# Your photos and videos, inserts

> How to add your own photos and videos over the frame — as an insert for the duration of some words, with Fit and Fill — upload files and manage inserts.

Source: https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/media/

An insert is your photo or video over the reel's frame for the duration of a few words. The voice and the reel's sound keep going: viewers hear the speech and see what you're talking about — the product, the result, the place. The AI already places cutaways from your materials during the montage; in the editor you can add your own. An insert covers the whole frame or sits in a small window over the video — [Picture in picture](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/pip/).

**Demo (Web):**

1. Press “Media” in the main set — the “Media” mode opens on the right
2. Press “Upload” under “Your photos and videos” and choose a photo
3. Put the preview where you need it and press “Insert here” under the photo
4. The photo appears in “Inserts in the reel” and over the frame in the preview
5. Press “Fit” — the photo is shown whole
6. Go back “‹ Timeline” — an inserts track appears above the captions

## Adding a photo or video

### Quick — Overlay

Put the playhead where you need and press **Overlay** in the main set (or “+” → **Photo or video overlay**). Choose a file — after upload it becomes a 3-second insert from the playhead.

**Web**

A file picker opens: a JPG, PNG or WebP photo, or a video. Even faster — **drag files onto the editor with the mouse**: you'll see **Photo or video overlay**. You can drop up to 10 files at once: all of them are uploaded to the project media, and the first one becomes an insert at the playhead.

**iPhone and iPad**

Your photo library opens. iPhone photos are passed in the compatible JPEG format automatically.

### From the project media — the Media mode

### 1. Open “Media”

Press **Media** in the main set. At the top is **Your photos and videos**: the project materials and everything you uploaded in the editor.

### 2. Upload files

**Upload** adds photos and videos to the project media. While a file is being prepared, it shows **preparing…**.

### 3. Insert

Put the preview where you need it and press **Insert here** under the file — it becomes a 3-second insert from the playhead.

## How an insert works

An insert covers the frame while the reel's sound continues. It is tied to words: it shows while the words that fell into those 3 seconds are spoken, and it moves with them if you trim or reorder clips.

-   A video in an insert plays from the start of the file, without its own sound.
-   An insert is never shown for less than 0.6 seconds.
-   Captions and graphics stay on top of the insert.

> **Important.** An insert needs speech: if there are no words at this point of the reel and after it, you'll see the message **There is no speech here — pick another spot**. In a reel without speech — for example, to music — add your shots as a clip: “+” → **Source clip** ([Clips](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/fragments/)).

## Managing inserts

**In the Media mode.** The **Inserts in the reel** section lists all inserts: time (click to seek the preview), words, a **Fit** or **Fill** button and delete.

**On the timeline.** Once the reel has inserts, an inserts track appears below the video track. Click an insert — its tools appear at the bottom:

-   **Edit** — opens the **Media** mode;
-   **Fit** — show the photo or video whole; **Fill** — stretch it to the whole frame (default);
-   **As window** — turn the insert into a window over the video ([Picture in picture](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/pip/)); a window has **Window** and **Full frame** instead of these buttons;
-   **Delete** or `Delete`.

To move an insert to other words, drag it with the mouse (on iPhone and iPad — long-press and drag).

## Project media

-   Files you add in the editor are stored in the project and deleted with it or when the source retention period ends.
-   ✕ on a file in **Your photos and videos** removes it from the project media. Materials the reel was edited from can't be removed.
-   Photos from the project media are also used for the [AI avatar](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/ai/avatar/).

## Good to know

-   To replace the picture of a whole clip with speech, **Replace** on the clip is handier: the insert covers all of its words ([Freeze frame, replace…](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/freeze-replace/)).
-   A reel can have up to 30 inserts.
-   Inserts are free; they appear in the finished video after **Export**.

## What's next

-   [Picture in picture](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/pip/)
-   [Music, ducking and beats](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/music/)
-   [Elements: hook, plaques, cards](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/elements/)
-   [Aspect ratio and cover](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/format-cover/)