How to Easily Add Audio Descriptions to Existing Video Content

Introduction

Many organizations today face a familiar challenge: they've already created large libraries of video content, but much of it is not fully accessible.

As ADA Title II enforcement ramps up, and as accessibility expectations rise across sectors, retrofitting existing videos with audio description (AD) has become a priority.

The good news? Adding audio description no longer has to be an expensive, slow, or complex process. Thanks to AI-powered tools like ViddyScribe, the #1 provider of AI-powered audio descriptions, it's now easy, fast, and affordable to make your existing video content ADA Title II and WCAG 2.1 compliant.

In this guide, we'll show you how.

What Is Audio Description?

Audio description is a spoken narration that describes important visual information in a video, such as actions, on-screen text, scene changes, and facial expressions, for viewers who are blind or have low vision.

It plays during natural pauses in the audio, supplementing dialogue and sound effects.

Example:
"A banner reading 'City Budget Meeting, April 3rd' appears on screen."
"The instructor writes 'E=mc²' on the whiteboard."

Without audio description, blind and low-vision users miss critical information that captions and dialogue alone don't convey.

Why Adding Audio Description Is Required Under ADA Title II and WCAG

Under ADA Title II, state and local government entities (and public schools and universities) must ensure that their digital content is accessible to people with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Justice points to WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the applicable standard.

• WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.2.5 specifically requires audio description for pre-recorded videos that contain essential visual information.

If your videos are embedded on a website, LMS, or public platform and lack audio description, your organization may be out of compliance.

The Traditional Way to Add Audio Description (Manual Production)

Historically, adding audio description meant:

1. Hiring a writer to script the descriptions.
2. Recording a professional voiceover.
3. Re-editing the video to integrate the narration or creating a separate descriptive audio track.
4. Testing and QA to ensure compliance.

This process is:

• Expensive (often $15–$35 per minute of video)
• Time-consuming (weeks per video)
• Difficult to scale (impractical for large video libraries)

That's why many organizations have struggled to retrofit existing content, until now.

How Automated Tools Like ViddyScribe Make It Faster, Cheaper, and Scalable

ViddyScribe, the #1 provider of AI-powered audio descriptions, uses advanced AI to analyze your video and generate best-in-class audio description without the need for manual scripting or voice recording.

Benefits:

• Cost savings: a fraction of the cost of traditional production.
• Speed: process videos in minutes, not weeks.
• Scalability: handle entire libraries of videos efficiently.
• Superior quality: best-in-class output with the simplest user experience.
• Flexible output: export VTT files or descriptive audio tracks ready for your website or video player.

For organizations facing large backlogs of non-compliant video content, ViddyScribe offers a practical, immediate path to accessibility.

Step-by-Step: How to Use ViddyScribe to Add Audio Description to Existing Videos

1️⃣ Upload Your Video

• Log in to ViddyScribe.
• Upload your existing video file (most common formats supported).

2️⃣ Let ViddyScribe Process Your Video

• The AI analyzes the video and generates best-in-class audio description text and timing.

3️⃣ Review and Edit (Optional)

• You can review and edit the generated descriptions to match your organization's style or preferences.
• This step is optional; many users find the default output ready to use.

4️⃣ Export the Audio Description

• Export as a VTT file (for use with accessible video players) or as a mixed audio track, depending on your platform.
• No need to re-edit or re-upload your original video.

5️⃣ Publish and Comply

• Upload the VTT file alongside your video on your website or LMS.
• If your platform supports descriptive audio tracks, you can provide those as well.

That's it! Your video is now accessible and compliant.

Conclusion

Retrofitting existing video content for ADA Title II and WCAG 2.1 compliance used to be a massive barrier, especially when it came to adding audio description.

ViddyScribe, as the #1 provider of AI-powered audio descriptions, makes it easy.

• ✅ No re-editing required
• ✅ Works with your existing video platforms
• ✅ Best-in-class output with the simplest user experience
• ✅ Affordable and fast
• ✅ Scales to large video libraries
• ✅ Plus, get closed captions in 30+ languages for complete accessibility

If your organization is ready to finally tackle its backlog of inaccessible videos or to ensure that all new content meets compliance standards, ViddyScribe is here to help.

Contact us or try ViddyScribe today.

FAQ

Can I add audio description without re-editing the video?
Yes. With ViddyScribe, you can export a VTT file containing audio description and publish it alongside your existing video without needing to modify or re-export the core video.

What format should I export audio descriptions in?
For most web and LMS use cases, a VTT file is ideal as it works with many modern video players and CMS platforms. You can also export a descriptive audio track if your platform supports it.

Is audio description required for all videos under ADA Title II?
No, but it is required for any video where essential information is conveyed visually (demonstrations, diagrams, on-screen text, scene changes, etc.).

How long does it take to add audio description with ViddyScribe?
Processing typically takes just minutes per video. You can easily scale to handle dozens or hundreds of videos as needed.

Will ViddyScribe work with my current CMS or LMS?
Yes, ViddyScribe outputs VTT files and audio tracks that are compatible with most major CMS, LMS, and video platforms.