separate live broadcast. Test the complete setup in an unlisted stream before going public.
Choose how captions will reach the live stream
YouTube documents two live-caption routes: captions embedded in the video signal, or a separate caption feed sent to YouTube by supported software. The encoder or caption service must also be able to play the sermon’s caption timeline in sync with the prerecorded audio.
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| Route | What you need | Important limits |
|---|---|---|
| Embedded EIA-608/CEA-708 | An encoder that can read the caption data and include it in its outgoing video signal. In YouTube’s Live Control Room stream settings, select Embedded 608/708. | File-format support depends on the encoder and setup. YouTube’s live-caption guidance says it currently supports one embedded caption track. |
| HTTP caption feed | Compatible captioning software that sends a synchronized feed to YouTube’s signed Captions Ingestion URL. | YouTube’s event instructions call for a 30- or 60-second broadcast delay. Only one caption feed can be attached to each stream entry point. |
YouTube describes these methods in its live caption requirements. The Live Streaming API identifies the corresponding caption modes as closedCaptionsEmbedded and closedCaptionsHttpPost; it also states that ultra-low latency does not support closed captions. See the LiveBroadcasts API documentation.
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Set up embedded captions
- Check the caption file and encoder together. Confirm with the encoder’s documentation or vendor that it can read the sermon’s specific caption-file format and emit EIA-608/CEA-708 data. YouTube notes that an encoder may read captions from a specific file format or encode them in real time, depending on the setup; do not assume that any SRT or VTT sidecar will work.
- Choose the embedded caption mode in Live Control Room. In the stream’s settings, enable Embedded 608/708. The encoder must be configured to output matching EIA-608/CEA-708 captions.
- Connect the encoder to YouTube. Use the server URL and stream key shown in Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder setup guide explains the connection workflow.
- Verify the caption timeline during playback. Start with an unlisted stream and confirm that captions appear at the right words, including at the beginning and after any sermon transition or playlist restart.
Set up an HTTP caption feed
- Enable live captions in the stream setup and copy the signed Captions Ingestion URL from Live Control Room.
- Enter that URL in compatible captioning software. Confirm with the software vendor that it can import or otherwise play the prerecorded sermon’s caption file and keep its timecodes synchronized with the live video and audio. YouTube’s general instructions specify the delivery route, but not a universal procedure for importing and timing every sidecar file.
- Set a 30- or 60-second broadcast delay as specified in YouTube’s event instructions for this route.
- Use one caption feed per stream entry point. If multiple broadcasts use the same entry point, plan around this limit.
- Test in an unlisted stream. Check caption appearance and timing at startup, at transitions, and when the sermon or playlist restarts.
YouTube lists Total Eclipse (Eclipse/AccuCap 6.0.0.5 or greater), Case CATalyst (BCS version 14.52 or greater), CaptionMaker (version 5.22 or later), and StreamText.Net among the software associated with live caption delivery. Those listings do not establish that a particular product imports and synchronizes your prerecorded sermon’s caption file. Confirm that specific workflow with the vendor before relying on it.
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Why uploading an SRT to YouTube is not enough
YouTube accepts caption files such as SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv/.sub) for caption tracks on uploaded videos. That is a different workflow from delivering captions to a separate live broadcast. A caption file uploaded to the sermon as a regular video does not, by itself, send captions to the continuous live stream. YouTube’s supported subtitle and closed caption file formats page covers video caption tracks; for live delivery, use one of the two routes above.
Plan captions for a continuous channel
YouTube distinguishes a broadcast—the event viewers watch—from a stream—the audiovisual feed sent to YouTube. A stream can be bound to up to three broadcasts, and Google’s guide describes a 24/7 feed that continues while a separate broadcast is started for part of that feed. This can help when planning an always-on channel, but it does not change the caption requirement: captions still need to reach each live broadcast through the selected live-caption route. See Understanding Broadcasts and Streams.
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For a repeating sermon or playlist, test caption behavior at every boundary. Verify whether the encoder or caption software restarts the caption timeline with each file, whether timestamps are interpreted from the beginning of each sermon or the continuous program, and whether captions remain synchronized after a restart. The answer depends on the selected product, so confirm it with its vendor.
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YouTube recommends checking the Live Control Room preview and monitoring audio and video quality. For captions, extend that check to the full caption path:
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- Confirm that captions appear in the preview and match the spoken words.
- Check timing at the opening, during the sermon, and after a transition or loop restart.
- Verify the intended caption route and, for HTTP delivery, the configured broadcast delay.
- Monitor the stream and caption feed during a test long enough to include the transitions expected in normal operation.
Use an unlisted test before scheduling a public continuous stream. YouTube’s live streaming tips cover previewing and monitoring a stream.
Troubleshoot common caption problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No captions appear on the live stream | The stream is not receiving captions through a supported live route, or the embedded mode and encoder output do not match. | Check the Live Control Room caption setting, the encoder’s EIA-608/CEA-708 output, or the HTTP caption software’s connection to the signed ingestion URL. |
| An SRT or VTT file works on the uploaded sermon but not on the live channel | The uploaded-video caption track is separate from live caption delivery. | Configure embedded caption output or a supported HTTP feed; uploading the file to the video alone is not sufficient. |
| Captions appear but are out of sync | The caption timeline and prerecorded playback are not aligned, or the software handles the file’s time base differently than expected. | Ask the encoder or caption vendor how it imports and times that file. Test from the beginning and across every transition and restart. |
| The HTTP feed fails or conflicts with another feed | The ingestion URL may not be configured in compatible software, or more than one feed is attached to the same entry point. | Verify the signed URL and keep to one caption feed per stream entry point. Apply the 30- or 60-second delay specified by YouTube for this route. |
| Captions are unavailable with ultra-low latency | YouTube’s Live Streaming API documentation says ultra-low latency does not support closed captions. | Choose a latency mode that supports the intended caption workflow rather than ultra-low latency. |
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