Transparent Video in Premiere, Final Cut, Resolve and OBS

To use a transparent video in an editor, import a ProRes 4444 MOV into Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve and place it on a track above your background; the alpha channel is read automatically. In OBS Studio, add a WebM with VP9 alpha as a Media Source. If an app shows a black background instead, it is not reading the alpha, so switch format or use a green-screen MP4 with the app's chroma key.

Which transparent format works in which app?

App	Best transparent format	Fallback	Keyer for green-screen MP4
Adobe Premiere Pro	ProRes 4444 MOV	Green MP4	Ultra Key
Adobe After Effects	ProRes 4444 MOV	Green MP4	Keylight (or other keyers)
Final Cut Pro	ProRes 4444 MOV	Green MP4	Keyer
DaVinci Resolve	ProRes 4444 MOV	Green MP4	Delta Keyer / 3D Keyer
OBS Studio	WebM (VP9 alpha)	Green MP4	Chroma Key filter
Web browsers	WebM (VP9 alpha)	GIF	n/a

The video background remover on this site exports all of these: transparent WebM (VP9 alpha), ProRes 4444 MOV, transparent GIF and MP4 on green #00FF00 (or another solid colour). Audio is kept in every format except GIF. For the reasoning behind each format, see transparent video formats.

How do I use a transparent video in Premiere Pro?

1. Import the ProRes 4444 MOV (File > Import, or drag it into the Project panel).
2. Put your background (footage, image or colour matte) on V1.
3. Put the transparent clip on V2, above the background.
4. Scale and position it with the Motion controls in Effect Controls.

Premiere reads the alpha channel of ProRes 4444 automatically. If you see black, right-click the clip, choose Modify > Interpret Footage and check the alpha channel settings (make sure "Ignore Alpha Channel" is not ticked).

How do I use it in After Effects?

Import the ProRes 4444 MOV and drag it into a composition above your background layer. After Effects asks how to interpret the alpha on import if it cannot detect it; "Guess" usually picks the right option. Transparent areas show the layers below.

How do I use a transparent video in Final Cut Pro?

1. Import the ProRes 4444 MOV into your library.
2. Put the background in the primary storyline.
3. Connect the transparent clip above it (press Q to connect).
4. Adjust size and position in the Video inspector (Transform).

Final Cut Pro handles ProRes 4444 alpha natively, since ProRes is Apple's own codec.

How do I use a transparent video in DaVinci Resolve?

1. Import the ProRes 4444 MOV into the Media Pool.
2. Place the background on V1 and the transparent clip on V2.
3. If transparent areas appear black, right-click the clip in the Media Pool, open Clip Attributes and set Alpha mode to Straight or Premultiplied (Premultiplied is a common default; try the other if edges look dark or haloed).

How do I use a transparent video in OBS Studio?

1. In a scene, click + under Sources and add a Media Source.
2. Choose Local File and select the WebM (VP9 alpha) file.
3. Tick Loop if you want it to repeat, and set it to restart when the source becomes active if needed.
4. Arrange it above your camera or game capture in the Sources list (higher in the list = on top).

OBS plays VP9 alpha WebM with transparency. ProRes 4444 is large and less suitable for live use, so WebM is the usual choice for stream overlays, alerts and animated characters.

When is a green-screen MP4 the better choice?

Real alpha is cleaner, but a green-screen MP4 is sometimes more practical:

• The app does not read alpha (some mobile editors and social tools only take MP4).
• File size matters: an H.264 MP4 is far smaller than ProRes 4444.
• You want to adjust edges yourself with the editor's keyer controls (spill suppression, edge softness).
• Cross-platform sharing where you cannot be sure which format the other person can open.

Download the MP4 on green #00FF00 and key it:

• Premiere Pro: apply Ultra Key, pick the green with the eyedropper, then adjust Matte Generation and Spill Suppression.
• Final Cut Pro: apply the Keyer effect; it usually detects green automatically.
• DaVinci Resolve: in the Color page, use the Delta Keyer in Fusion or the 3D Keyer / qualifier, then output the alpha.
• OBS Studio: right-click the source > Filters > add Chroma Key, key colour Green, adjust Similarity and Smoothness.

Because the cut-out was made by AI on a perfectly flat #00FF00, keying it is usually much easier than keying a filmed green screen with shadows and wrinkles.

Why does my transparent video show a black background?

This is the most common problem. Work through the causes in order:

1. The file is H.264 MP4. H.264 cannot store alpha, so transparent areas become black. If you re-exported or converted the file, that step may have stripped the alpha. Use the original ProRes 4444 or WebM.
2. The app does not read alpha in that format. Many editors do not decode VP9 WebM alpha; use ProRes 4444 in editors. Safari, at the time of writing, does not show WebM alpha either.
3. Wrong codec variant. ProRes 422 (any flavour) has no alpha. It must be ProRes 4444 (or 4444 XQ).
4. Alpha is being ignored. Check Interpret Footage (Premiere), Clip Attributes (Resolve) or the import alpha settings (After Effects).
5. The clip is on the bottom track. With nothing underneath, transparent areas show black, which is normal. Put a background below it.
6. Your export drops alpha. Exporting the final edit as H.264 flattens everything. That is fine for a finished video; if you need a transparent export, choose ProRes 4444 with alpha in the export settings.

If none of that helps, use the green-screen MP4 and the app's keyer.

Key takeaways

• Editors (Premiere, After Effects, Final Cut, Resolve): ProRes 4444 MOV on a track above the background.
• OBS Studio: WebM (VP9 alpha) as a Media Source.
• Green-screen MP4 + Ultra Key / Keyer / Delta Keyer / Chroma Key filter is the fallback when alpha is not supported or file size matters.
• A black background almost always means the alpha was lost (H.264, ProRes 422) or is being ignored.

FAQ

Can Premiere Pro import a transparent WebM?

Support depends on the version and installed plug-ins, and the alpha is often not read. ProRes 4444 MOV is the reliable choice for Premiere.

Why is ProRes 4444 so large?

It is an intermediate codec built for editing quality and fast decoding, with light compression. Expect files many times larger than WebM or MP4.

What is the best format for OBS overlays?

WebM with VP9 alpha in a Media Source. It is small, loops well and keeps transparency.

How do I get a transparent video in the first place?

Upload your clip (MP4, MOV, WebM or GIF, up to 60 seconds and 50 MB) to the video background remover. It costs 1 credit per second; see pricing. Or read how to remove the background from a video.

Can I replace the background instead of making it transparent?

Yes. Use change video background for white, a colour or your own image, or blur video background.