How Do You Put A Watermark on A Video?

In 2025, a watermark is an excellent approach to secure your video content. A watermark is an obvious text or emblem on your video indicating ownership. Embedding your brand or identity into the video helps prevent illegal use and guarantees that your work is identified wherever it ends up. When your videos are distributed online, this not only protects your intellectual property but also increases brand exposure.

But how do you put a watermark on a video? And more importantly, what does it mean for your brand, and how can you do it well?

In this post, we will explore how to put a watermark on a video and why it is important.

In this article:

• Why You Should Watermark Your Videos
• Adding a Watermark to Your Video
• Can You Remove a Watermark On A Video?
• Best Practices for Using Watermarks on A Video

Why You Should Watermark Your Videos

Multiple reasons make watermarking your videos important, particularly in the AI boom. Some of these reasons include:

• Protect Copyright: One of the best strategies to stop the illegal distribution of your content is watermarking. It clearly claims ownership, so others can’t pass off your work as their own. This is especially important if your material is posted extensively online.
• Prevent AI Misuse: Watermarking helps protect your intellectual property from being exploited in AI-generated material without authorization as AI technologies capable of creating or altering video content become more widely utilized.
• Discourage Theft: Watermarks prevent content thieves, making it more difficult for them to take and distribute your films without appropriate attribution.
• Brand Promotion: Including your logo or name as a watermark helps to raise brand recognition. Your watermark guarantees viewers of your video know the source, even if it is shared without acknowledgment.
• Forensic Tracking: Some watermarks can include invisible tracking data that lets you discover where and how your material is being shared, providing a layer of security beyond their obvious presence.

Adding a Watermark to Your Video

Putting a watermark on your videos is an important way to protect your material and promote your brand. But how do you put a watermark on a video?

Cloudinary’s powerful video transformation tools make it easy to add a label to your videos without having to use complicated software. The following is an easy-to-follow tutorial to get you started.

Step 1: Choose Your Video

First, select the video you want to add a watermark to. Then, go to your Cloudinary account’s Media Library and click the Upload option to add your video. You can now select a video file and save it safely in your account. It will then be ready to be changed.

Step 2: Designing Your Watermark

Next, get the picture label you want to put on top of the video ready. This could be your company badge or any other image that shows what your brand is all about. For a professional look, make sure the picture has a transparent background (a PNG file works best). Follow the same steps you used for the video to add this picture to your Cloudinary account.

Step 3: Positioning Your Watermark on the Video

Now that both your video and the watermark picture have been shared, you can add the watermark to your video. To add effects, Cloudinary uses transformation URL-based changes. Here’s how to put together the URL:

Basic Video URL Structure:

https://res.cloudinary.com/your_cloud_name/video/upload/your_video.mp4

Replace your Cloudinary account name for your_cloud_name and your_video.mp4 with the public ID of your uploaded video.

Add the Watermark Overlay

Add the following overlay parameter: l_watermark; watermark is the public ID of your watermark picture;

https://res.cloudinary.com/your_cloud_name/video/upload/l_watermark/your_video.mp4

Position the Watermark

Place the watermark using offset values and gravity. For instance, to put it with some padding in the bottom-right corner:

https://res.cloudinary.com/your_cloud_name/video/upload/l_watermark,g_south_east,x_10,y_10/your_video.mp4

• g_south_east puts the watermark toward the bottom right.
• x_10 and y_10 include a 10-pixel margin from the edges.

Adjust Watermark Size and Opacity

The watermark can be scaled, and its transparency changed:

https://res.cloudinary.com/your_cloud_name/video/upload/l_watermark,w_100,o_60,g_south_east,x_10,y_10/your_video.mp4

• w_100 assigns the watermark’s width to one hundred pixels.
• o_60 sets the opacity for our watermark at 60%.

Step 4: Exporting Your Watermarked Video

Your watermarked video is available after you’ve built the URL with your preferred changes. You can view the video with the watermark added by clicking the URL in your web browser or embedding it into your projects.

To see the video:

• Launch the URL in your browser.
• Right-click on the video and choose Save Video As or utilize the download choice your browser offers.
• Save the video in the place you choose.

Your custom watermark is now on your video, making your business more visible and preventing the use of your content without your permission.

Can You Remove A Watermark On A Video?

Not unless you own the video. But you can change your own content.

Removing a watermark from a video you do not own is unlawful and against the creator’s rights. Watermarks are included to honor ownership and protect content. Removing them without permission is immoral and could cause legal action.

On the other hand, if you own the video and have to replace or remove your own watermark, some video editing tools have. This might be crucial if you are rebranding or if the watermark was placed erroneously.

Best Practices for Using Watermarks on a Video

• Keep It Subtle: Show the watermark but avoid distracting elements. Change the transparency so the primary material isn’t overshadowed.
• Choose the Right Position: Use a consistent spot, generally a corner, where the watermark won’t hide significant images.
• Use High-Quality Images: Use high-quality photos to ensure your watermark is professional and clear. A pixelated or low-resolution picture can reduce the quality of your video.
• Incorporate Branding: Watermarks aren’t just for protecting your content. Using your branding or logos can help remind viewers where videos come from or where to get more information.
• Maintain Consistency: Use the same watermark design on every video to establish a coherent brand identity.
• Optimize Size and Scale: The watermark should be big enough to be seen but not so huge that it would become obtrusive.
• Protect Critical Content: Position the watermark over regions that are difficult to erase without compromising the video, discouraging illegal usage.
• Test on Several Devices: To guarantee that the watermark works on all systems, see how it shows on several displays.
• Respect Legal Boundaries: Just view watermark videos you own or have rights to. Never apply watermarks to anything created by others without authorization.
• Update Your Watermark: If your branding changes, keep your material updated by matching the new picture in your watermark.

Wrapping Up

By adding watermarks to your videos, you can protect your content and build your brand’s identity. Cloudinary provides the tools necessary to create a seamless experience, whether you need to optimize photographs, streamline videos, or manage a complicated digital media collection. Watermarks have a dual purpose: they prevent your work from being used without your permission and increase brand awareness with each watch of your video.

Go ahead and revamp your approach to digital media. Create a free account to get started with Cloudinary’s powerful media management and transformation tools. With Cloudinary, you can easily protect your work and boost your company’s exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it easy to remove a watermark?

If you don’t own the video, removing the watermark is unethical and illegal. The purpose of watermarks is to protect information and show who owns it. Intellectual property laws say that you can’t take them down without permission. If you try to do so, you could face serious legal consequences.

What are Watermarks For?

Putting a watermark on digital material prevents people from using it without permission. Watermarks show who owns the video and help prevent people from stealing it. Additionally, watermarks help people remember your brand by showing your image or name in all of your videos.

How Can You Make a Watermark?

You can use graphic design software or online tools to create a stamp. Create a simple word or image that represents your brand. Save the stamp in a file like PNG with a clear background so that it can be added to top of your videos without obscuring what’s underneath.