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Pick a color, gradient, image, or animated background under Background in the editor’s Style panel (press B). It applies to every clip unless you choose Apply to this clip only.
This video was recorded in an older version of the editor, where backgrounds had their own BG button in the toolbar. Backgrounds are now part of the Style sidebar. Follow the updated steps below.

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Where do I change the background?

  1. Open your video in the Tella editor.
  2. Click Style in the toolbar, or press B. Background is at the top of the Style panel, with Colors, Images, and Animated tabs.
  3. Click Browse all next to the Background heading to open the full background picker.

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What kinds of background can I use?

At the top of the full background picker, there are four tabs:
  1. Recents
  2. Image
  3. Animated
  4. Color
Hover over a built-in background to see its name. Tella names its preset colors, gradients, images, and animated backgrounds so you can find the same one again.

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Recent backgrounds

The Recents tab shows the backgrounds you’ve recently applied, whatever their type, so you can quickly reuse them across clips and videos.

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Image backgrounds

Image backgrounds are static images that you can use as backgrounds.
  • Built-in collections: Browse Tella’s image presets and the macOS wallpaper collection. The macOS collection includes Mac Golden Gate Sunset, alongside wallpapers from every macOS release, from Cheetah through Tahoe.
  • Uploads: Upload your own personal images.
    • Click on the Upload button to select an image file from your computer (JPEG, PNG, or WebP).
    • You can build a personal library of backgrounds for your brand or style.
    • To remove an uploaded background from the Style sidebar, open the Images tab, right-click the background, and select Delete.
    • In the full Background Picker, hover over an uploaded background and click the trash icon.
    • The right-click Delete action is only available for images in your personal Uploads library.
  • Workspace backgrounds: Displays backgrounds shared across your workspace.
    • All workspace members can see and use these backgrounds in the editor.
    • Members and Owners can upload new workspace backgrounds by clicking the Add workspace image button.
    • Members and Owners can remove a workspace background by hovering over it and clicking the trash icon.
    • Viewers can browse and apply workspace backgrounds but cannot add or remove them.
  • Unsplash integration:
    • Browse and select free images from Unsplash.
    • Click on See all to view more images or use the tags at the top to search by category.

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Color and gradient backgrounds

You can choose solid colors or gradients as your background. Solid colors
  • Selection: Click on a color to apply it as your background.
  • Custom Colors:
    • Click the Plus (+) icon to pick a custom color.
    • Your recently used colors appear in the picker’s history row, alongside the preset colors.
    • You can enter a hex code for precise color selection.
Gradient backgrounds
  • Selection: Choose from preset gradient options.
  • Custom Gradients:
    • Click on the gradient editor.
    • Select your first color and second color.
    • Choose the angle of the gradient.

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How do I upload an animated background?

The Animated tab in Browse all has three sections: Uploads for your videos, your workspace’s name for shared videos, and Tella for built-in videos and animated gradients. Your uploads and workspace videos also appear first in the compact Animated row in Style. You can add an MP4 or MOV video of up to 20 MB as a background in Style. The file must contain a video track your browser can read.
  1. Open Style in the editor and click Browse all next to Background.
  2. Select Animated, then click Add video in Uploads to keep it in your personal library. To share it with your workspace, click Add workspace video under your workspace’s name instead. Only workspace Members and Owners can add shared videos.
  3. Choose a file. Once it finishes uploading and processing, Tella applies it as your background.
You can also click the upload tile in the compact Animated row in Style to add a video to your personal library. Hover over an uploaded video in Browse all and click the trash icon to remove it from its library. Workspace Viewers can use shared videos but cannot add or remove them.

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How do I use a built-in animated background?

In Style, click Browse all, open Animated, and look under Tella. Hover over a thumbnail to preview it, then click to apply it. Built-in options include short looping videos and animated gradients.

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How do I apply the same background to every clip?

Pick a background in Style with Apply to this clip only turned off; the choice applies to every clip. If one clip has its own background, turn off Apply to this clip only on that clip to make it follow the shared background again.

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How do I give one clip a different background?

In Style, open the ⋯ menu beside the background controls and select Apply to this clip only before choosing a background. This option appears only when your video has more than one clip.
  • Unchecked (default): the background you pick is shared across every clip in the video. Changing it on any clip updates them all.
  • Checked: the background is scoped to just the clip you’re currently on. The other clips keep whatever they had before, and you can give this clip a different background without affecting them.
While it is on, an Apply to this clip only checkbox also appears under the background controls. Uncheck it to re-sync this clip with the rest of the video.

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Share brand backgrounds with your team

Upload your team’s branded backgrounds under your workspace’s name in the background picker so every member can use them without re-uploading. Backgrounds only you need belong in your personal Uploads.
Last modified on October 2, 2026