1.2.9: Audio-only (Live)

What it means

Live audio-only streams must have an alternative that gives real-time access to the same information — for example live captioning of speech or a live transcript feed. This applies to radio-style webcasts and audio streams.

Listeners who are deaf or in a loud environment need equivalent live access.

How to fix it

• Provide live captions or a live text transcript for audio-only broadcasts.
• Make the text stream available on the same page as the audio player.
• Ensure the live text keeps pace with the broadcast within reasonable delay.
• Archive a corrected transcript after the live event ends.

Quick examples

• Good: A live audio conference call page shows a rolling caption panel next to the player.
• Bad: A live podcast stream has no caption or transcript until the next day.
• Good: Listeners can open a live transcript URL advertised before the stream starts.
• Bad: The only live support is a chat bot that repeats the show title.