cycle-atlas/.agents/skills/after-effects/references/export-recipes.md

Export Recipes — Codec, Container, Alpha, Bitrate

Pick the correct codec, container, alpha handling, and bitrate for a given delivery target, and avoid the classic failures: black backgrounds where transparency was expected, H.264 that vanished from the Render Queue, and bloated or muddy files.

The two export engines

After Effects has two output paths. Choosing the wrong one is the root of most export confusion.

• Render Queue (RQ) — Composition > Add to Render Queue. Best for mastering/intermediate formats: ProRes, image sequences, lossless, alpha. Renders inside AE.
• Adobe Media Encoder (AME) — Composition > Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue (or the RQ "Queue in AME" button). Best for delivery/compressed formats: H.264 MP4, H.265, social presets. Renders in a separate app so AE stays usable.

Why H.264 disappeared from the Render Queue: Since AE CC 2014/2015, Adobe removed the native H.264, H.264 Blu-ray, and MPEG-2 output modules from the RQ. To make an MP4, use AME — not the RQ. There is no setting to restore it in the RQ; that workflow is intentional.

Decision tree

Need transparency (alpha) in the final file?
├─ YES, for an editor/compositor (NLE)      → ProRes 4444 (.mov), RGB+Alpha, RQ
│   └─ smaller, still alpha?                 → PNG sequence or TIFF sequence (RGB+Alpha)
├─ YES, for the web/browser                  → dual export:
│     • HEVC with alpha (.mov, Safari/iOS)
│     • VP9/WebM with alpha (Chrome/Firefox/Edge)
└─ NO alpha needed
    ├─ Final delivery / upload (YouTube, social, client review) → H.264 MP4 via AME
    ├─ Editorial / intermediate / grading       → ProRes 422 HQ or 422 (.mov), RQ
    ├─ Mastering / archival, highest fidelity    → ProRes 4444 or lossless / image seq
    └─ Tiny looping clip, limited colors         → GIF (via AME / Photoshop), or WebM

Transparency — the black background problem

H.264/MP4 cannot store an alpha channel. Exporting a comp with transparent areas to H.264 always fills them with black (or white). This is the single most common export complaint and it is not a bug.

To actually keep transparency:

1. Use a format that supports alpha: ProRes 4444, PNG/TIFF sequence, HEVC-with-alpha, or VP9/WebM-with-alpha.
2. In the RQ Output Module, set Channels: RGB + Alpha and Depth to Millions of Colors+ (the "+" is the alpha).
3. Choose a matte type: Premultiplied (Matted with color) for most cases; Straight (Unmatted) if the compositor explicitly wants straight alpha. Straight alpha avoids dark/light fringing on edges when re-composited, but only some apps import it cleanly.

For web transparent video, no single file plays everywhere. Ship two and use the HTML <video> element with multiple <source> tags: HEVC-alpha for Safari/iOS, VP9/WebM-alpha for Chromium/Firefox.

Bitrate guidance (H.264 via AME)

Set in AME Export Settings → Video → Bitrate Settings.

• Encoding: VBR, 2 pass (better quality per byte than CBR or 1-pass).
• 1080p30: Target ~10–16 Mbps, Max ~20 Mbps.
• 1080p60: Target ~16–24 Mbps.
• 4K30: Target ~35–45 Mbps, Max ~55 Mbps.
• 4K60: Target ~50–68 Mbps.
• Higher target/max for high-motion or grainy footage; lower for flat graphics/motion design.
• For uploading to YouTube/Vimeo, lean to the high end — the platform re-encodes, so feed it a clean, high-bitrate master rather than over-compressing twice.

Quick reference

Target	Engine	Codec / Container	Channels	Bitrate / Notes
YouTube / Vimeo upload	AME	H.264 .mp4	RGB	VBR 2-pass, 1080p ~16 Mbps / 4K ~45 Mbps
Instagram / TikTok / Reels	AME	H.264 .mp4	RGB	1080×1920 or 1080×1080, ~10–14 Mbps
Client review	AME	H.264 .mp4	RGB	VBR 2-pass ~10–16 Mbps
Editorial / hand to editor	RQ	ProRes 422 HQ .mov	RGB	Mezzanine; large but edit-friendly
Mastering / grading	RQ	ProRes 4444 .mov	RGB(+A)	Highest fidelity, optional alpha
Transparency → NLE	RQ	ProRes 4444 .mov	RGB+Alpha	Millions+; premultiplied usually
Transparency → frames	RQ	PNG or TIFF sequence	RGB+Alpha	Lossless per-frame, robust
Transparent web (Safari)	AME/RQ	HEVC w/ alpha .mov	RGB+Alpha	Pair with VP9 below
Transparent web (Chrome)	AME/3rd-party	VP9 / WebM w/ alpha	RGB+Alpha	yuva420p alpha mode
Looping clip, few colors	AME/PS	GIF or WebM	—	GIF = large/limited; prefer WebM
Archival lossless	RQ	Lossless / PNG seq	RGB(+A)	Huge files

Gotchas

• H.264 in the RQ is gone — use AME. Don't search for a missing module.
• Black background = wrong codec. Switching matte/straight settings won't help if the codec has no alpha. Change the codec first.
• "Millions of Colors" has no alpha; "Millions of Colors+" does. The + is the alpha channel in RQ Depth.
• ProRes on Windows is fully supported for export in modern AE; no extra codec install needed.
• GIF is rarely the right answer — large files, dithered color, no real alpha softness. Prefer WebM/VP9 or short H.264 loops.
• Don't double-compress. Master to ProRes/lossless, then make one H.264 from that — not H.264 from H.264.
• AME "Match Source" presets can silently downscale or drop the bitrate; verify resolution and bitrate before queuing.
• Render multiple outputs efficiently: in the RQ, one render item can have several Output Modules (e.g. ProRes master + PNG seq) from a single render pass.

