How to Add Lower Thirds in Wirecast

The short answer

A lower third is the text or graphic band in the bottom part of the frame that shows a name, role or topic. In Wirecast, you add one by creating a separate shot that holds only the graphic and placing it on a layer above your camera shot. Wirecast stacks layers, so the overlay sits on top of the camera image. You can build the shot from one of Wirecast's built-in title templates and edit its text, or import your own image with a transparent background, usually a PNG.

One distinction changes how you set this up. If you want the lower third burned into the video you stream or send through a virtual camera, the steps below apply. If you only want a name label inside a meeting app, most call platforms show your display name on their own, and you don't need Wirecast for that.

Menu labels, template names and the layout of the layer panel differ between Wirecast versions. The steps describe the general workflow rather than exact button names, so expect small differences on your screen.

Before you start

• Wirecast installed and opened with a document that already has your camera shot working in the preview.
• The exact text you want to show, such as the name and a short role or topic line. Short lines stay readable after video compression.
• Optional: your own lower-third graphic exported as a PNG with a transparent background, if you want branding that doesn't come from a template.
• If the output goes into a video call: the Wirecast virtual camera, which is a software camera that call apps can select like a webcam, along with permission for the call app to use cameras on your operating system.

Option 1: Use a built-in title template

• 1. Choose a layer above the one that holds your camera shot. The camera should stay on a lower layer so the title draws on top of it.
• 2. On that upper layer, add a new shot and pick the titles or text option. Wirecast offers a set of title templates, and some are designed as lower thirds.
• 3. Pick a lower-third style template and open the shot to edit it.
• 4. Replace the placeholder text with your name and title line. Adjust the font, size and colour if the template allows it.
• 5. Check the position. Keep the text away from the very edges of the frame so it doesn't get cropped or covered by call-app controls.
• 6. Save or close the editor. The new shot now appears in the shot list for that layer.

Success check: when you select the title shot on the upper layer and the camera shot on the lower layer, the preview shows your camera image with the lower third on top. If the title replaces the camera instead of overlaying it, both shots are probably on the same layer. Move the title to a higher layer.

Option 2: Use your own transparent image

• 1. Make the graphic at the same resolution as your Wirecast canvas, with the bar placed in the lower part of the image and everything else transparent. Positioning is then already correct when you import it.
• 2. On a layer above your camera, add a new shot from an image file and select your PNG.
• 3. If the graphic is smaller than the canvas, open the shot and position or scale it into the lower part of the frame.
• 4. Add a separate title shot on top if you want editable text over the graphic. You can then change names without remaking the image.

Success check: in the preview, the camera stays visible around the graphic. A solid black or white box around the bar means the image has no transparency, so re-export it as a PNG with a transparent background. A JPEG cannot hold transparency.

Put it on air and take it off

Wirecast separates the preview, which is what you're setting up, from the live or program output, which is what viewers get. Building the lower third doesn't make it live. Select the title shot, confirm it in the preview, then use the button that takes the preview to live. To remove the overlay, take an empty or blank shot on that layer live. If your setup uses a transition, such as a fade, the lower third will animate in and out with it instead of cutting.

Success check: the live pane, not just the preview, shows the camera with the lower third. If only the preview shows it, the change hasn't been taken live yet.

Confirm it reaches your call or stream

Seeing the lower third in Wirecast's live pane shows that Wirecast is compositing it. It doesn't show that a call app is receiving that output, or that remote viewers can read it. Check each of these separately.

• Virtual camera running: start Wirecast's virtual camera output from within Wirecast. The call app only sees what Wirecast sends while that output is active.
• Call app receiving video: in the call app's video settings, select the Wirecast virtual camera instead of your physical webcam. A preview there showing your Wirecast output, lower third included, confirms the app is getting the composited video. A blank or placeholder image usually means the virtual camera isn't started, or the app lacks camera permission at the operating-system level.
• Text direction: many call apps mirror your own self-view by default, so the lower third can look backwards to you. Other participants normally see it the right way round. If it bothers you, turn off mirroring in the app's video settings. Don't flip the graphic in Wirecast.
• Readability: call apps compress and often scale down video, so small or thin text can blur. The only reliable check is to join a test call from a second device or ask someone to confirm they can read the name. A local preview won't tell you this.

What these checks don't cover

These checks confirm the overlay is built, live, and visible in the call app's camera feed. They don't test your camera's image quality, your lighting, or your microphone. Audio routing through Wirecast is a separate setup step. They also don't guarantee how each viewer's device will display the frame, since some apps crop or rearrange video in gallery or mobile layouts. That cropping is the main reason to keep the lower third inside the frame instead of tight against the bottom edge.

Evidence gap: no version-specific Wirecast documentation was available for this guide. It doesn't give exact menu names, template names, layer limits or recommended text sizes. If a step doesn't match your screen, check the help for your installed Wirecast version.