How to Watch YouTube with Audio Descriptions

Two ways to hear audio descriptions on YouTube

If you want descriptive narration of on‑screen action for YouTube, there are two practical options. The fastest works on almost any video using ViddyScribe. The second relies on YouTube’s native descriptive audio tracks, which only exist on a very small number of videos.

Method 1 — ViddyScribe (works on nearly any YouTube link)

ViddyScribe can speak high‑quality audio descriptions for most YouTube videos right away. No installs, no account required to try.

1. Copy your YouTube link (for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID).
2. Put https://www.viddyscribe.com/ directly in front of the link and go:
   https://www.viddyscribe.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
3. Press play, ViddyScribe will pause at smart moments and read concise, natural descriptions. ViddyScribe currently supports Extended Audio Description (AD) by default, which pauses the video to accommodate comprehensive descriptions, ensuring clarity even when the original video has limited silent moments.

Prefer pasting a link into a page? Use ViddyScribe Realtime, paste your YouTube URL, and click “Load Video.”

Why this is the easiest option

• Works with almost any public YouTube video.
• No need to wait for the creator to publish a separate descriptive track.
• High‑quality voices and multiple languages.

Method 2 — YouTube’s built‑in audio description tracks

A small subset of YouTube videos include an additional descriptive audio track uploaded by the creator.

On desktop/web:

1. Open the video and click the Settings gear.
2. If available, choose Audio track and select something like English (Audio Description).

On mobile (YouTube app):

1. Tap the gear or three‑dot menu during playback.
2. Look for Audio track and select an AD option if present.

Important: Captions/CC are not audio descriptions. If you do not see an Audio track option, that video likely does not have a native descriptive track.

FAQ

Does every YouTube video have audio description?
No. Very few have native AD tracks. That’s why ViddyScribe is the most reliable way to get descriptions today.

Do I need an extension?
No. With ViddyScribe, just prefix any YouTube URL or paste it on the Realtime page.

Make YouTube accessible — instantly

Try ViddyScribe Realtime to listen to audio descriptions on your next YouTube video.