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evmux Knowledge Base

How to Add Animated Captions (Lower Thirds)

This guide shows you how to add animated captions - beautiful animated titles and lower thirds to enhance your scenes.

Important Note

The Animated Caption layer type creates animated lower thirds and title overlays - these are NOT real-time speech-to-text captions. They are pre-configured text animations that appear during your broadcast.

Quick Steps

  1. Click Add New Layer in the Layers panel
  2. Select Animated Caption from the menu
  3. The caption is added to the scene straight away with a default style and placeholder text
  4. Open its settings from the layer toolbar, pick a style and enter your text
  5. Set timing and display options

Understanding Animated Captions

Animated Captions are styled text overlays with entrance/exit animations:

Use CaseExample
Speaker name“Sarah Johnson - Marketing Director”
Segment title“Q&A Session”
Topic heading“Today’s Topic: AI”
Guest introName with title/company

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Add Animated Caption Layer

  1. In the Layers panel, click Add New Layer
  2. Select Animated Caption from the menu

The Add New Layer menu with Animated Caption highlighted

  1. The caption appears on the scene at once, with the default style and the placeholder text “First Row” and “Second Row”, and a new Animated Caption row in the layer list

A new Animated Caption layer on the scene showing First Row and Second Row in the default style, with the layer row and the caption highlighted

Step 2: Open the Caption Settings

  1. With the caption layer selected, click the caption (A) icon in the layer toolbar above it
  2. The Animated caption settings popup opens, with the controls on the left and a live preview on the right

The Animated caption settings popup with its controls highlighted: Choose different Style, First line, Second line, Show Always, Play only Once, timing sliders, colors, background opacity and video backgrounds

Step 3: Choose a Style

  1. Click Choose different Style at the top of the popup
  2. Browse the gallery and click a style to apply it; the preview updates

The style gallery of the Animated caption settings

Step 4: Enter Text Content

First line - Main text (e.g., speaker name)

  • Enter up to 50 characters
  • Typically the person’s name or main title

Second line - Subtitle (e.g., job title)

  • Enter up to 50 characters
  • Typically job title, company, or description

Step 4b: Configure Display Options

OptionDescription
Show AlwaysCaption stays visible continuously
Play only OnceAnimation plays once, then stays static
Main Color and Second ColorThe accent and text colors
Background opacityHow solid the caption’s background is
Video backgroundAn animated backdrop behind the text, chosen from the thumbnails

Step 5: Set Timing (When “Show Always” is OFF)

SettingDescription
Delay Before StartHow long to wait before caption appears (0-60 seconds)
DurationHow long caption stays visible

Linking Captions to Speakers

Animated Captions can be linked to participants:

  1. When adding a Speaker layer, configure their caption
  2. The caption automatically shows their name and title
  3. Captions can animate in when the speaker talks

Caption Styles

Different styles offer various looks:

  • Modern minimal
  • Classic bar
  • Animated slide-in
  • Fade effects
  • Branded designs

Tips for Good Animated Captions

Text Content

  • Keep text concise
  • Use proper capitalization
  • Include role/context where helpful
  • Match your brand voice

Timing

  • Show long enough to read (3-7 seconds)
  • Don’t show during busy visual moments
  • Use “Play only Once” for intros

Positioning

  • Lower third placement is most common
  • Ensure text doesn’t cover important content
  • Maintain consistent placement

Common Use Cases

Guest Introduction

  1. Add Animated Caption layer
  2. Enter guest’s name (First line)
  3. Enter their title (Second line)
  4. Set to “Play only Once”
  5. Time to appear when guest is introduced

Segment Headers

  1. Create caption for each segment
  2. Show when transitioning topics
  3. Use “Show Always” for segment duration
  4. Hide when moving to next segment

Speaker Labels

  1. Link caption to speaker
  2. Enable automatic display
  3. Caption shows when speaker is active

Troubleshooting

Caption not appearing?

  • Check the layer is visible (eye icon)
  • Verify “Enabled” is checked
  • Check if “Delay Before Start” is too long

Animation not playing?

  • Ensure “Show Always” is unchecked for animations
  • Check timing settings
  • Try different style

Text cut off?

  • Shorten your text
  • Try a different caption style
  • Check layer size/position