> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.tella.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add media overlays

> Add an image or video on top of your recording from the Media section of Overlay, or drop a file onto the timeline. Position, resize, rotate, time, trim, and fade it.

Add an image or video **on top of** your recording (a logo, a screenshot, a reaction GIF, or a picture-in-picture clip) from the **Media** section of **Overlay** in the editor sidebar, without replacing what's already on screen. This is different from [media (B-roll)](/docs/help/editing/use-media), which swaps out a whole slot of your layout. An overlay floats above everything for the stretch of time you choose.

For the other kinds of overlay, and how they fit together, see [Overlays overview](/docs/help/editing/overlays).

## Where to find media overlays

1. Open your video in the editor.
2. Open **Overlay** in the sidebar, or press `V`.
3. Find the **Media** section.

## Add an overlay

1. Move the playhead to where you want the overlay to appear.

2. Click a media tile to add it directly, click the upload button to add a file from your computer, or click **Browse all** to open the Media Library.

3. Choose **Video**, **Personal**, **Team**, or **Clips**. **Video** contains media added to the current video and is selected by default. You can also upload a file or expand the Generate composer to create an image with AI. (It's the same library you use for [media/B-roll](/docs/help/editing/use-media#the-media-library).)

To use a clip from another video as an overlay, choose **Clips**, find the video, then select its clip. **Only my videos** is on by default; turn it off to see other videos you can access. You need edit access to the source video to add its clip. Tella renders it into the current video's **Video** tab, then adds the overlay at the position you picked when the render finishes.

The overlay drops onto the canvas at the playhead, selects itself, and opens its settings. SVG images, such as logos, appear in the editor preview and in the exported video.

<Note>
  A selected time range wins over the playhead. If you have a range selected (on the timeline or in the transcript), the overlay starts at the beginning of that range instead, and selecting several ranges adds one overlay to each. Clear the selection first if you want the playhead to decide.

  An image fills the whole range. A **video** shorter than the range does not stretch to fill it. The card ends when the clip runs out.
</Note>

<Tip>
  With the library open, you can **paste** a copied image (⌘V / Ctrl+V) to upload it to **Video** and drop it in as an overlay in one step, with no need to save the file first.
</Tip>

## Use a transparent video overlay

Video overlays with an alpha channel keep their transparent areas in the editor preview and exported video. You can use WebM files encoded with VP8 or VP9, including 10-bit VP9, or ProRes 4444 files with alpha. The recording underneath shows through transparent areas, and soft glows and partially transparent edges remain translucent.

If your overlay has a black background, check that the source file was exported with an alpha channel. Choosing WebM or ProRes alone does not guarantee transparency: Tella cannot remove a black background baked into the file.

## Video overlay duration

A video added from the Media Library uses its full duration unless a selected time range is shorter. A video dropped onto the timeline uses its full duration regardless of any selected range. In both cases, the overlay ends sooner if the current clip ends first. New image overlays start at five seconds, and you can trim either type afterward.

## Drop files onto the timeline

You can add local media without opening the Media Library:

1. Drag one or more image, video, or audio files from your computer.
2. Drop them where you want them to start on the playbar, or on the timeline shown in **Cut**, **Effect**, **Overlay**, or **Layout**.

Tella adds images and videos as overlays and adds audio files as [sound effects](/docs/help/editing/sound-effects). The files are also added to the current video's **Video** library. To reuse one in other videos, open its menu in the Media Library and choose **Save to personal** or **Save to team**.

When you drop several files together, Tella uploads and adds every supported file at the same point. The editor opens the Overlay sidebar and selects the first new item when the uploads finish.

<Tip>Drop a file on another clip's section of the playbar to add it to that clip.</Tip>

## Position, rotate, and size it

* On the canvas, **drag** the overlay to move it and drag its corners to **resize** it.
* To **rotate** it, select the overlay and drag the rotation handle above it.
* The overlay keeps its position and size relative to your video frame, so it stays put across aspect ratios.

