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B-roll is a picture or video that shows on top of your footage for a little while. Your voice keeps playing underneath. For example, show a photo of the product while you talk about it. B-roll is different from adding a clip to the video row. A clip on the video row plays instead of your recording. B-roll plays over it. To add a clip instead, see Add more video or photos.

Add B-roll at the playhead

1

Go to the moment

Click the timeline where the picture or video should appear.
2

Press + on the text and effects row

It’s at the end of the top row of the timeline. Choose Photo or video over the footage….
3

Pick your files

Choose one or more photos or videos from your Mac. A photo shows for 4 seconds. A video shows for up to 6 seconds. If you pick several, they play one after another.
4

Make it last as long as you want

A block appears on the text and effects row. Drag its ends to make it shorter or longer.

Add B-roll to a stretch you select

Already added pictures or videos to your project (for example in Sources)? You can put one over an exact stretch of time.
  1. Drag across the video row to select the stretch.
  2. In the panel on the right, under Add, find B-roll from this project.
  3. Open Insert an asset… and pick the picture or video.
It fills the stretch you selected.

Change how it looks

Click the B-roll block on the timeline to open its panel on the right.
  • Asset: swap it for another picture or video in your project.
  • Start inside the clip: for a video, choose which part of it plays.
  • Fit: Fill frame fills the whole video and may cut off the edges. Show all shows the whole picture, with space around it if the shape doesn’t match.
  • Use this clip’s sound: turn on to hear the B-roll video’s own sound. Leave it off to hear only your voice.
  • Fade in and Fade out: how slowly the B-roll appears and disappears. All the way left is a Hard cut (no fade).
To remove B-roll, click its block and press Backspace.
Your voice always keeps playing while B-roll is on screen. Nothing in your recording is cut.

Make B-roll with AI

Don’t have the right picture? Cutaway can make one for you. Press + on the text and effects row and choose Generate an image… or Generate a video…. See Make voice, music and pictures with AI.

Let the first cut place your B-roll

When you make a first cut, leave Use my B-roll where it fits on. If your project has pictures or videos, Cutaway can show them at good moments over your footage. This needs the AI helpers. Without them, the first cut leaves your shots clean.