In Adobe After Effects, something you will commonly want to do with your animations or footage is to export the video with a transparent background. This is relatively simple in After Effects, but Adobe hides it under some rather complicated settings.

In this tutorial, we show you how to do just that. How to render transparent footage and export both the alpha layer and the RGB layers together in one video file.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Render Transparent Footage

In After Effects to Render Transparent Footage, you have to go to file, export, and add to render queue. Then, once in the Render Queue, click High Quality in the bottom right next to Output Module.

This will open up a separate panel. Near the middle their will be a Channels dropdown menu, then open that and select RGB+Alpha.

If you can’t select RGB+Alpha you may need to reset your Format. The easiest way to do this is open the format dropdown menu, then click a separate format, and then reselect the QuickTime format.

Where can I find my Render Queue in After Effects?

Your render queue in Adobe After Effects will be on your composition selection bar by default. If you closed it or can’t find it there, you can click Window on the top toolbar. Then select Render Queue. There is also a hotkey to open it

Mac: Command+Option+0
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+0

What is Alpha in After Effects?

Alpha is basically the transparent parts of the video. Or the part of the footage that does not have anything present in it.

Why Would I Export Transparent Video in After Effects?

Generally, you would do this if you were using the video as a piece of a final project, as there is no reason to export transparent video unless you plan to put a background or something similar behind it.

Exporting your animation and then using it in a separate editing software like Premiere Pro is a common practice.

Can I Export Transparent Text Layers in After Effects?

Yes, you can follow the same process.

What Output Format Should I use in my Render?

The Format you choose to use depends on the purpose of the export. If you are planning on using the file as part of a greater project, using the QuickTime format is a good choice.

If your goal is to have a file you want to upload directly to the internet, you may wish to use H.264. Or if you want to export audio only, you may want to render as Wav (Waveform) format or as an mp3.