# CapTune: Adapting Non-Speech Captions With Anchored Generative Models

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19971 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.19971/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 27 Aug 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [An Evaluation Framework for Structured Audio Captions Validated by Controlled Perturbations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.21424/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Non-speech captions are essential to the video experience of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) viewers, yet conventional approaches often overlook the diversity of their preferences. We present CapTune, a system that enables customization of non-speech captions based on DHH viewers' needs while preserving creator intent. CapTune allows caption authors to define safe transformation spaces using concrete examples and empowers viewers to personalize captions across four dimensions: level of detail, expressiveness, sound representation method, and genre alignment. Evaluations with seven caption creators and twelve DHH participants showed that CapTune supported creators' creative control while enhancing viewers' emotional engagement with content. Our findings also reveal trade-offs between information richness and cognitive load, tensions between interpretive and descriptive representations of sound, and the context-dependent nature of caption preferences.