How can I add text overlay on my video in ffmpeg?
i.e. given a video "video1.flv", how can I add "StackOverflow" text during the whole video, positioned in the middle of the screen, with white text and a border?
Use the drawtext filter for simple text on video. If you need more complex timing, formatting, or dynamic text see the subtitles filter. This answer focuses on the drawtext filter.
Print Stack Overflow
in white text onto center of video, with black background box of 50% opacity:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Stack Overflow':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2" -codec:a copy output.mp4
@0.5
controls background box opacity. 0.5 is 50%. Remove @0.5
if you do not want any transparency.You can use ffplay
to preview your text without having to wait for a file to encode:
ffplay -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Stack Overflow':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2" input.mp4
Alternatively you can use mpv
but the syntax is slightly different:
mpv --vf="lavfi=[drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Stack Overflow':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2]" input.mp4
You can chain multiple drawtext filters:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Stack Overflow':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2,drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Bottom right text':fontcolor=black:fontsize=14:x=w-tw-10:y=h-th-10" -codec:a copy output.mp4
x
and y
determine text position:
Position |
x :y
|
With 10 px padding |
---|---|---|
Top left | x=0:y=0 |
x=10:y=10 |
Top center | x=(w-text_w)/2:y=0 |
x=(w-text_w)/2:y=10 |
Top right | x=w-tw:y=0 |
x=w-tw-10:y=10 |
Centered | x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2 |
|
Bottom left | x=0:y=h-th |
x=10:y=h-th-10 |
Bottom center | x=(w-text_w)/2:y=h-th |
x=(w-text_w)/2:y=h-th-10 |
Bottom right | x=w-tw:y=h-th |
x=w-tw-10:y=h-th-10 |
Random | See this answer |
You can reposition the text with the sendcmd and zmq filters:
See:
Use the enable
option to control when the text appears.
Show text between 5-10 seconds:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Stack Overflow':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2:enable='between(t,5,10)'" -codec:a copy output.mp4
Show text after 3 seconds:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Stack Overflow':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2:enable='gte(t,3)'" -codec:a copy output.mp4
Blinking text. For every 10 seconds show text for 5 seconds:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:text='Stack Overflow':fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2:enable='lt(mod(t,10),5)'" -codec:a copy output.mp4
Random position every 30 seconds:
See ffmpeg - Dynamic letters and random position watermark to video?
Add the textfile
and reload
options for drawtext:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:textfile=text.txt:reload=1:fontcolor=white:fontsize=24:box=1:boxcolor=black@0.5:boxborderw=5:x=(w-text_w)/2:y=(h-text_h)/2" -codec:a copy output.mp4
text.txt
every time you want the text to change.mv
command on Linux or macOS..ass
file via Aegisub) and using the subtitles filter.You can declare the font family, such as Times New Roman, instead of having to point to a font file. See How to include font in FFMPEG command without using the fontfile option?
The drawtext filter requires ffmpeg
to be compiled with --enable-libfreetype
. If you get No such filter: 'drawtext'
it is missing --enable-libfreetype
. Most of the ffmpeg
static builds available support this: see the FFmpeg Download page for links.
On macOS the syntax of enable='between(t,start_second, end_seconds)' is different. Input should be in seconds, not in hh:mm:ss.
My ffmpeg version 4.3.1
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=text='My Text':enable='between(t,20,120)': x=(w-text_h)/2: y=(h-text_h)/2: fontsize=32: fontcolor=white: box=1: boxcolor=black@0.5: boxborderw=5:" -c:a copy output.mp4
Here is the cheat sheet for overlay transition in all 4 direction...
************************* Text **********************
1) left to right given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -vf "[in]drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Hi': y=53.48 :x=min(t*250-2*250\,41): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,2,10)', drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Ajeet': y=53.48 :x=min(t*250-3*250\,90): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,3,10)' [out]" -t 11 leftToRight.mp4
2) right to left given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -vf "[in]drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Hi': y=53.48 :x=w-min(t*250-2*250\,(w\-41)): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,2,10)', drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Ajeet': y=53.48 :x=w-min(t*250-3*250\,(w\-90)): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,3,10)' [out]" -t 11 rightToLeft.mp4
3) top to bottom given y=58 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -vf "[in]drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Hi': x=41 :y=min(t*250-2*250\,53.48): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,2,10)', drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Ajeet': x=90 :y=min(t*250-3*250\,53.48): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,3,10)' [out]" -t 11 topToBottom.mp4
4) bottom to up given y=90 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -vf "[in]drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Hi': x=41 :y=h-min(t*250-2*250\,(h\-53.48)): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,2,10)', drawtext=fontfile=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont/FreeSerif.ttf: text='Ajeet': x=90 :y=h-min(t*250-3*250\,(h\-53.48)): fontsize=35: fontcolor=yellow: enable='between(t,3,10)' [out]" -t 11 bottomToTop.mp4
************************ Image *********************
1) single left to right given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -loop 1 -i image.png -filter_complex "[1:v]scale=-2:100[png];[0:v][png]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=60:shortest=1:enable='between(t,2,10)'" -t 11 imageLeftToRight1.mp4
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181472383.sd.mp4?s=103f42915141758d95a118f070d08190845bdf73&profile_id=164' -loop 1 -i image.png -filter_complex "[1:v]scale=-2:100[png];[0:v][png]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=60:shortest=1:enable='between(t,2,10)'" -t 11 imageLeftToRight.mp4
2) Already added text then added single image left to right
