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The Kaltura player supports two types of audio description to make videos accessible for viewers with vision impairments:

• Standard audio description (AD) – a pre-recorded audio track that includes spoken narration of visual details.
• Extended audio description (EAD) – a text-based track rendered in real time using your browser’s speech synthesis engine.

Both help describe on-screen actions, text, and other key visual elements so all viewers can fully experience your content.

Audio descriptions are usually ordered through Kaltura REACH captioning and enrichment services. Once the request is processed and the audio description file is returned, it’s automatically attached to your video and available for playback in the Kaltura Player.

Standard audio description

When a video includes a standard audio description track, it’s automatically available in the player.

To listen to it:

1. Play the video.
2. Click the settings menu (gear icon) at the bottom right of the player.



3. Next to Audio, click the arrow to open the menu, then select Audio description.



Your video is now set to play with audio description. No additional configuration or setup is required.

Extended audio description

Extended audio description must be enabled by your administrator using the Extended Audio Description (EAD) plugin in the Kaltura player.

To listen to it:

1. Play the video.
2. Click the AD button on the bottom right of player.



Or

Open the settings menu (gear icon) and toggle on Extended audio description.



The video will pause automatically while the narration plays and resume when the description is finished.

Related articles

Order audio description

Order Extended audio description

Extended audio description plugin