Guide
B-roll for video ads: show what you are talking about
Updated
B-roll is the extra footage that plays while someone talks. In an ad, it works best when each clip shows what the speaker is saying, at the moment they say it.
In short
- B-roll in a video ad should show what the speaker is talking about, at the moment they say it.
- Keep the person talking on screen for the first 2 seconds, the main claim and the call to action.
- Most ads work best with b-roll for half the video or less, in clips of 1 to 2 seconds.
- Your own phone clips look more real than stock. Pexels and Pixabay have free clips you can use in ads.
- Cutroom adds b-roll on the words each clip shows. Clips it adds by itself cover at most 52% of the video.
- Moments to stay on the speaker: the opening, the main claim and the call to action
- 3
- Usual length of one b-roll clip in a short vertical ad
- 1-2 sec
- The most b-roll Cutroom adds by itself, at its fastest editing pace
- 52%
What is b-roll in a video ad?
B-roll is any footage that plays over the person talking. Their voice keeps going while the picture shows something else.
- Typical b-roll shots are the product in someone's hand, your shop, the problem you describe or the result you promise.
- A clip can fill the whole screen, or play in a smaller box so the speaker stays visible.
- The main shot of the person talking is called a-roll. B-roll is everything you show on top of it.
A b-roll clip in a vertical ad
The speaker says 'this vitamin C serum', and a clip of the serum plays over exactly those words.
When should you use b-roll in an ad?
Use b-roll when the speaker says something the viewer would like to see.
- When the speaker names a product, a place, a number or a result, show it.
- Start the clip on the word that names the thing. A clip that shows up a few seconds late feels wrong.
- If you cut a sentence out of the middle of your video, the speaker's head jumps. A clip over that spot hides the jump.
- Skip b-roll on sentences that name nothing you can show, like 'that is why I started'. A random clip there only distracts.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
When should you stay on the person talking?
Three moments work better with the speaker's face on screen than with b-roll.
- The first 2 seconds, because the viewer is deciding who is talking to them.
- Your main claim, because a person saying it is easier to believe than a stock clip.
- The call to action, like 'tap the link below', because it should be said to the viewer, looking into the camera.
How much b-roll should a video ad have?
Half the ad or less. When b-roll covers most of the video, it starts to feel like a slideshow with a voice-over.
- In a 30-second ad, that is about 13 to 15 seconds of b-roll in total.
- Each clip is usually 1 to 2 seconds long in a short vertical ad. If a shot takes longer to understand, pick a simpler one.
- A fast edit can carry a little more b-roll than a slow one, because every shot is shorter.
Where to find b-roll for ads
Film your own clips first, then fill the gaps with free stock footage.
- Your phone is the best source. Film your product, your shop and your hands at work. Rough phone clips look more real than polished stock.
- Pexels has free 4K and HD clips you can use in ads, and it never asks for a credit.
- Pixabay has over 240,000 free clips you can use in ads. Clips that show a recognisable brand or logo cannot be used commercially.
- Search for the exact thing the speaker names. Generic stock, like a smiling team in an office, looks like an advert straight away.
- Runway generates new video from a photo or a text prompt, if the shot you need does not exist.
How to add b-roll to a video ad
The steps are the same in any video editor.
Adding b-roll to a video ad, step by step
Read your script
Mark each phrase that names something you can show
Find one clip per phrase
Your own footage first, then Pexels or Pixabay
Place each clip on its words
Start it on the word, end it when the phrase ends
Check the three moments
Opening, main claim and call to action stay on the speaker
Watch it once more
Delete any clip that shows something the speaker does not mention
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom adds the b-roll for you. You upload one video of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long, and get a finished 9:16 ad back.
- Cutroom reads your transcript and puts clips on phrases that name something it can show, like a product, a place or a result.
- It uses your own uploaded clips first, then free stock clips from Pexels and Pixabay.
- You can highlight any phrase to put a clip over exactly those words, and swapping a clip is free.
- B-roll is included in the edit. A 30-second ad uses 110 credits in total, about $1.76 on any paid plan.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It has a Cutroom watermark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
The most b-roll Cutroom adds by itself, by editing pace
The style you pick before you upload sets the pace. A faster edit gets a little more b-roll. Clips you add yourself are never trimmed to fit this limit.
- Straight cut40%
- Flow45%
- Punch and Native52%
Questions people ask
- What is b-roll in a video ad?
- B-roll is footage that plays over the person talking. It shows the product, place or result they describe while their voice keeps going.
- How much b-roll should a 30-second ad have?
- About 13 to 15 seconds in total, so half the ad at most. The rest should be the person talking, so viewers stay with them.
- How long should each b-roll clip be?
- Usually 1 to 2 seconds in a short vertical ad. A clip should last about as long as the words it shows.
- Is stock footage OK in a video ad?
- Yes, in small amounts, if it shows exactly what the speaker names. Generic stock looks like an advert at once, and your own phone clips usually look more real.
- Where can I get free b-roll for ads?
- Pexels and Pixabay both have free clips you can use in ads. Pexels never asks for a credit. On Pixabay, clips that show a recognisable brand or logo cannot be used commercially.
- Can Cutroom add b-roll for me?
- Yes. Cutroom puts clips on the words they show, using your own uploads first and then free stock clips. The clips it adds by itself cover at most 52% of the video, and swapping a clip is free.
Film one video of yourself talking and get it back with b-roll on the right words. Your first video is free.