Templates allow you to reuse a previously designed project in order to create a similar video for your podcast. But what if you already made something but forgot to save it as a template? Or maybe you want to adjust a template you already made? 

The good news is all that is possible in Headliner. The even better news is you don't have to start from scratch. Headliner makes it easy for you to turn existing projects into templates and quickly adjust designs to make awesome templates. 

This article will walk you through how to do all that and more with the Advanced Editor! 

Note: If you would like to learn more about templates, please refer to this help article. 

Note: If you're looking for information on how to change a template used in an automation, please refer to this article. 

Editing and Saving Templates in Advanced Editor

To edit a project and/or save existing work as a template, you'll need to open it in the Advanced Editor. To do this, find the project you're looking to start with and then click on the project title (white text). Next, a project pop up window will appear. Click 'Edit' and then select 'Open in Advanced Editor' from the drop-down menu. 

Please note, any changes you make in the Advanced Editor will automatically save and overwrite previous work. If you would like to keep the original project intact, please create a copy of that project. 

There are two ways you can copy a project. The first, and more straight forward approach is to click the 'Copy' icon listed on the projects page (circled below).

The second method can be found in the Advanced Editor. To create a copy of a project in the Advanced Editor, you'll first need to click 'Resize' and then select the correct (likely the same) aspect ratio. Then click 'Copy.' 

Once you've created a copy of your project, you can rest assured that your original work will remain intact. Any changes will now be reflected in your duplicate project. 

To save your new project as a template, click 'SAVE AS A TEMPLATE' located in the upper left-hand corner. 

Helpful Templating Tips

There's a TON of things you can do in the Advanced Editor. Here is a short list of tips comprised by the Headliner team to help make templating as smooth as possible:

• Dynamic Elements: Images and Text assets both have the option to 'Make dynamic.' By making an element dynamic, you are telling Headliner to swap that out with elements at the show level. Think episode titles and show art. 

  Note: Dynamic Elements will only work with audiogram projects. Dynamic elements are informed by your RSS feed. 

• Timing: Pay close attention to asset duration, start times, and end times. What looks 'close enough' may not be exact. This can cause delays, black screens, or other things you did not necessarily want in your template. To ensure everything is just right, please make sure things live at the time and place you want them to. 

  Note: To create a universal template (one that works with clips and full-length projects), please ensure everything is timed the same. You can do this by clicking on the end of your assets and dragging them until they're lined up with your projects audio OR by manually typing the start time/duration in the asset media box. 

   

• Audio, Captions, and Templates: When creating a template in the Advanced Editor, it does not matter what source audio it has. Headliner will automatically replace that audio with whatever source you use in the future; in this case, audio is simply a placeholder. So, don't fret about find the perfect clip, it will get swapped out later. Same goes for captions. Templates use the caption style you set. All captions will update automatically to match future audio. 

   

• Layering: To inform asset layering, Headliner uses the media track. Layering is determined going to top to bottom. Whatever asset is first in the media track is the top element; whatever asset is last in the media track is sent to the background. To reorder layers, simply click on the white dots on the far left-hand side (next to the track label) and drag up or down to reorder. 

• Effects and Transitions: Some media assets, like images, allow you to add effects and transitions. These are special to the Advanced Editor; you won't be able to find anywhere else in Headliner! 

• Update Artwork and Replacing Images: Change your mind about an image or watermark but love everything else about a template? Just replace that part and save! Navigate to the asset track, click on the asset in the media track, and then click 'Replace.' 

Questions? Get a Hold of Us! 

We're all ears here. If you have any questions or need an extra hand with your templates, get a hold of us by emailing support@headliner.app.