Time Overlay guide
How to add a transparent countdown timer in Premiere Pro
To add a transparent countdown timer in Premiere Pro, import a Time Overlay export and place it on a track above your footage - the alpha channel composites with no extra setup. The most reliable workflow is a PNG sequence imported as an image sequence: quality is lossless and the alpha channel is unambiguous. WebM (with alpha) is the quick path when you want a single file and do not need master-grade compression.
Recommended Time Overlay export: PNG sequence for master-grade quality. WebM (with alpha) for fast iteration.
Step 01
Generate the overlay
In Time Overlay, set the duration to match your edit beat, pick a style preset that fits your project tone, and pick your export format based on the quality you need.
Step 02
Import into Premiere
For PNG sequence: File -> Import -> select the first frame, tick 'Image Sequence', click Import. For WebM: drag the .webm directly into your project bin.
Step 03
Place above the base footage
Drop the clip on V2 or higher above your main footage on V1. The countdown composites with the alpha intact and you can scale or reposition with Motion controls.
Step 04
Adjust scale and position
Use the Effect Controls panel to scale and position the overlay. Apply a small drop shadow if the timer needs more separation from busy backgrounds.
Time Overlay tips
If the WebM playback feels CPU-heavy on a long timeline, transcode the PNG sequence to ProRes 4444 with the bundled `convert-to-prores` script and use that master clip instead. ProRes is the most editor-friendly alpha codec on Premiere.
Not sure which export format to pick? Compare every transparent overlay format by editor and browser support.