Title cards are important to introduce what you're about to show, whether it’s the name of the song, the date the film was taken, or the director of the video.

In software like Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and Adobe, adding a title and exporting your video can take a while to accomplish. In this article, I’ll show you how to add a title to your video in less than 5 minutes using Kapwing. Here's how you can get started:

1. Upload your video to the Kapwing Studio
2. Add and adjust your text
3. Download

NOTE: If you're looking to create a thumbnail image so people can see your video's title while scrolling through YouTube or social media, read this article on creating custom YouTube thumbnail images.

Step 1: Upload your video to the Kapwing Studio

Begin by uploading your video to Kapwing’s Studio, a free online video editing tool with no download required. Your video will be handled completely in the cloud so you don’t need to worry about storage. Click to upload your video or drag and drop it onto the page.

If you want your title to stand separately from your video, you need to create a “title card.” The Title Card will be a separate scene that appears before your video starts. On the left hand side of the screen, click “Add Scene” and drag the slide to make it play before your video.

You can define how long you want your Title Scene to last using the “Timeline” tool. You can make it a quick title (1 second), a very-quick title so that it is a thumbnail without being visible to the viewer, or a slower title with time to made in and out, depending on the constraints and tempo of your video.

Step 2: Add and Adjust Title Text

Now that you’ve set up your Title Scene, you can decorate it with text, images, and screenshots of the video to come! Use the Text tool to add your custom title. Edit the sample text by double clicking and typing whatever text you want. Choose your desired font, color, outline, and styling for the title. If you want your text to fade or flicker in, select “Animate” and choose your animation and speed. You can make your text flicker, fade in, or rotate through various colors.

Once the font layer looks right, position the text box on the canvas. To resize and move it, use the blue handles on the corner. The font size will automatically adjust.

If you want to add an image (or images) to your title card you can upload them as you would a video by clicking “Upload” in the bottom panel. To make the images appear and disappear, use the “Timeline” tool.

Step 3: Download and share

Watch the full video preview to make sure your title slide looks right. Once you are happy with your titled video, click "Publish." Your video will load for several moments while Kapwing appends your title scene onto the MP4.

Once it's done loading you can download it to your device. If you're not signed into a Kapwing account, sign in or sign up using your Google or Facebook account – once you've signed into a Kapwing account, the watermark in the lower right corner will be removed from your final image.

I hope this article helps you add titles to all your videos in 2021! If you're interested in more tips and tutorials on creating great digital content, check out Kapwing's YouTube channel. And while you're here, take a look at some related articles on editing content for YouTube:

• How to Change Your Profile Picture on YouTube
• How to Add an Intro Clip to YouTube Videos
• How to Save the Audio from YouTube Videos
• How to Balance Audio Layers for YouTube