By: Nathaniel Deshpande
Last Updated: July 17, 2025
As broadcast and streaming standards continue to evolve, the demand for professional closed captioning has never been higher. For editors working with Avid Media Composer and Media Central, understanding the difference between subtitles and true closed captioning can make the difference between a compliant broadcast delivery and costly re-work.
Avid Media Composer is the industry-standard non-linear editing system trusted by professional editors worldwide. From feature films to broadcast television, Media Composer provides the robust tools and collaborative workflows that high-end post-production facilities require for complex projects.
Avid Media Central extends this power into a comprehensive media management platform, enabling teams to collaborate seamlessly across multiple locations while maintaining centralized asset management and workflow control. Together, these tools form the backbone of professional post-production operations.
When working with accessibility content in Avid, it’s essential to understand the fundamental difference between subtitles and closed captioning:
The Subcap tool in Avid Media Composer creates open subtitles that are permanently burned into the video image. While useful for foreign language content or creative applications, these subtitles:
True closed captioning uses caption-only AAF files that embed 608/708 closed captioning data directly into your media. This approach:
The caption-only AAF workflow ensures that your final export contains properly embedded 608/708 closed captioning data, essential for delivery to broadcast networks and streaming platforms.
For professionals who previously relied on Telestream’s MacCaption, which reached end of life in 2023, the transition to new captioning workflows has been a significant concern. Closed Caption Creator provides a seamless migration path with its AAF export functionality.
The AAF export workflow in Closed Caption Creator is specifically designed to replicate and enhance the familiar MacCaption experience, offering:
This transition ensures that teams can maintain their established post-production workflows while upgrading to modern, supported captioning tools.
The process of creating caption-only AAF files for Avid integration involves several key steps:
Caption Creation and Timing: Begin by creating your captions with precise timing and formatting that matches your program requirements. Proper timing is crucial for broadcast compliance and viewer experience.
AAF Export Configuration: Configure your export settings to generate caption-only AAF files that contain embedded 608/708 data without video or audio elements. This ensures clean integration with your existing Avid project.
Avid Integration: Import the caption-only AAF file into your Avid Media Composer or Media Central project, where it will automatically align with your program timeline and preserve all caption formatting.
Quality Control: Verify that captions display correctly and meet broadcast standards before final delivery. This includes checking timing, positioning, and compliance with accessibility guidelines.
One of the most powerful features of the AAF workflow is its support for multiple language captions within a single file. This capability is particularly valuable for:
The self-contained nature of multi-language AAF files means that a single import can provide all necessary caption tracks, streamlining the workflow while maintaining professional broadcast standards.
To help you implement these workflows in your own projects, we’ve created a comprehensive tutorial that walks through the complete process of exporting closed captioning with multiple languages as a self-contained AAF file for Avid Media Composer and Media Central. This video is available near the top of the page.
This step-by-step guide demonstrates the complete workflow from caption creation through final Avid integration, ensuring you can implement professional closed captioning in your own projects.