What is an overlay in video editing and when should I use one?

An overlay is when you place one video or image on top of another, so it doesn’t fill the whole screen—it appears as a smaller element you can position anywhere (like a sticker, but with your own content). For example, you might be talking on camera and want to show a piece of your art in the corner of the frame. You’d add that art image as an overlay. It’s useful for showing details, comparisons, or multiple elements at once without switching scenes.

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Asked by an artist learning video editing basics · Answered by Art Storefronts team member (Mili) · art-marketing-101 · 2026-07-20