5 · Export
Render a Studio project to a real MP4 or WebM — resolution, frame rate, format, file naming, and the YouTube thumbnail.
EXPORT saves your composition as a video file on your device. Your track and images are not uploaded for video rendering.
The summary
Before you render, the rail lists exactly what is about to happen.
| Row | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| PLATFORM | The destination you chose on FRAME |
| FRAME | Aspect and pixel dimensions |
| RATE | Frames per second |
| FILE | Container and codec |
| LENGTH | Duration of the render |
| AUDIO | Which source is being used, and its file name |
| LOUDNESS | The normalization setting from TRACK |
| AUDIO TRIMMED | Whether an export slice is set |
| VISUALIZER · BACKDROP · TITLE · ARTIST · LYRICS | The content that will appear |
Read this row by row once before a long render. It is faster than re-rendering.
Render video
RENDER VIDEO opens the export dialog.
| Setting | Choices |
|---|---|
| PLATFORM | YouTube · Instagram · Shorts · Reels · TikTok · Spotify Canvas |
| ASPECT RATIO | 16:9 · 9:16 · 1:1 · 4:5 |
| RESOLUTION | 1080p · 4K |
| FRAME RATE | 24 · 25 · 30 · 48 · 60 |
| FORMAT | MP4 · H.264, or WebM · VP9 |
| FILE NAME | The name of the downloaded file |
| INCLUDE AUDIO | On muxes the soundtrack; off renders video only |
ADD FRAME RATE, RESOLUTION, AND ASPECT TO THE FILE NAME appends the spec to the name — useful when you are rendering the same project several ways. Path separators and unsafe characters become dashes, and because colons cannot go in file names, 9:16 becomes 9x16.
The footer restates the frame, size, rate, and the exact frame count you are about to render. Click RENDER VIDEO to start.
When VIDEO READY appears, click SAVE VIDEO to download the finished file.
Quick preview
Use QUICK PREVIEW when you want to check the complete edit before spending time on a full-size render. It makes a lightweight MP4 at 24 FPS, with the longer edge limited to 640 pixels. The preview keeps the accepted platform and aspect ratio, the selected time range, and your INCLUDE AUDIO choice.
Quick previews are always watermarked, including on paid plans, and do not use a monthly export allowance. The downloaded name ends in -preview.mp4 so it stays separate from the finished render.
Every frame is rendered
The finished video keeps the frame rate and frame count shown in the dialog. A slower machine can take longer to render without slowing down playback in the saved file.
Finish your edits before starting a render; changes made afterward belong in the next export.
If an imported video’s playback timing cannot be preserved, the error asks you to re-export it as a single continuous MP4 (H.264). Replace the video with that copy and try again.
Which format
- MP4 · H.264 is the safe default. Every platform and editor accepts it.
- WebM · VP9 is smaller at the same quality and good for the web, but some editors and upload paths will not take it.
If you are uploading anywhere and unsure, choose MP4.
4K and the watermark
- The free tier covers 10 finished exports per calendar month, resetting on the 1st. Building, previewing and playing are never counted — only a saved file. The first one needs no account; after that a free account keeps the allowance with you rather than with one browser.
- Canceling or failing before a file is delivered does not use an export. After cancellation the dialog returns to its settings so you can adjust and try again.
- Free exports carry the BeamTracer watermark. The dialog states this before you render, along with how many exports you have left.
- 4K requires Bundle. On a free plan the dialog offers one 4K trial so you can see the difference before deciding.
See Pricing for what each plan includes.
YouTube thumbnail
YOUTUBE THUMBNAIL on the export step saves a still rather than a video: 1280 × 720 JPEG, under 2 MB — YouTube's custom-thumbnail spec. It uses the current preview frame, so scrub to the moment you want before you click it. On a free plan the thumbnail carries the watermark, like any other export.
Verifying what you got
The rendered file is a normal video. Play it before you upload, and check three things:
- The length matches the LENGTH row in the summary.
- The audio is there if you meant to include it — a video-only render is silent by design when INCLUDE AUDIO is off, and the dialog warns you when no track is loaded.
- A WebM backdrop did not vanish. WebM video plates preview but do not export — see Look.