Can I make a video from photos without uploading them?

Yes. The frames are drawn and encoded in your browser using the device video encoder, so the photos and the finished video never leave your machine.

Can I add music to the video?

Yes. Add your own audio in the Motion panel, place and trim it against a preview of the whole video, and it is mixed into the MP4 on export. It stays on your device like everything else. Use music you have the right to post - platforms check.

What format does the video export in?

MP4 (H.264) wherever the browser can encode it, which covers most current devices. Where it cannot, the export falls back to WebM or an animated GIF.

Is video export a paid feature?

No - exporting video is free on every tier, without a watermark. Some of the fancier animation presets, easing curves and transitions are Pro, but the export itself is not.

Why does a video look soft on the canvas but sharp in the export?

Because they are two different copies. When you add a video, a small preview copy is made so the design stays responsive and the whole clip can be held in memory while you work - that is the slightly soft one you see on the canvas. The export goes back to your original file and reads the real footage from it, so the finished video is as sharp as what you filmed. The one case where it cannot is a project reopened from disk: the project file carries the preview copy, not the recording, since a phone video would make it enormous. The export dialog tells you when that has happened and offers to re-link the original.

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How to turn photos into a video

A carousel and a reel are the same design with a different timeline. In Emaki Studio your slides ARE the timeline: give each one a length and a transition, animate the layers on it, and export the whole thing as an MP4 - all encoded on your own device, with no upload and no watermark. Here is how.

1. Build the slides first Set up a design with a few frames and lay out the photos and text you want. A 9:16 (1080x1920) canvas is the shape for Reels, Shorts and TikTok; square and portrait work for feed video.
2. Set how long each slide holds Open the Motion panel and set a length per slide. Do this first - every per-layer timing is measured against it, so it is the one number to settle before the rest.
3. Add a transition between slides Pick what happens at each seam: a fade, a push, a zoom, a wipe or a hard cut. The transition sits on its own row between the two slides it joins, and its length is adjustable.
4. Animate the layers Select a layer and give it an entrance - fade, slide, zoom or pop - and choose whether it plays in, out, or both for a seamless loop. Text can also reveal letter by letter, word by word or line by line.
5. Export the video Open Export and choose the Video target. Export the whole sequence as one clip, or one file per slide for posting separately. MP4 is used where your device can encode it, with WebM and animated GIF as fallbacks.

Open the carousel editor · Read the full guide

Can I make a video from photos without uploading them?: Yes. The frames are drawn and encoded in your browser using the device video encoder, so the photos and the finished video never leave your machine.
Can I add music to the video?: Yes. Add your own audio in the Motion panel, place and trim it against a preview of the whole video, and it is mixed into the MP4 on export. It stays on your device like everything else. Use music you have the right to post - platforms check.
What format does the video export in?: MP4 (H.264) wherever the browser can encode it, which covers most current devices. Where it cannot, the export falls back to WebM or an animated GIF.
Is video export a paid feature?: No - exporting video is free on every tier, without a watermark. Some of the fancier animation presets, easing curves and transitions are Pro, but the export itself is not.
Why does a video look soft on the canvas but sharp in the export?: Because they are two different copies. When you add a video, a small preview copy is made so the design stays responsive and the whole clip can be held in memory while you work - that is the slightly soft one you see on the canvas. The export goes back to your original file and reads the real footage from it, so the finished video is as sharp as what you filmed. The one case where it cannot is a project reopened from disk: the project file carries the preview copy, not the recording, since a phone video would make it enormous. The export dialog tells you when that has happened and offers to re-link the original.