← All terms

Captioning Key

Also known as: DCMP Captioning Key

A set of guidelines and best practices for creating high-quality captions, most notably published by the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP). The Captioning Key covers standards for caption accuracy, consistency, placement, and the representation of non-speech sounds. It serves as a widely referenced industry standard for captioners and media producers, guiding decisions about how to represent dialogue, sound effects, music, and speaker identification in captions.

Category: media accessibility · captioning · standards

Related: Closed Captioning · Non-Speech Captions · Caption Readability

Sources