# Add text overlay to videos

Adding text overlays to videos is a powerful way to enhance your content with titles, subtitles, watermarks, or other textual information.

This demo shows how to use FFmpeg's `drawtext` filter via the `ffmpeg` parameter to add text overlays to your videos. We demonstrate two approaches: using the default font and using a custom font.

### Key Features

* **Text Positioning**: Center the text using dynamic expressions like `x=(w-text_w)/2` and`y=(h-text_h)/2`
* **Background Box**: Add a semi-transparent background box behind the text for better readability
* **Font Selection**: Use the default Sans font or specify custom fonts like 'Times New Roman'
* **Styling Options**: Control font color, size, box color, transparency, and border width

### Important Notes

* When specifying custom fonts, use the `font` parameter (not `fontpath`)
* Font names for FFmpeg may differ from ImageMagick conventions - use spaces instead of dashes (e.g., 'Times New Roman' not 'Times-New-Roman')
* The `preset: "empty"` ensures no additional encoding is applied beyond the text overlay
* Use `codec:a: "copy"` to preserve the original audio without re-encoding\
  You can customize the text, position, font, colors, and many other properties by modifying the`vf` (video filter) parameter. See the[FFmpeg drawtext documentation⁠](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#drawtext-1) for all available options.

Step 1

### Handle uploads

We can handle uploads of your users directly. [Learn more ›](/services/handling-uploads.md)

[surf.mp4](https://demos.transloadit.com/00/98ecb3c8d34ffa98ce3803a53c0369/surf.mp4)

Video · 32 MB · 22s · 1280 × 720

```
":original": {
  "robot": "/upload/handle"
}
```

🤖 [/upload/handle](/docs/robots/upload-handle.md)

This bot receives uploads that your users throw at you from browser or apps, or that you throw at us programmatically

Step 2

### Transcode, resize, or watermark videos

We offer a variety of video encoding features like optimizing for different devices, merging, injecting ads, changing audio tracks, or adding company logos. [Learn more ›](/services/video-encoding.md)

[surf.mp4](https://demos.transloadit.com/c0/2003aa4373452c8bd7a4ad4dce8a2c/surf.mp4)

Video · 8.0 MB · 22s · 1280 × 720

```
"text_overlay_default": {
  "use": ":original",
  "robot": "/video/encode",
  "result": true,
  "ffmpeg": {
    "codec:a": "copy",
    "vf": "drawtext=text='My text overlay':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2"
  },
  "ffmpeg_stack": "v7",
  "preset": "empty"
}
```

🤖 [/video/encode](/docs/robots/video-encode.md)

This bot encodes, resizes, applies watermarks to videos and animated GIFs

Step 3

### Transcode, resize, or watermark videos

We offer a variety of video encoding features like optimizing for different devices, merging, injecting ads, changing audio tracks, or adding company logos. [Learn more ›](/services/video-encoding.md)

[surf.mp4](https://demos.transloadit.com/7f/c6331e3ff24f559fba97abf85f5ae1/surf.mp4)

Video · 8.0 MB · 22s · 1280 × 720

```
"text_overlay_custom": {
  "use": ":original",
  "robot": "/video/encode",
  "result": true,
  "ffmpeg": {
    "codec:a": "copy",
    "vf": "drawtext=font='Times New Roman':text='My text overlay':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2"
  },
  "ffmpeg_stack": "v7",
  "preset": "empty"
}
```

🤖 [/video/encode](/docs/robots/video-encode.md)

This bot encodes, resizes, applies watermarks to videos and animated GIFs

Step 4

### Export files to Amazon S3

We export to the storage platform of your choice. [Learn more ›](/services/file-exporting.md)

`:original`

* [https://demos.transloadit.com/00/98ecb3c8d34ffa98ce3803a53c0369/surf.mp4⁠](https://demos.transloadit.com/00/98ecb3c8d34ffa98ce3803a53c0369/surf.mp4)

`text_overlay_default`

* [https://demos.transloadit.com/c0/2003aa4373452c8bd7a4ad4dce8a2c/surf.mp4⁠](https://demos.transloadit.com/c0/2003aa4373452c8bd7a4ad4dce8a2c/surf.mp4)

`text_overlay_custom`

* [https://demos.transloadit.com/7f/c6331e3ff24f559fba97abf85f5ae1/surf.mp4⁠](https://demos.transloadit.com/7f/c6331e3ff24f559fba97abf85f5ae1/surf.mp4)

```
"exported": {
  "use": [
    "text_overlay_default",
    "text_overlay_custom",
    ":original"
  ],
  "robot": "/s3/store",
  "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials",
  "url_prefix": "https://demos.transloadit.com/"
}
```

🤖 [/s3/store](/docs/robots/s3-store.md)

This bot exports encoding results to Amazon S3

## Live Demo. See for yourself

Loading Uppy demo…

This live demo is powered by [Uppy⁠](https://uppy.io/docs/guides/uppy-transloadit/), our open source file uploader that you can also use without Transloadit, and [tus⁠](https://tus.io), our open protocol for resumable file uploads that is making uploading more reliable across the world.

