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How to Keep Microsoft Stream Captions When Uploading Videos to Canvas
Question details
Users need to know how to prevent Microsoft Stream captions from disappearing when videos are downloaded and subsequently uploaded to a Canvas course.
- Product
- Microsoft Stream
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Uploading a video from Microsoft Stream to a Canvas course while maintaining closed captions for student accessibility.
- Observed behavior
- Closed captions are lost during the transfer because they are stored separately from the downloaded MP4 video file.
Ensure you have owner or download permissions for the video in Microsoft Stream and that you have media upload privileges in your target Canvas course.
Download and Attach the VTT Caption File Manually
Download the closed captions as a separate file from Microsoft Stream and upload it alongside your video within the Canvas media interface.
When you download a video from Microsoft Stream, the closed captions are not hardcoded into the MP4 file. Instead, they are stored as a separate text file, usually in VTT format. To preserve accessibility, you must download this VTT file separately and upload it to your Canvas media library and associate it with the video.
Log in to Microsoft Stream, locate your video, click the 'More actions' menu (three dots), and select 'Download video' to save the MP4 file to your computer.
In the video settings or transcript section of Microsoft Stream, find the option to download the captions and save the .vtt file to your local drive.
Log into Canvas, navigate to your course, open a page or assignment, and use the 'Upload/Record Media' tool to upload the saved MP4 video.
Once the video has been uploaded to Canvas, select the video player, click the 'CC' (Closed Captions) button or manage captions option, and upload the saved .vtt file.
Enhance Your Educational Workflow with WPS Office
While you manage video accessibility for your Canvas courses, you may also need a reliable tool for drafting course materials. WPS Office is a lightweight, free alternative to Microsoft Office that perfectly handles all your educational document and presentation needs.
- 1. Download the Software: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Run the installer and follow the quick on-screen instructions to set up the software on your device.
- 3. Start Creating Course Materials: Open WPS Office and select Writer, Presentation, or Spreadsheet to begin creating highly compatible documents for your classes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my closed captions disappear when I downloaded the video from Microsoft Stream?
Microsoft Stream stores captions as a separate metadata file rather than burning them directly into the video track. When you download the MP4, it only retrieves the video and audio data, requiring you to fetch the caption file independently.
What is a VTT file and why does Canvas need it?
A VTT (Web Video Text Tracks) file is a standard plain-text format used to display timed text tracks, such as closed captions or subtitles, alongside web video. Canvas natively supports VTT files to ensure compliance with modern web accessibility standards.
Can I permanently hardcode Microsoft Stream captions into the video file?
Microsoft Stream does not offer a native feature to hardcode or 'burn in' captions into a downloaded MP4 file. You would need to use third-party video editing software, such as Handbrake or Adobe Premiere, to permanently embed the captions into the video itself.
What should I do if Canvas says my caption file format is unsupported?
Canvas only accepts VTT files. If your captions were somehow downloaded as SRT or another text format, you can use a free online subtitle converter tool to change the file to VTT before uploading it to Canvas.