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Codec & Export Matrix — Detailed Reference

ProRes family — when to use which

Variant	Use for	Alpha	Relative size
ProRes 422 Proxy	Offline edit, rough cuts	No	Smallest
ProRes 422 LT	Lightweight editorial	No	Small
ProRes 422	General editorial	No	Medium
ProRes 422 HQ	High-quality editorial / delivery to editor	No	Large
ProRes 4444	Mastering, grading, transparency	Yes	Larger
ProRes 4444 XQ	Highest fidelity, HDR, max-quality alpha	Yes	Largest

Rule of thumb: hand an editor 422 HQ; master/keep alpha with 4444.

Full target → settings matrix

Delivery target	Engine	Container	Codec	Resolution	Channels / Depth	Bitrate / Quality	Audio
YouTube 1080p	AME	.mp4	H.264	1920×1080	RGB, 8-bit	VBR 2-pass, Tgt 16 / Max 20 Mbps	AAC 320 kbps 48 kHz
YouTube 4K	AME	.mp4	H.264	3840×2160	RGB, 8-bit	VBR 2-pass, Tgt 45 / Max 55 Mbps	AAC 384 kbps
Vimeo 1080p	AME	.mp4	H.264	1920×1080	RGB	VBR 2-pass, Tgt 20 Mbps	AAC 320 kbps
Instagram Feed	AME	.mp4	H.264	1080×1080 or 1080×1350	RGB	~10–12 Mbps	AAC 128–256 kbps
Instagram Reels / TikTok	AME	.mp4	H.264	1080×1920	RGB	~12–14 Mbps	AAC 256 kbps
X / Twitter	AME	.mp4	H.264	1280×720 or 1080p	RGB	~6–10 Mbps	AAC
Broadcast delivery	RQ	.mov	ProRes 422 HQ	as spec (often 1080i/p)	RGB, 10-bit	—	PCM 48 kHz
Editorial handoff	RQ	.mov	ProRes 422 HQ	comp size	RGB	—	PCM
Color grading master	RQ	.mov	ProRes 4444	comp size	RGB, 12-bit	—	PCM
VFX plate / alpha to NLE	RQ	.mov	ProRes 4444	comp size	RGB+Alpha, Millions+	premultiplied	—
Compositing frames	RQ	seq	PNG or 16-bit TIFF	comp size	RGB+Alpha	lossless	—
EXR for VFX pipeline	RQ	seq	OpenEXR	comp size	RGB+Alpha, 32-bit float	linear/ACES	—
Transparent web (Apple)	AME or RQ	.mov	HEVC w/ alpha	comp size	RGB+Alpha	quality ~ 60–80%	optional
Transparent web (Chrome)	3rd-party/ffmpeg	.webm	VP9 (yuva420p)	comp size	RGB+Alpha	CRF ~30	optional
Animated icon / loop	AME or PS	.gif / .webm	GIF / VP9	small	indexed / RGBA	minimize frames	—

Transparency — step by step

ProRes 4444 with alpha (Render Queue)

1. Composition > Add to Render Queue.
2. Click the blue Output Module text.
3. Format: QuickTime. Click Format Options → Codec: Apple ProRes 4444.
4. Channels: RGB + Alpha. Depth: Millions of Colors+.
5. Color: Premultiplied (Matted) for most uses; choose Straight (Unmatted) only if the downstream app asks for straight alpha.
6. Set Output To path, then Render.

PNG / TIFF sequence with alpha (Render Queue)

1. Add to RQ → Output Module.
2. Format: PNG Sequence (or TIFF Sequence).
3. Channels: RGB + Alpha, Depth Millions of Colors+ (PNG) or 16-bit (TIFF).
4. Output To a dedicated empty folder — sequences write one file per frame.

HEVC with alpha (Apple/Safari)

• In AME, choose H.265 (HEVC) and enable an alpha/transparency option where available, or use the QuickTime HEVC export with RGB+Alpha. Verify playback in Safari; Chrome will not show its alpha.

VP9 / WebM with alpha (Chrome)

• AME does not reliably produce alpha WebM. Render a ProRes 4444 or PNG sequence from AE, then encode with ffmpeg:
  • ffmpeg -i master.mov -c:v libvpx-vp9 -pix_fmt yuva420p -b:v 0 -crf 30 out.webm
  • yuva420p is the alpha-carrying pixel format; without it WebM has no transparency.

HTML for cross-browser transparent video

<video autoplay loop muted playsinline>
  <source src="clip.mov"  type="video/quicktime">   <!-- HEVC alpha, Safari/iOS -->
  <source src="clip.webm" type="video/webm">         <!-- VP9 alpha, Chrome/Firefox -->
</video>

Alpha matte types explained

• Straight (Unmatted): color stored independent of alpha; cleanest edges when re-composited, but fewer apps import correctly.
• Premultiplied (Matted with color): color blended with a matte color (usually black). Most compatible; can show fringing if the wrong matte color is assumed downstream.
• When in doubt for NLE handoff, premultiplied with black is the safe default.

AME preset cautions

• Match Source – High bitrate can downscale to the source clip rather than the comp; confirm output resolution.
• Always check VBR 2-pass is selected for final masters; presets sometimes default to 1-pass.
• Use Render at Maximum Depth and Use Maximum Render Quality for scaling-heavy comps (slower but cleaner).
• For social verticals, set the resolution explicitly — don't trust a 16:9 preset.

Bitrate cheat sheet (H.264 VBR 2-pass)

Resolution / fps	Target Mbps	Max Mbps
720p30	5–8	10
1080p30	10–16	20
1080p60	16–24	30
4K30	35–45	55
4K60	50–68	80