Select the overlay to open its controls in the sidebar. Use **Size** to set the width of an image, video, GIF, or sticker as a percentage of the canvas. Images also include **Ratio**, which crops them to their original shape or a preset aspect ratio.

## Set when it appears

In the Overlay timeline, adjust how long the overlay is on screen:

* Drag the **start** or **end** of the overlay card to change its duration.
* Drag the card left or right to move it earlier or later in the clip.
* Hold **Option** on Mac or **Alt** on Windows while dragging to turn snapping off.

Card edges snap to nearby overlay edges, the playhead, and word boundaries. An alignment guide shows the edge Tella used.

<Tip>The video preview follows the moving edge while you drag a duration handle, helping you choose the exact frame where the overlay appears or disappears.</Tip>

Overlapping overlays appear on separate timeline tracks. See [Work with the multi-track timeline](/docs/help/editing/multi-track-timeline) for how tracks are laid out, and for selecting, splitting, copying, and reordering cards.

<Note>
  A **video** overlay shows its audio **waveform** on the timeline card. Its trimmed range is capped to the length of the source clip, so a short video won't loop to fill a longer overlay.
</Note>

## Trim a video overlay or adjust its volume

Select a video overlay to open its detail view:

* Open the menu in the detail header and choose **Trim** to adjust the source range and duration.
* Drag the **Volume** slider in the settings to change how loud the video's audio plays. Set it to 0 to silence it.

**Trim** only appears for video overlays, and **Volume** only appears when the video has audio.

## Animate the overlay in and out

By default, an overlay **hard cuts**: it pops in and out instantly. To make it fade instead:

1. Select the overlay on the canvas or timeline.
2. In the sidebar's **Transition** control, choose **Smooth** to fade the overlay in at its start and out at its end, or **Hard cut** to keep it instant.

<Tip>
  Fades only apply to visual overlays. Audio clips are added as [sound effects](/docs/help/editing/sound-effects), which mix in without a fade.
</Tip>

## Replace, duplicate, or remove an overlay

Select an overlay on the canvas or timeline to open its detail view.

* Open the menu in the detail header and choose **Replace**. Pick any media item or sticker to swap the source while keeping the overlay's timing, position, transition, and layer order.
* Open the same menu and choose **Duplicate** to make a copy with the same media, position, size, timing, transition, and source trim.
* Click **Delete** below the settings to remove it.
* Click **Back** in the sidebar or click an empty area of the canvas to deselect it.

## Reorder layers

Right-click an overlay on the canvas and choose **Send to front** or **Send to back** to move it directly to either end of the stack.

You can also drag a card between tracks, or nudge it one track at a time with the arrow keys. See [Reorder overlays with tracks](/docs/help/editing/multi-track-timeline#reorder-overlays-with-tracks).

## Place it behind you

On a clip with a camera recording, the overlay's detail view includes a **Depth** control. Choose **Behind presenter** to send the overlay behind you, so you appear in front of it. Choose **In front** to bring it back. See [Put overlays behind the presenter](/docs/help/editing/overlays-behind-the-presenter).

## Related

* [Overlays overview](/docs/help/editing/overlays)
* [Add text](/docs/help/editing/text-overlays)
* [Add sound effects](/docs/help/editing/sound-effects)
* [Work with the multi-track timeline](/docs/help/editing/multi-track-timeline)
* [Put overlays behind the presenter](/docs/help/editing/overlays-behind-the-presenter)


## Related topics

- [Overlays overview](/docs/help/editing/overlays.md)
- [Add text to your video](/docs/help/editing/text-overlays.md)
- [Put overlays behind the presenter](/docs/help/editing/overlays-behind-the-presenter.md)
- [Add stickers and animated stickers](/docs/help/editing/animated-stickers.md)
- [Batch edits](/docs/mcp-tools/batch-edits.md)


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