---
name: ffmpeg-karaoke-animated-text
description: |
  Complete karaoke subtitle system and advanced animated text effects.
  PROACTIVELY activate for: (1) Karaoke-style highlighted lyrics, (2) ASS/SSA advanced subtitle styling, (3) Scrolling credits (horizontal/vertical), (4) Typewriter text animation, (5) Bouncing/moving text, (6) Text fade in/out effects, (7) Word-by-word text reveal, (8) Kinetic typography, (9) Lower thirds animation, (10) Countdown timers and dynamic text.
  Provides: ASS karaoke timing format, drawtext with time expressions, scrolling text patterns, text animation formulas, kinetic typography techniques, subtitle styling reference, multi-line animated text.
---

## CRITICAL GUIDELINES

### Windows File Path Requirements

**MANDATORY: Always Use Backslashes on Windows for File Paths**

When using Edit or Write tools on Windows, you MUST use backslashes (`\`) in file paths, NOT forward slashes (`/`).

---

# FFmpeg Karaoke & Animated Text

Use this skill for karaoke subtitles, kinetic typography, scrolling credits, animated lower thirds, typewriter text, timers, and dynamic text overlays. Keep answers practical: identify whether ASS or `drawtext` is the right tool, provide a copy-paste-ready command or ASS snippet, and call out timing units.

## Quick Reference

| Effect | Pattern |
|--------|---------|
| Karaoke ASS | Use ASS format with `\k`, `\kf`, or `\ko` timing tags |
| Burn karaoke | `ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "ass=karaoke.ass" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -c:a copy output.mp4` |
| Scrolling credits | `-vf "drawtext=textfile=credits.txt:y=h-80*t"` |
| Typewriter | Stagger `drawtext` layers with `enable='gte(t,...)'` |
| Fade in text | `-vf "drawtext=text='Title':alpha='min(1,t/2)'"` |
| Bouncing text | `-vf "drawtext=text='Bounce':y='h/2+50*sin(t*5)'"` |
| Moving text | `-vf "drawtext=text='Move':x='w-mod(t*100,w+tw)'"` |
| Rotation | Use ASS (`\frz`, `\frx`, `\fry`); `drawtext` does not rotate text natively |

## When to Use This Skill

Use for animated text and karaoke:

- Music video lyrics with karaoke highlighting
- Movie-style scrolling credits
- Animated titles and lower thirds
- Typewriter text reveal
- Kinetic typography and word pops
- Countdown timers, stopwatches, frame counters, timecode overlays
- Multi-line text and textfile-driven overlays

## Tool Choice: ASS vs drawtext

| Need | Best Tool | Why |
|------|-----------|-----|
| Word/syllable karaoke highlighting | ASS | Native `\k`, `\kf`, `\ko` support |
| Styled subtitles with outline/glow/rotation | ASS | Rich subtitle styling and transform tags |
| Simple overlay text | `drawtext` | Fast, direct FFmpeg filter |
| Timecode, frame numbers, metadata text | `drawtext` | Built-in variable expansion |
| Scrolling credits/news tickers | `drawtext` | Straightforward position expressions |
| Per-word kinetic captions | ASS or multiple `drawtext` layers | ASS is easier for rotation/scale; drawtext is direct for formula motion |

---

## CRITICAL: ASS Time Unit Reference

**ASS uses TWO DIFFERENT time unit systems. This is a common source of bugs.** Karaoke tags use centiseconds; ASS animation tags use milliseconds; FFmpeg `drawtext` expressions use seconds.

### Karaoke Tags = CENTISECONDS (1/100 second)

| Tag | Unit | Example | Duration |
|-----|------|---------|----------|
| `\k` | centiseconds | `{\k50}` | 0.5 seconds |
| `\kf` | centiseconds | `{\kf100}` | 1.0 second |
| `\ko` | centiseconds | `{\ko25}` | 0.25 seconds |

Conversion: `seconds * 100 = centiseconds`.

### Animation Tags = MILLISECONDS (1/1000 second)

| Tag | Unit | Example | Duration |
|-----|------|---------|----------|
| `\t(t1,t2,...)` | milliseconds | `\t(0,500,...)` | 0-500ms animation |
| `\fad(in,out)` | milliseconds | `\fad(200,300)` | 200ms in, 300ms out |
| `\move(x1,y1,x2,y2,t1,t2)` | milliseconds | `\move(0,0,100,100,0,1000)` | 1 second move |

Conversion: `seconds * 1000 = milliseconds`.

### FFmpeg drawtext = SECONDS

| Expression | Unit | Example |
|------------|------|---------|
| `t` | seconds | `t=2.5` means 2.5 seconds |
| `enable='between(t,0,3)'` | seconds | visible from 0-3 seconds |
| `alpha='min(1,t/2)'` | seconds | fade over 2 seconds |

### Common Mistake

```ass
; WRONG - mixing units:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.00,0:00:02.00,Style,,0,0,0,,{\k100\t(0,100,...)}Word
; {\k100} = 1 second, but \t(0,100,...) = 0.1 seconds

; CORRECT - matched duration:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.00,0:00:02.00,Style,,0,0,0,,{\k100\t(0,1000,...)}Word
```

For the full timing-unit reference, use `ffmpeg-animation-timing-reference`.

