How to get Facebook Live captions and subtitles using Zoom with spf.io

Jun 17, 2022 | Blog, How-to

Looking to add Facebook live captions to your livestream?
Need more control over automatic captions so you can fix Facebook caption mistakes?

Facebook Live captions made easy

We are excited to announce that you can now use Spf.io with Zoom on your Facebook Live to caption your live events and meetings. Spf.io allows you to review your captions before they are released, giving your content a professional look. Content creators like the automatic captions provided by Facebook because they can be easy and convenient. However, like most machine-generated captions, there isn’t a good way to edit them.

Spf.io enables you to caption and translate multiple speakers and multiple rooms in Zoom, using Cloud Loopback (CLB). CLB routes your device’s audio into spf.io to generate captions. For perfect captions, you can choose to use a script. If you need subtitles, simultaneously translate your captions into 60+ other languages.

What if you need translations in more than one language?

Although you can only display one captioning/subtitling language in Facebook Live, you can use spf.io’s Audience View to offer translation options. Viewers can pick the language of their choice after accessing Audience View in their browser. You can also choose to send your livestream directly into Audience View for an integrated multilingual viewing experience.

What are the benefits of using spf.io for Facebook Live accessibility and translation?

1. Better captioning accuracy: spf.io can help you improve caption quality, whether you choose to release automatic captions or use a human reviewer to edit them before they are released. Before you go live, add names, specialized terminology, and commonly miscaptioned phrases to your “autoreplacement database” (ARDB) in spf.io. By populating your ARDB, you can teach spf.io how to recognize and fix common caption typos, helping you avoid embarrassing mistakes and misspellings.

You can also choose to release lines from a script or have someone on staff do a final edit on the captions before sending them out live. Lastly, spf.io has trained staff (remote operators) who can handle the captioning process from start to finish if you would rather hire someone to handle the captions for you.

2. Session history: Captions provided by Facebook are not automatically saved. When you use spf.io, all captions and subtitles released during your livestream get saved in your session history. This means you can review your content, create transcripts, request additional translations after your event has ended, and more!

3. Save Facebook livestream captions: Do you have a conference, meeting, or course that provides asynchronous learning or on-demand content? Spf.io’s fastSRT feature ensures that you have a quick turnaround time to produce captions and subtitles for recorded content. You can also download your captions in various formats, such as .srt and .vtt files for use on video-hosting platforms.

4. Multi-platform compatibility: Your captioning tools should be able to grow with your business. Spf.io works with a variety of platforms and audience sizes. Whether you have an audience of 5 or 5,000, you’ll be able to handle your multilingual and accessibility needs consistently and accurately.

How to add Facebook Live captions and subtitles using Zoom:

1. Get the Zoom API token and add it to the Spf.io endpoint.

Zoom caption token for Facebook Live captions

2. Enable CLB under Powerups.

Create CLB to caption Zoom and Facebook Live

3. On the captioner view, Enable the cloud loopback and Microphone icon.

An example of enabling the microphone once cloud loopback is set up.

4. On your Zoom interface, click on More and select Live on Facebook.

Go Live on Facebook with captions or subtitles

5. On Facebook, click on CC and select “auto-generate captions.”

Spf.io’s mission is making every event accessible on all platforms and in any language. Although Zoom and Facebook have a “caption” option, you can only select one language during the meeting/event. Spf.io can help you caption and translate your live events in real-time and with less hassle.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to us today and see how spf.io can help make your event accessible and multilingual!