About

The extended audio description (EAD) editor lets you review and edit audio description files for your media.

EAD files are time-coded text files that the player converts into spoken narration using your browser’s text-to-speech engine. You can use the editor to refine descriptions, adjust timing, and improve clarity for viewers who rely on audio descriptions.

EAD files are uploaded in VTT format and use the same editing interface as captions. Editing an EAD file doesn’t change its type or playback behavior.

Access the editor

1. Go to your My Media.



2. Locate the desired media and click the three dots at the far right and select Edit.



Alternatively, you can access the edit page from the media page by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting Edit.



The edit media page opens on the Details tab by default, with a left-hand navigation.



3. In the left navigation, click the Accessibility tab to display the 'Accessibility' page.



Available features depend on your site configuration. Some features are shown only if enabled for your site.

4. In the Available captions & audio descriptions assets section, locate the desired file.
5. Click the three dots next to the file and select Launch editor.



The EAD editor opens.

Editor layout

The editor includes two main areas:

• Audio descriptions panel – Displays audio description cues and editing tools
• Player panel – Displays the media for real-time preview

When you select a cue, the player jumps to the relevant point in the media to help you align descriptions with the visual content.

Audio descriptions panel

The audio descriptions panel includes:

• Audio description file selector – Select a different file if multiple EAD files exist
• Edit details – Update the audio description’s language, accuracy, and label
• Search – Enter a term and press Enter to highlight matches
• Replace – Find and replace text across cues
• Autoscroll – Automatically scroll cues during playback
• Delete cue – Delete a cue (available on hover)
• Add audio description – Add a new cue (available on hover)
• Text field – Edit the cue content
• Timestamp – Edit start and end times

The editor uses SMPTE time format (hh:mm:ss,mmm) for precise timing.

Player panel 

The player panel displays the media and plays audio descriptions using your browser’s text-to-speech voice.

• Selecting a cue moves the player to the corresponding timestamp
• Playback helps you align descriptions with the visual scene

Editing guidelines

When editing Extended Audio Descriptions (EAD), make sure the timing stays aligned with the visual scene.

EADs are active from their start time to their end time. If a viewer skips to any point within that time range, the description will play.

Set timestamps based on the visual scene, not the length of the spoken description:

• Start time – when the described visuals begin
• End time – when the visuals end

Even if the narration starts earlier or finishes later, the player uses the defined time range to decide when to play the description.

After editing, confirm that the end time matches the end of the scene so the description plays correctly when viewers skip during playback.

Edit audio description details

1. Click Edit details. 



The 'Edit audio description details' screen displays.



2. Update the language, accuracy, or label
3. Click Save. The information is immediately updated.

Find and replace text

Use find and replace to quickly update wording across multiple audio description cues, such as fixing typos, correcting names, or standardizing phrasing.

1. Click Replace. 



2. Enter the search term in the Find match field, 
3. Enter the replacement term in the Replace with field.
4. Click Replace then click Save at the top right.

A popup displays asking you to confirm audio description accuracy.



5. Move the slider accordingly.

This step indicates that you've reviewed your edits and believe the audio descriptions are correct. It also marks the file as edited for compliance and workflow tracking.

6. Click Save. The search term is replaced immediately.

Add an audio description

1. Hover over a cue and click + Add audio description.



A new audio description cue is added

2. Click the text field and enter the description.

Adjust the timestamp as needed. Overlapping cues are highlighted so you can correct them.



3. Click Save.
A popup displays asking you to confirm audio description accuracy.



4. Move the slider accordingly.

This step indicates that you've reviewed your edits and believe the audio descriptions are correct. It also marks the file as edited for compliance and workflow tracking.

5. Click Save. The information is updated immediately.

Edit an audio description

1. Click the text of the audio description to activate the text field. 



2. Update the text as needed.
3. Click Save.
A popup displays asking you to confirm audio description accuracy.



4. Move the slider accordingly.

This step indicates that you've reviewed your edits and believe the audio descriptions are correct. It also marks the file as edited for compliance and workflow tracking.

5. Click Save. The information is updated immediately.