# Animated captions from Deepgram transcripts

> Feed a Deepgram pre-recorded response straight into captions.js: word timings, sentences and paragraphs, rendered as animated captions.

captions.js reads a Deepgram pre-recorded transcription response as is. `toCaptions()`
detects it and returns timed words; `getParagraphs()` returns the paragraph structure when
Deepgram provides it.

## 1. Transcribe with Deepgram

Ask for word timings with punctuation and paragraphs:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.deepgram.com/v1/listen?model=nova-3&smart_format=true&paragraphs=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Token $DEEPGRAM_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: video/mp4" \
  --data-binary @talk.mp4 \
  -o deepgram.json
```

Keep the API key on your server; never ship it to the browser.

## 2. Render in the browser

```ts
import captionsjs, { getPreset, toCaptions } from "captions.js";

const response = await fetch("/deepgram.json").then((r) => r.json());

captionsjs({
  video: document.querySelector("video")!,
  preset: getPreset("Focus Box"),
  captions: toCaptions(response), // Deepgram response → [{ word, startTime, endTime, … }]
});
```

## 3. Or burn it into an MP4

```bash
npx captions.js burn talk.mp4 deepgram.json --preset "Focus Box"
```

The server package accepts the same Deepgram file. Options and Docker usage:
[Animated captions with FFmpeg in Node.js](/docs/guides/ffmpeg-animated-captions-nodejs).

## Notes

- `smart_format=true` gives you punctuated words, which read better on screen.
- Other providers (AssemblyAI, ElevenLabs, Gladia…) work too: map their words to
  `{ word, startTime, endTime }` in seconds, the same way as in the
  [Whisper guide](/docs/guides/whisper-animated-captions).

Source: https://captionsjs.dev/docs/guides/deepgram-animated-captions