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This feature is currently in beta. Full rollout is coming soon.

But we’re already prepping a guide for you :)
Our new Motion Banners allow producers to replace the standard still hero banner on an album release with a short looping video. Motion banners are designed to add movement to the release header while keeping playback smooth across desktop and mobile devices. It brings an immersive experience for the guest while scrolling through a release’s page. When no custom banner is provided, GALLERY+ automatically uses the release’s standard blurred-image fallback or a chosen image, if provided. If a compatible video banner is provided, GALLERY+ automatically recognizes it as a Motion Banner and plays it in the release hero.

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Delivery format & specifications

For the best compatibility and performance, Motion Banners should be delivered as:
  • File format: MP4
  • Video codec: H.264 / AVC
  • Resolution: HD - 1920 × 1080 or similar (recommended)
  • Aspect ratio: any (however, 9:16 and 16:9 highly recommended)
While you may upload one unified format of any aspect ratio you would like, it is essential to understand that if you’d like your video to stand out more, submit an aspect ratio between regular Phone device dimensions and Desktop device dimensions.
  • Frame rate: 24, 25, or 30 fps
  • Audio: No audio track (highly recommended)
  • Playback: Designed to autoplay and loop continuously. No harsh special effects or editing to respect different viewers.
  • Length: Not longer than 30-40 seconds unless it fits under 100MB in size
  • Progressive download/web optimized: Recommended
Although we may recognize other video extensions such as MOV, WebM, and M4V - different browsers support those video formats differently, meaning that not all browsers guarantee to play your video.

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That being said, MP4 encoded with H.264 is the best, preferred delivery format because it provides the most reliable playback across browsers and devices for short video assets like our Motion Banners.

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Keep Motion Banners lightweight

A Motion Banner is not intended to function like a full-length video release.
Because it begins loading alongside the album interface, images, fonts, and other release assets, unnecessarily large Motion Banner files may increase loading times and place additional memory pressure on mobile devices. That same thing may happen with the Motion Banner ON the release page, which can cause a webpage to crash, refresh non-stop, buffer the entire release, etc. For this reason, producers should avoid submitting:
  • very high-bitrate exports
  • 4K video (UNLESS it is below 100MB in size)
  • long video clips
  • uncompressed or production-master files
  • videos containing unnecessary audio tracks
  • excessively large Adobe Express, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, or similar direct exports
Instead, export a dedicated web version of the banner. A short, optimized 1080p H.264 MP4 will generally provide a better experience than a much larger source-quality file. Motion Banners should generally be designed as short seamless loops. A practical target is approximately 15-20 seconds, although the exact duration may vary depending on the creative concept. You may upload an asset 30-40 seconds or longer as long as it fits under 100MB in size Shorter loops:
  • begin playback faster
  • use less bandwidth
  • reduce device memory usage
  • recover more easily on slower connections
  • create a more consistent experience on mobile devices
The end of the animation should ideally transition naturally back into the beginning so the loop does not feel abrupt.

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Audio

Motion Banners should normally be delivered without audio. GALLERY+ Motion Banners autoplay in a muted state because modern browsers generally restrict autoplaying video with sound. Removing the audio track entirely also reduces file size and avoids downloading audio data that will not normally be heard. Music, dialogue, or other important audio should instead be included in the release’s actual video content rather than the Motion Banner.

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Safe-area and composition

Motion Banners use a cover-style layout, meaning the video may be cropped slightly depending on the viewer’s screen size. Desktop monitors, phones, tablets, and landscape devices all have different aspect ratios. Producers should therefore avoid placing important information directly along the outer edges of the frame. Preferably, keep important subjects, faces, logos, and visual action closer to the central portion of the composition. The Motion Banner should also be designed with the release interface in mind, meaning that it must tie to the theme of the release. Avoid baking important text directly into the Motion Banner unless it is intentionally part of the visual design.

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Release title artwork

The Motion Banner and the Release Title Logo are separate assets. Uploading a Motion Banner does not change the release title artwork behavior. If a custom Release Title Logo is supplied, it continues to appear over the Motion Banner in the same way it would over a still banner. This allows producers to combine: Motion Banner video + transparent Release Title Logo + GALLERY+ release metadata for a more cinematic presentation.

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Prohibited in Motion Banners

While we highly appreciate the talent and everything that goes behind the creation of your motion banner, we do not permit the following in the deliveries of them:
  • Logos of any kind not associated with the release
  • Any kind of text that is duplicated onto every frame in the video (and end of the video credit with the author’s name is OK.)
  • Any copyrighted materials***
  • Any trademarked materials***
  • Anything else not permitted above
***- In case you have permission to use copyrighted or trademarked materials in your video, we require that you submit an official form of approval from the rights holder. Only after we verify and process your claim can your video with those materials can be approved for ingestion.

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Export recommendations

When exporting from applications such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Media Encoder, DaVinci Resolve, or similar software, use a web-oriented H.264 preset rather than a mastering preset. A typical export may use: Format: MP4
Codec: H.264
Resolution: 1920 × 1080
Frame rate: Same as source, preferably 24–30 fps
Audio: Disabled
Scan: Progressive
Bitrate: Moderate web-delivery bitrate
Color: SDR unless otherwise coordinated with GALLERY+ Avoid exporting Motion Banners as ProRes, uncompressed MOV, or other large mezzanine formats for direct delivery to the release. Those formats are useful during production but are unnecessarily heavy for a looping website banner.

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What happens if the Motion Banner does not load?

GALLERY+ album releases are designed so the Motion Banner is not required for the release itself to function. If a video banner fails, takes too long to become available, or cannot be decoded by the viewer’s browser, the release can fall back to the album’s standard image-based hero presentation. This prevents a Motion Banner problem from blocking access to the underlying release.

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Still banners remain supported

Producers are not required to use a Motion Banner. A release may use: No custom banner
GALLERY+ generates the existing blurred-image hero treatment from album media. Still banner
A supplied image is displayed as the custom hero banner. G+ Motion Banner
A supplied compatible video becomes the looping hero background. The rest of the album release experience remains the same. Before submitting a G+ Motion Banner, confirm that:
  • the file is an MP4
  • the video uses H.264
  • the resolution is approximately 1920 × 1080
  • the file is reasonably compressed
  • the clip is short
  • the video loops cleanly
  • no essential content sits directly against the frame edges
  • there is no unnecessary audio track
  • the file plays correctly in a normal web browser
  • the Motion Banner is a separate asset from the Release Title Logo

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Need help?

If you are unsure whether your Motion Banner is suitable for delivery, submit the file or its specifications through the GALLERY+ Help Center before release publication. GALLERY+ can review the delivery format and help identify compatibility or performance issues before the Motion Banner is published.