---

## Karaoke Core Pattern

```ass
[Script Info]
ScriptType: v4.00+
PlayResX: 1920
PlayResY: 1080

[V4+ Styles]
Format: Name, Fontname, Fontsize, PrimaryColour, SecondaryColour, OutlineColour, BackColour, Bold, Italic, Underline, StrikeOut, ScaleX, ScaleY, Spacing, Angle, BorderStyle, Outline, Shadow, Alignment, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Encoding
Style: Karaoke,Arial,72,&H00FFFFFF,&H000000FF,&H00000000,&H80000000,1,0,0,0,100,100,0,0,1,3,2,2,10,10,50,1

[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.00,0:00:05.00,Karaoke,,0,0,0,,{\k50}Twinkle {\k50}twinkle {\k50}little {\k50}star
```

Burn into video:

```bash
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "ass=karaoke.ass" \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -c:a copy \
  output_karaoke.mp4
```

For advanced styles, neon/gradient karaoke, per-character timing, and animated karaoke transforms, see `references/karaoke-ass-patterns.md`.

## drawtext Core Patterns

```bash
# Fade in title over 2 seconds
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "drawtext=text='Title':fontsize=100:fontcolor=white:x=(w-tw)/2:y=(h-th)/2:alpha='min(1,t/2)'" \
  output.mp4

# Vertical bounce
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "drawtext=text='BOUNCE':fontsize=80:fontcolor=yellow:x=(w-tw)/2:y='(h-th)/2+50*sin(t*5)'" \
  bounce.mp4

# Scroll credits upward at 80px/sec
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "drawtext=textfile=credits.txt:fontsize=48:fontcolor=white:x=(w-tw)/2:y=h-80*t" \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 output.mp4
```

For spring/elastic/wobble formulas, typewriter effects, lower thirds, countdowns, stopwatches, metadata overlays, and multi-line text, see `references/drawtext-animation-recipes.md`.

## Workflow

1. **Choose ASS or drawtext** using the tool-choice table.
2. **Verify timing units** before writing tags or expressions.
3. **Probe input when needed** (`ffprobe`) to confirm duration, frame rate, and resolution.
4. **Set output encoding explicitly** when burning text (`-c:v libx264 -crf 18`, audio copy only when compatible).
5. **Use short test renders** (`-ss`, `-t`) before rendering a full music video or credit roll.
6. **Check readability**: karaoke should track words within ~30ms; captions need enough display time; scrolling credits should move slowly enough to read.

## Reference Map

- `references/karaoke-ass-patterns.md` - ASS karaoke basics, `\k` / `\kf` / `\ko`, BPM timing, tag selection, neon/gradient styles, per-character karaoke, ASS color format, animated karaoke effects.
- `references/drawtext-animation-recipes.md` - Spring bounce, elastic overshoot, easing approximations, wobble/wiggle, pulse, wipes, typewriter, fades, moving text, kinetic typography, lower thirds, countdowns, stopwatches, dynamic variables, multi-line text.
- `references/scrolling-credits-and-expressions.md` - Music/education/credits timing, vertical credits, horizontal tickers, ASS rotation workaround, `drawtext` variables and expression cookbook.

## Related Skills

- `ffmpeg-animation-timing-reference` - Timing units, caption durations, easing, sync tolerances
- `ffmpeg-captions-subtitles` - Subtitle fundamentals, extraction, burn-in, styling
- `ffmpeg-kinetic-captions` - Word-level pop/bounce/grow caption effects
- `viral-video-animated-captions` - Social-video caption templates
- `ffmpeg-shapes-graphics` - Boxes, backgrounds, graphic overlays
- `ffmpeg-transitions-effects` - xfade and video transitions


---
Source attribution: JosiahSiegel
Original project: https://github.com/JosiahSiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace/blob/5a1b1123b9e50aa9a66a61005ca6fe012cc7442d/plugins/ffmpeg-effects/skills/ffmpeg-karaoke-animated-text/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Josiah Siegel

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.




# Dave AI resource metadata

Creator / publisher: JosiahSiegel
Original project: https://github.com/JosiahSiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace/blob/5a1b1123b9e50aa9a66a61005ca6fe012cc7442d/plugins/ffmpeg-effects/skills/ffmpeg-karaoke-animated-text/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Recovered original package and original project license at a pinned revision

Fields of work: Content & Media, Design, Marketing
Roles: Content Marketer, Graphic Designer, Video Producer
Specialties: Specialty not specified
Tools: FFmpeg
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: 4fd4fd9f20adc744f2862c2b57fcb915f8d743b50413335f6d7d87e8ed331307
Metadata reviewed: 2026-10-27
This metadata supersedes earlier Dave AI catalog attribution. Original instruction and supporting files are preserved.