Glossary
What is B-roll on YouTube?
By Founder @ Hookquill · Updated
B-roll: B-roll is supplementary footage shown over the main audio of a video. It gives the viewer something relevant to look at while you keep talking.
B-roll, explained
When you talk to a camera for more than a few seconds, viewers get restless. B-roll solves that problem. It is any shot that plays while your voice continues underneath. You might show a close up of your hands working, a screen recording, or a wide shot of the place you are describing. The goal is to match what the viewer hears with something they can see.
Mechanically, it works as a layer. Your main audio track stays unbroken. The editor places the extra footage on top of it. In a script, you mark exactly where this footage should appear so the edit matches the words. A simple bracketed note before a line tells the editor what to cover the screen with and when to cut back to your face.
People often confuse B-roll with A-roll. A-roll is the primary footage, usually you speaking directly to the lens. B-roll is everything else that supports it. It also differs from a voiceover. A voiceover is an audio technique where narration plays without a visible speaker. B-roll is strictly the visual layer placed over any audio, whether that audio is a voiceover or live dialogue from your A-roll.
Used well, B-roll acts as a pattern interrupt. Every time the image changes, the viewer gets a small reset that keeps their attention. But it has to be relevant. Random stock footage played over unrelated sentences feels like filler. The best B-roll shows exactly what you are currently saying, or sets up a detail you are about to explain.
An example
[B-roll: Screen recording of Task Manager opening] Most of these programs start the second you turn on your computer. [B-roll: Mouse clicking the disable button on three specific apps] You only need the ones you actually use every single day. Go through this list right now. If you cannot remember the last time you opened an app, disable it. [B-roll: Laptop booting up quickly to the desktop] Your machine will thank you tomorrow morning.
How to use it in your scripts
- Write your visual cues in brackets directly above the spoken line they belong to. This tells the editor exactly which words the footage needs to cover.
- Only call for B-roll when the visuals add information. If the shot does not help the viewer understand the sentence, stay on your face instead.
- Keep individual B-roll clips short. A few seconds per shot is usually enough before you cut back to your A-roll or switch to another angle.
- Plan your B-roll during the scripting phase rather than hunting for it after the video is edited. Knowing what you need to film saves hours later.
- Use B-roll to hide cuts in your A-roll. If you removed a mistake or a pause, covering the edit point with relevant footage makes the jump invisible.
Questions
Do I need expensive gear to shoot B-roll?
No. Most creators shoot B-roll on the same phone or camera they use for their main footage. What matters is that the shot is steady and clearly shows the thing you are talking about. A simple tripod or a stack of books works fine for keeping the frame still.
Can I use free stock footage as B-roll?
You can, but it needs to match exactly what you are saying. Generic clips of people typing or walking feel disconnected if your script is about something specific. Your own footage, even if it is imperfect, almost always connects better with the viewer because it is real.
How much B-roll should a video have?
There is no fixed rule. Some tutorials rely on it for almost the entire runtime, while a story driven video might only use it for a few seconds here and there. Let the script decide. If a section needs visual support to make sense, write the cue. If it does not, leave it out.