## Build this in your own language

```
<!-- This pulls Uppy from our CDN -->
<!-- For smaller self-hosted bundles, install Uppy and plugins manually: -->
<!-- npm i --save @uppy/core @uppy/dashboard @uppy/remote-sources @uppy/transloadit ... -->
<link
  href="https://releases.transloadit.com/uppy/v3.10.0/uppy.min.css"
  rel="stylesheet"
/>
<button id="browse">Select Files</button>
<script type="module">
  import {
    Uppy,
    Dashboard,
    ImageEditor,
    RemoteSources,
    Transloadit,
  } from 'https://releases.transloadit.com/uppy/v3.10.0/uppy.min.mjs'
  const uppy = new Uppy()
    .use(Transloadit, {
      waitForEncoding: true,
      alwaysRunAssembly: true,
      assemblyOptions: {
        params: {
          // It's often better store encoding instructions in your account
          // and use a `template_id` instead of adding these steps inline
          steps: {
            ':original': {
              robot: '/upload/handle',
            },
            text_overlay_default: {
              use: ':original',
              robot: '/video/encode',
              result: true,
              ffmpeg: {
                'codec:a': 'copy',
                vf: 'drawtext=text='My text overlay':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2',
              },
              ffmpeg_stack: 'v7',
              preset: 'empty',
            },
            text_overlay_custom: {
              use: ':original',
              robot: '/video/encode',
              result: true,
              ffmpeg: {
                'codec:a': 'copy',
                vf: 'drawtext=font='Times New Roman':text='My text overlay':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2',
              },
              ffmpeg_stack: 'v7',
              preset: 'empty',
            },
            exported: {
              use: ['text_overlay_default', 'text_overlay_custom', ':original'],
              robot: '/s3/store',
              credentials: 'demo_s3_credentials',
              url_prefix: 'https://demos.transloadit.com/',
            },
          },
        },
      },
    })
    .use(Dashboard, { trigger: '#browse' })
    .use(ImageEditor, { target: Dashboard })
    .use(RemoteSources, {
      companionUrl: 'https://api2.transloadit.com/companion',
    })
    .on('complete', ({ transloadit }) => {
      // Due to `waitForEncoding:true` this is fired after encoding is done.
      // Alternatively, set `waitForEncoding` to `false` and provide a `notify_url`
      console.log(transloadit) // Array of Assembly Statuses
      for (const assembly of transloadit) {
        console.log(assembly.results) // Array of all encoding results
      }
    })
    .on('error', (error) => {
      console.error(error)
    })
</script>

```

[Read docs: Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)

## So many ways to integrate

Transloadit is a service for companies with developers. And there are many ways developers can put Transloadit to good use inside your company to automate media processing.

#### Bulk imports

Add one of our [import Robots](/services/file-importing.md) to acquire and transcode massive media libraries.

#### Handling uploads

We are *the* experts at reliably [handling uploads](/services/handling-uploads.md). We wrote the [protocol⁠](https://tus.io/) for it.

#### Front-end integration

We integrate with web browsers via our next-gen file uploader [Uppy⁠](https://uppy.io/docs/guides/uppy-transloadit/) and SDKs for Android and iOS.

#### Back-end integration

Send us batch jobs in any server language using one of our [SDKs](/docs/sdks.md) or directly interfacing with our [REST API](/docs/api.md).

#### Pingbacks

Configure a [notify\_url](/services/content-delivery.md) to let your server receive transcoding results JSON in the `transloadit` POST field.

#### On-demand

Use our [Smart CDN](/services/file-importing.md) to adapt files on-demand and stream them directly to your users.

[Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)[TransloaditKit](/docs/sdks/transloaditkit.md)[Ruby SDK](/docs/sdks/ruby-sdk.md)[HTTP REST API](/docs/api.md)[Python SDK](/docs/sdks/python-sdk.md)[PHP SDK](/docs/sdks/php-sdk.md)[Node.js SDK](/docs/sdks/node-sdk.md)[Java SDK](/docs/sdks/java-sdk.md)[Go SDK](/docs/sdks/go-sdk.md)[cURL](/docs/sdks/curl.md)[Convex](/docs/sdks/convex.md)

[Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)[TransloaditKit](/docs/sdks/transloaditkit.md)[Ruby SDK](/docs/sdks/ruby-sdk.md)[HTTP REST API](/docs/api.md)[Python SDK](/docs/sdks/python-sdk.md)[PHP SDK](/docs/sdks/php-sdk.md)[Node.js SDK](/docs/sdks/node-sdk.md)[Java SDK](/docs/sdks/java-sdk.md)[Go SDK](/docs/sdks/go-sdk.md)[cURL](/docs/sdks/curl.md)[Convex](/docs/sdks/convex.md)

[Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)[TransloaditKit](/docs/sdks/transloaditkit.md)[Ruby SDK](/docs/sdks/ruby-sdk.md)[HTTP REST API](/docs/api.md)[Python SDK](/docs/sdks/python-sdk.md)[PHP SDK](/docs/sdks/php-sdk.md)[Node.js SDK](/docs/sdks/node-sdk.md)[Java SDK](/docs/sdks/java-sdk.md)[Go SDK](/docs/sdks/go-sdk.md)[cURL](/docs/sdks/curl.md)[Convex](/docs/sdks/convex.md)

## Other cool demos

* [View demo→Video EncodingAdd an audio track to video footage](/demos/video-encoding/add-audio-track-to-video-footage.md)
* [View demo→Video EncodingAdd an empty audio track to still video](/demos/video-encoding/add-empty-audio-track-to-still-video.md)
* [View demo→Document ProcessingAdd a header or footer to a PDF](/demos/document-processing/add-header-or-footer-to-pdf.md)

Try Transloadit

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