ffmpeg -y -i leftToRight.mp4 -loop 1 -i image.png -filter_complex "[1:v]scale=-2:100[png];[0:v][png]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=200:shortest=1:enable='between(t,2,10)'" -t 11 imageTextLeftToRight.mp4
3) 2 images left to right given x=41, x=100 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -loop 1 -i image.png -loop 1 -i image2.png -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[img1];[2]scale=-2:100[img2];[0][img1]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=60:enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][img2]overlay=x=min(t*250-3*250\,100):y=200:enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 multiImageLeftToRight.mp4
4) 3 images left to right given x=41, x=100, x=300 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -loop 1 -i image.png -loop 1 -i image2.png -loop 1 -i image3.png -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[img1];[2]scale=-2:100[img2];[3]scale=-2:100[img3];[0][img1]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=60:enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][img2]overlay=x=min(t*250-3*250\,130):y=130:enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][img3]overlay=x=min(t*250-4*250\,260):y=190:enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeImageLeftToRight.mp4
5) 3 images right to left given x=41, x=100, x=300 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -loop 1 -i image.png -loop 1 -i image2.png -loop 1 -i image3.png -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[img1];[2]scale=-2:100[img2];[3]scale=-2:100[img3];[0][img1]overlay=x=W-min(t*250-2*250\,(W\-41)):y=60:enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][img2]overlay=x=W-min(t*250-3*250\,(W\-130)):y=130:enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][img3]overlay=x=W-min(t*250-4*250\,(W\-260)):y=190:enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeImageRightToLeft.mp4
6) 3 images top to bottom given y=41, y=100, y=300 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -loop 1 -i image.png -loop 1 -i image2.png -loop 1 -i image3.png -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[img1];[2]scale=-2:100[img2];[3]scale=-2:100[img3];[0][img1]overlay=x=41:y=min(t*250-2*250\,60):enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][img2]overlay=x=130:y=min(t*250-3*250\,130):enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][img3]overlay=x=260:y=min(t*250-4*250\,190):enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeImageTopToBottom.mp4
7) 3 images bottom to top given y=41, y=100, y=300 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -loop 1 -i image.png -loop 1 -i image2.png -loop 1 -i image3.png -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[img1];[2]scale=-2:100[img2];[3]scale=-2:100[img3];[0][img1]overlay=x=41:y=H-min(t*250-2*250\,(H\-60)):enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][img2]overlay=x=130:y=H-min(t*250-3*250\,(H\-130)):enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][img3]overlay=x=260:y=H-min(t*250-4*250\,(H\-190)):enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeImageBottomToTop.mp4
************************ GIF *********************
1) single left to right given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -ignore_loop 0 -i gif1.gif -filter_complex "[1:v]scale=-2:100[ovrl];[0:v][ovrl]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=60:enable='between(t,2,10)'" -t 11 gifLeftToRight.mp4
2) double left to right given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -ignore_loop 0 -i gif1.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif2.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif3.gif -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[gif1];[2]scale=-2:100[gif2];[0][gif1]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=60:enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][gif2]overlay=x=min(t*250-3*250\,150):y=170:enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 doubleGifLeftToRight.mp4
3) three left to right given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -ignore_loop 0 -i gif1.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif2.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif3.gif -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[gif1];[2]scale=-2:100[gif2];[3]scale=-2:100[gif3];[0][gif1]overlay=x=min(t*250-2*250\,41):y=60:enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][gif2]overlay=x=min(t*250-3*250\,150):y=170:enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][gif3]overlay=x=min(t*250-4*250\,240):y=240:enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeGifLeftToRight.mp4
3) three right to left given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -ignore_loop 0 -i gif1.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif2.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif3.gif -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[gif1];[2]scale=-2:100[gif2];[3]scale=-2:100[gif3];[0][gif1]overlay=x=W-min(t*250-2*250\,(W\-41)):y=60:enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][gif2]overlay=x=W-min(t*250-3*250\,(W\-150)):y=170:enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][gif3]overlay=x=W-min(t*250-4*250\,(W\-240)):y=240:enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeGifRightToLeft.mp4
3) three top to bottom given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -ignore_loop 0 -i gif1.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif2.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif3.gif -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[gif1];[2]scale=-2:100[gif2];[3]scale=-2:100[gif3];[0][gif1]overlay=x=41:y=min(t*250-2*250\,60):enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][gif2]overlay=x=150:y=min(t*250-3*250\,170):enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][gif3]overlay=x=240:y=min(t*250-4*250\,240):enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeGifTopToBottom.mp4
3) three bottom to top given x=41 position
ffmpeg -y -i 'https://player.vimeo.com/external/181545195.sd.mp4?s=176d502710df829442a83565bb79efbe3c9c0b93&profile_id=164' -ignore_loop 0 -i gif1.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif2.gif -ignore_loop 0 -i gif3.gif -filter_complex "[1]scale=-2:100[gif1];[2]scale=-2:100[gif2];[3]scale=-2:100[gif3];[0][gif1]overlay=x=41:y=H-min(t*250-2*250\,(H\-60)):enable='between(t,2,10)':shortest=1[o1];[o1][gif2]overlay=x=150:y=H-min(t*250-3*250\,(H\-170)):enable='between(t,3,10)':shortest=1[o2];[o2][gif3]overlay=x=240:y=H-min(t*250-4*250\,(H\-240)):enable='between(t,4,10)':shortest=1" -t 11 threeGifBottomToTop.mp4
If you love us? You can donate to us via Paypal or buy me a coffee so we can maintain and grow! Thank you!
Donate Us With