Display metadata as overlays

Last updated on Apr 1, 2026

Find metadata types and display options available for Program Monitor and Source Monitor overlays in Adobe Premiere.

Consult this reference when configuring overlay settings to verify available metadata fields, understand display options, or compare overlay capabilities across different viewing modes.

Monitor overlays display in Composite Video mode only and are accessed through the wrench icon in the Program Monitor or Source Monitor.

Available metadata fields

The following metadata can be displayed as monitor overlays in Premiere:

Metadata type

Description

Display behavior

Source Timecode

Original source clip timecode value

Updates dynamically with playhead position; displays for each video track (V1, V2, V3) and audio track (A1, A2, A3)

Sequence Timecode

Current sequence timecode position

Updates dynamically with playhead position

Marker comments

Comments from clip and sequence markers

Displays marker name concatenated with comment text; clip markers show individual tracks, sequence markers display as single overlay

Sequence Clip Name

Name of clip as it appears in sequence

Static display while playhead is within clip boundaries

Project Clip Name

Original clip name from Project panel

Static display while playhead is within clip boundaries

File Name

Source file name on disk

Static display while playhead is within clip boundaries

Sound Timecode

Frame-accurate audio timecode

Updates dynamically with each frame like standard timecode

Sound Roll

Audio roll identifier

Static value; does not update during playback

Multi-Camera Sources

Camera angle identifiers

Displays track names, clip names, or camera numbers based on Create Multi-Camera Source Sequence settings

Edit point and media indicators

Visual indicators appear automatically when enabled in Overlay Settings:

Indicator type

Visual appearance

Trigger condition

Edit Point Indicators

Yellow angular brackets at bottom edge

Playhead positioned on In or Out point of any clip

End of Sequence

Purple frame along right edge

Playhead extends beyond last frame of sequence

End of Media

Striped column along edge

Playhead on first frame (left edge) or last frame (right edge) of clip with no adjacent media

Display settings

Text appearance controls

Setting

Options

Effect

Text Size

Small, Medium, Large

Controls font size for all overlay text; large sizes may truncate in limited space

Opacity

1% to 100%

Determines overlay transparency; 1% nearly transparent, 100% fully opaque

Playback and transmission options

Option

Function

Enable Overlays During Playback

Displays overlays while footage plays; disabled shows overlays only when paused or scrubbing

Enable Overlays For Transmit

Sends overlay display to external monitors via hardware transmission

Safe margin settings

Action and Title Safe Area overlays define broadcast-safe zones for video content:

Safe margin type

Purpose

Action Safe

Defines visible area on television displays; content outside this boundary may not appear on TV screens

Title Safe

Restricts text and titles to area that won't be clipped on television displays

4:3 Safe Margin

Displays additional boundary for 4:3 aspect ratio compatibility

Safe margins provide visual guides with customizable horizontal and vertical control settings.

Multi-Camera view display

Multi-Camera view mode supports up to two metadata properties selected in Overlay Settings. Available camera angle display options depend on Camera Names selection in the Create Multi-Camera Source Sequence dialog box:

  • Track names (V1, V2, V3...)
  • Clip names (as assigned in the Project panel)
  • Camera numbers (numerical identifiers)

Selected metadata appears on each camera angle thumbnail in the Source Monitor during multi-camera editing sessions.

Overlay placement zones

The Overlay Settings dialog box organizes metadata fields into four placement quadrants that correspond to monitor display positions:

  • Left: Typically Source Timecode for multiple video and audio tracks
  • Right: Sequence information and file identifiers
  • Top Middle: Marker comments and sequence markers
  • Bottom Middle: Edit point and media indicators

Quadrants scale proportionally with monitor size while maintaining relative placement.

Overlay presets

Custom overlay configurations can be saved, exported, and imported as preset files:

Preset operation

File format

Purpose

Save Preset

.olp

Stores current Overlay Settings configuration for quick recall

Export Preset

.olp

Creates shareable preset file for use on other systems

Import Preset

.olp

Loads externally created or shared overlay configuration

Delete Preset

N/A

Removes preset from available preset list

Presets enable rapid switching between different overlay layouts or metadata content for various workflow requirements.